Beta Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry
I
recently heard a technology presentation from a young
but experienced CEO of a big ‘clicks and mortar’
organization. He told the large audience confidently,
‘Beta means never having to say you’re sorry.’
‘That’s right,’ I thought to myself.
‘When launching the beta test of a new web-enabled
process, customers must understand it’s only a
pilot run and should be forgiving if things mess up
or don’t work out as planned.’
I was totally wrong about his point of view.
In direct contrast to my thinking, this e-commerce veteran
explained that new web-based interactions often do not
work properly during a beta test.
However, from the customer’s point of view,
he insisted, your pilot run must be successful enough
to avoid creating negative customer perceptions or the
need to apologize after the fact.
The cost and consequences of doing it badly are customer
skepticism, hesitation and negative word-of-mouth. That’s
a cost too high to pay in today’s fast-moving
world of instant communications.
Key
Learning Point
If you are planning
the design and launch of a new customer interface or web-enabled
process, be sure to have enough staff and resources on
hand to execute brilliantly from the customer's point
of view, even if the technology itself proves problematic.
Action Steps
Plan ahead, staff
up and allocate more resources than you will require.
When you do launch, do whatever it takes to create a positive
customer experience. Keep your breakdowns and learning
behind the scenes. Make sure your customer is well satisfied
and well served out in front.
Next Article in Customer Service Perception Points >>
Never on a Sundae
First Article in Customer Service Recovery >>
What to do When Your Customer is About to Explode
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Ron Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed customer service training educator for quality service.
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