Consumers want more for less
by Natasha Christou Digital Marketing ConsultantNowadays, people expect a lot more for their money. By
definition, a customer’s expectations can be any set of behaviours or actions
that they anticipate – and these expectations are growing. Historically, all
that’s been expected has been the basic quality service and fair pricing.
However, this has changed substantially over the years - and customers are
prepared to air their views on social media if they’re not happy.
That has led to companies now including more gadgets and
services, as well as improving their customer interaction in a bid to entice
buyers to purchase their product and meet their expectations. Customer
interaction and personalisation is becoming more important, both in store and
online. Research has found that 84% of customers say the key factor in winning
their custom is by being treated as a person, not a number. Doing this leads to
more business down the line, with 57% stating they stopped buying from a
company because they received better service elsewhere. This shows that it’s
more important than ever to focus on your customer’s needs.
Here, we look at what people are now demanding across
industries, and how companies are bowing to the pressure to include it.
Entertainment
In years gone by, if you wanted to binge watch your
favourite television series you’d have to fork out a small fortune on a box
set. While collectors may still be buying this way, for many it has fallen by
the wayside. This is because of services such as Netflix. Nowadays, viewers
expect to pay as little as £5.99 for an abundance of programmes – and sometimes
even complain if they aren’t available!
Although Netflix was founded in 1997, it didn’t become
popular until the last few years. As of January 2019, there were over 139
million paid subscriptions to the service. Catch-up services are also available
within your mainstream entertainment package and thanks to technology, you can
now record programmes and pause your TV.
Retail
Buy-one-get-one-free sales are a huge draw for the retail
industry. However, while this has often drawn customers in, the public now
expect to find better deals and cheaper prices if they take their business
online. Companies like Getthelabel.com have tapped into this market superbly.
By offering designer clothes at significantly reduced rates, they are targeting
the 51% of us who prefer to do our shopping online.
With only 13% of Brits knowing what they want to buy, a
third of us now expect a ‘suggested products’ option online. This is crucial
information for companies to supply as it can lead to impulsive sales. In fact,
two in five admitted that they’d be more likely to buy a product online than
in-store because of this option.
Hospitality & tourism
The travel industry is rife with bloggers and reviewers.
Sites such as TripAdvisor are a free and easy platform for members of the
public to air their views. Research has found that 95% of hotel visitors read
online feedback and base their booking decisions on this. It’s key to remember
that such platforms, while they can be vital free publicity, they can also be
brand damaging. Because of this, it’s crucial that you provide the ‘perfect’
package. So, what do customers expect?
Well, travellers expect, as a minimum, cleanliness, a great
view, a good location and complimentary toiletries. However, this has been the
case for many years now. Recently, though, the customer has been expecting more
perks. These include free Wi-Fi, mobile check in and out to beat the queues,
free use of the spa and gym facilities, and even eco-friendly practices such as
renewable energy sources.
Further afield, offering a chauffeur service to and from
your location is becoming more expected, especially from this in the business
world. Offering such a service could be the difference in a customer returning
to your hotel.
Automotive industry
While car buying used to be a symbol status, today’s consumers
are more interested in how efficient their model is, as well as its value and
connected car experiences. Added extras have often been the bane of a car
buyer’s life, with the final price being a lot more than first anticipated. If
you want top of the range technology, you have to pay a lot of money to get
your wish. However, some companies are starting to buck that trend.
The latest advert by Vauxhall regarding their new Corsa
Griffin proves exactly this. The advertisement for the Corsa Griffin model
is a short skit shows potential buyers asking about add-ons and if they came
with the deal, only for the question to be laughed at. This humorous ad shows
both sides of the coin – customers wanting more, and car salespersons offering
less. However, the idea of the advert is to point out that, in fact, the Corsa
Griffin is breaking the mould and giving the customers what they want – a
higher spec model for the same price.
Mercedes are also noticing the benefit of offering their
customers more. They have encouraged owners of older models to convert their
vehicle for free. The Marketing Director of Mercedes-Benz Cars UK, Rob
Halloway, said: "Connected tech isn’t just something that’s coming, it’s
something that can be fitted to your faithful and favourite old E-Class now. Our
MercedesMe adaptor plugs into a car and opens up with the world of connected
cars. It can tell you the mileage, fuel consumption, parked location, your last
route."
It’s tools like this that are helping the industry keep
their customers happy, meaning they are more likely to return for your services
in the future.
As a nation, it’s clear that we are becoming more demanding
with what we expect if we are spending money. With technology continuing to
advance at a rapid rate, it’ll be interesting to see if new developments bring
more demands from shoppers.
Sources
https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/technology-disrupting-automotive-industry-need-know/1487109
https://www.bookinglayer.com/en/blog/online-reviews
https://www.benbria.com/6-things-guests-want-from-hotels/
https://www.smartmeetings.com/news/trends/74256/top-10-trends-impacting-hospitality-industry
https://ecommercenews.eu/51-uk-consumers-prefer-to-shop-online-than-in-store/
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Created on Sep 4th 2019 09:51. Viewed 401 times.