Time is a precise measurement but our perception of it can vary vastly. A workday passes in the blink of an eye and our youth can feel like a distant memory. Endlessly we try to pin our experiences onto a mental evidence board that is -seemingly- in the present.
We don’t own time; we aim to keep it.
Social Media allows us to be in a present state, a status. Even in the flesh we tend to ‘jot’ down time, grasping momentum with yoga and meditation. It is a metaphysical riddle; as soon we get aware of moments they’ve already passed. Fact is, we are what we remember.
So how does time and memory influence us and how does it influence companies and our customers?
Processing
Our cerebral cortexes are responsible for time keeping. Research teaches us that our perception of time slows down when:
- We have high expectations
- We engaged ourselves in demanding activities or
- We experience stress or anxiety.
Customer experience, be clear in the moment!
When in process-mode people start to underestimate time, there are many nominators for losing time from flux, flow to frustration. Flow is a comfortable state in which people lose track of time while still feeling in control. Frustration is what happens when you break flow and start wasting customer’s time. This still happens with online retail too often leading to bad customer experience.
Plethora of options
Time and communication apply to all markets and product categories. We no longer actually really need many things… in terms of basic survival- but we want things… and there is generally a plethora of options or choice to where we can buy things. So brands need to consider the consumers time as ‘precious’ and make online and offline navigation of their brand an experience- and let the consumer decide the journey.
And as we are all time-poor…we could start by:
- Using customer feedback to enhance the customer journey in order for it to lead up to an excellent customer experience. A good journey doesn’t only lead to the shopping cart!
- Ensuring online and offline worlds have a synergy. One is limitless but digital, one is restrained by its sq meterage but is physical.
- Making time to ‘talk’ to your customers. Don’t just store complaints; address them! An unexpected call in a digital world has great value. Don’t be hesitant to use chat-apps to reach customers.
- Going for standardisation of payment processes and orders, short, simple, swift.
- Realising that mobile means on the go and information and offerings need to be short and simple and smart. All websites needs to be mobile ready with an adjacent set of apps for specific purposes.
- Removing all obstacles that stand in the way of operating freely.
- Allowing customers to decide their journey- allow choice and allow them to determine their pace while building in positive, unexpected elements that ‘get remembered’.
We can make the experience worth it’s while…in our spare time.