Consistently low prices have been one of the main goals of customer-centric businesses since as long as anyone can remember. And while lowering prices might be simple from a customer’s perspective, the business case usually isn’t so simple.
This is especially true when it comes to your organization’s facilities management programs. Delaying or ignoring FM needs across your portfolio is a strategy to see one’s problems multiply—and focusing too much on the lowest labor rate can lead to exactly that.
What if you didn’t have to join the race to the bottom? What if your smart, strategic facilities investments managed to pay off in the long run, deepening customer loyalty and attracting new customers?
Research shows: Experience is more important than ever
A body of research collected by PWC demonstrates a core truth: Overall customer experience is the backbone of the loyal customer pipeline.
Great experiences drive initial satisfaction, return interest, organic referrals, and significant repeat purchases. Here’s some important data to consider:
73% of Americans say that customer experience drives their major purchasing decisions. And, a majority of those consumers say that the quality of in-person experiences was important to overall satisfaction.
65% of Americans say that a great customer experience is even more influential on their purchasing choices than effective advertising—and 63% say they’d be willing to share their information with a brand that better catered to their needs.
A majority of Americans say that they’d be willing to pay more for a better atmosphere, a more unique experience, better design, and greater convenience.
Do these sound like familiar concerns?
Your facilities program is central to great customer experiences
Whether they know it consciously or not, your customers are creating a story about your brand from the moment they approach your doors—a story about the way they feel.
Research from the Harvard Business School tells us that your customers make almost every purchasing decision based solely on emotion. As consumers, we choose with emotion and justify with logic.
As a business owner or facilities decision maker, you know first-hand that there’s nothing more immediate to customer experience than the environment your customers can see and experience on their own.
From the condition of your entrance doors, to the attention paid to floor care, lighting fixtures, and restroom amenities—every little detail makes an impression on the way your customers think and feel.
Are your locations clean, safe, functional, and welcoming? Are you making it easy for your customers to feel good about coming to your business? What stories about your business are your customers telling to friends and family?
A generous investment in your company’s facilities program is a generous investment in your customer experience. And it’s an investment that delivers consistent, meaningful returns.
Given the important link between your FM programs and customer trust and satisfaction, why not leverage an industry leader to tackle the headaches and complexities? Get in touch: weknowFM@smsassist.com.