2023 Customer Expectations

It’s been a wild ride for most BKBG Shareholders and Preferred Vendor Partners during the last three years. Many expect the coming year to return to “normal,” or an activity level comparable to 2019. While showrooms may be expecting a return to normal, will customers feel the same way? Customer service expert Shep Hyken does not agree. He believes that customers will continue to expect more and relying on the status quo will not meet expectations.

Customers will be smarter and more demanding. Amazon has created a consumer mentality that shipping is free and everything can be returned without cost or reason.

Retaining team members will be as important, if not more so, than retaining customers. The U.S. unemployment market remains at record lows. Attracting and retaining talent will remain a front burner opportunity for showrooms.

Customers will continue to expect more. Attracting and retaining the customers you want will require more than the basics of a friendly greeting and helpful, convenient service. Managing customer expectations will be as important as the design showrooms present to clients.

Customers will crave personalized experiences. This represents a tremendous opportunity for showrooms to demonstrate that you can create spaces that enable your customer to make personal and distinctive design statements.

The phone is a customer service asset. Making a phone call is the preferred way to connect with businesses among 87% of Baby Boomers who represent 21% of the U.S. population and a larger percentage of the wealth.

Chat bots, FAQ pages, video tutorials and other self-serve tools are welcomed by Millennials and Gen-Z who are the next large wave of showroom customers.

Consumers want to patronize businesses that they trust. Hyken writes, “Trust is an emotional connection that drives repeat business and loyalty.” Trust is earned by delivering exceptional customer experiences.

View customer support as a revenue generator. Supporting customers to solve problems, make better decisions and have realistic expectations contributes meaningfully to the bottom line.