How a cup of tea lead to 16 types of customer needs.
It was my turn to make team drinks in the office today. We had one black decaf coffee, one regular black coffee and one tea with milk. All were different, made to the specific needs of each team member. I knew who drank what and how they liked their drink to be made.
That made me think about marketing. As businesses do we need to know that level of detail about our customers? I’m not necessarily thinking about how they like their drinks, but what products or services do they need right now and then how do we use that information to shape our marketing?
Actually, knowing how your customer likes their tea is also important. Should they visit you, you can remember how to make their perfect cuppa! They will feel recognised and appreciated and not just like another customer.
Back to customer needs…
A really useful blog by Hubspot identifies 16 of the most common type of customer needs. Whether you are a business that sells products or offers services, these 16 needs work together to drive customers to the purchasing decision of buying from you rather than going to your competitor.
How many of these do you know for your customers?
- Functionality – does your product/service function in the way they need it to solve their problem?
- Price – does the cost of your product/service fall within their budget?
- Convenience – does your product/service provide a convenient solution for them?
- Experience – does your product/service provide a great user experience?
- Design – is the design of your product/service easy to use and intuitive?
- Reliability – is your product/service reliable, and does it function as advertised?
- Performance – does your product/service perform so the customer can achieve their goals?
- Efficiency – is your product/service efficient and not time-consuming?
- Compatibility – is your product/service compatible with what the customer is already using?
- Empathy – when your customer gets in touch with a problem, are you empathetic and understanding?
- Fairness – from your pricing to contracts and customer service, are you a fair company?
- Transparency – are your pricing changes, ethics, and processes for problem-solving transparent?
- Control – do your customers feel in control of their interaction with you from the start?
- Options – do you provide product/service options or payment options? Do you provide freedom of choice?
- Information – do you have regular communication with your customers, so they have all the information they need?
- Accessibility – can your customers access customer support when they need to?
Adapting our services based on need.
It’s the same with our services. Over time, our clients have asked us for x, y and z. We have now taken on board their feedback, looked at our customer service data, and created design, website and marketing packages built around what they have been asking for. We can also create custom teams incorporating subject matter experts should our clients want a bit of a, b or c added in for good measure!
So, what has this got to do with making a cuppa? We listened to what they wanted and developed it for them…just like making a cup of tea. If you asked for decaf coffee and I made you tea with milk, would you drink it?
As Steve Jobs notably stated, ‘You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology.’
That’s what we do at Scream Blue Murder.
We don’t whisper your story. We Scream Blue Murder.
A design and marketing communications agency.