I’m looking forward to heading out tomorrow for the GEL Conference (Good Experience Live) in New York, an eclectic gathering of movers and shakers interested in all things related to creativity and customer experience. The events should be great, and who knows, maybe my hotel will be great too. I’ve heard that’s possible.

On my last business trip, I was confronted with one of those “what do I do now?” moments while trying to depart the downtown Hyatt in Atlanta. My usual mode of egress from hotels is to leave the keys in the room and walk out the front, figuring they won’t forget to update and send me a final bill.

On this morning, however, I decided to give the shiny new “Self Express Check-In and Check-Out” kiosk a try. After all, there’s no waiting, a cool touch screen, and the word “express” in the title. What an incredibly logical approach to customer service! Besides, our company, Vox, has been getting more involved with new technology that improves customer experience, so it’s field research.

As I started punching my name and other basic info in, I noticed that the screen was not necessarily configured properly. One had to lean down hard and maintain pressure for a letter to register, but hold down a micro-second too long and two letters popped up, requiring a painful delete procedure. Also the alignment was off, requiring a distinct prejudice of the user’s finger slightly to the northwest of the actual letter.

Slowly, I struggled through the process. I wanted to abandon this terror machine, but now it had part of my information – I was halfway checked out – and there was no off ramp. The choice popped up for a printed statement or to have it emailed. I immediately hit the email option, wanting to avoid trying to figure out just where and when the printed statement might be dispensed.

The evil screen politely requested that I enter my email address. Dang! I was low on oxygen, but knew I must be near the summit of this customer service ascent. With my last bit of strength, I punched down on the “m” for bill.cusick@voxinc.com. I had finished! I could now walk out the door and leave this cursed lobby.

The screen blipped for a second, and then it seemed that I could hear the devil laughing as the kiosk pushed the dagger in: “please confirm by reentering your email address.”

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

Yeah, I know. You already know your customer, right? After all, you have the latest satisfaction survey results (apparently many are “satisfied;” way to go!), and last year you installed the latest, greatest CRM system. You know everything!

Or not. Fact is, most companies need a map to find a clue about what makes their customers tick. A study by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council appearing in this TMCnet.com article proves the point. While all the companies surveyed claim that focusing on customer experience and retention is a corporate priority, you couldn’t tell it by what they are actually doing.

And I quote: “Just six percent of marketers say they have ‘excellent knowledge’ of the customer when it comes to demographic, behavioral, psychographic and transactional data, while over 50 percent report they have ‘fair, little, or no’ knowledge of the customer.”

Many companies already have the behavioral data to get a solid grasp on what they can do to improve customer experience and retention. It’s right under their nose, it’s important, and yet, nothing happens.
Yes, customers are irrational. But you can find “the truth” by analyzing their behavior.

You just have to bother to look.

One thing about people: we really like ourselves.

We enjoy our own company and, by extension, we’re drawn to other people and things that are familiar and remind us of ourselves. Different people and ideas, by contrast, tend to cause us anxiety and we need some time to adapt.

Well, according to article in the New York Times, this positive association with all things that are “us” extends to our names…and even to the letters in our names. There’s even a label for this dynamic: the name-letter effect.

People feel a kinship with their namesakes, Googling them regularly. The article notes studies suggesting that “Johnsons are more likely to wed Johnsons, women named Virginia are more likely to live in (and move to) Virginia, and people whose surname is Lane tend to have addresses that include the word ‘lane,’ not ‘street.’”

It’s a nutty concept (dare I say “irrational?”), but there is evidence to support it. So what do we take away from it?

Just this: when you’re dealing with prospects and customers, keep in mind that they may not be looking for the next, best, cutting-edge thing. Often we want something familiar, something that isn’t about “new,” but rather about comfort, that connects back to who we already are.

In other words: save the pizzazz, and give them what they already know.

Here’s an interesting article on why (in the author’s opinion) customers will say no to an attractive marketing offer, even if it makes perfect sense.

His ten reasons for customers to pass on your next offer are:

(1) Inertia (i.e. laziness)
(2) Credibility
(3) Adopter habits
(4) Conflicts of interest
(5) Ego & Competitiveness
(6) Bad timing
(7) Poor Past Experience With A Competitor
(8) Paid For, or Free Alternatives
(9) A Lousy Mood, Acid Reflux, Hangover, Hunger, & Other Maladies
(10) Fear

I’m not sure if I agree with these specific reasons, but there is merit in what he’s saying. As customers, we don’t check a logical series of reasons for why we should or should not act on an offer. These and other emotional (and yes, irrational) reasons weigh just as heavily in our minds…whether we know it or not.