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How To Ensure (Really) Good Customer Experiences To Help Your Business Grow In The UAE The UAE has proven its strength across a multitude of business areas. However, an area that's sadly not kept up to speed with the country's dramatic progression is the customer experience.

By Spencer Lodge

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The UAE has proven its strength across a multitude of business areas. However, an area that's sadly not kept up to speed with the country's dramatic progression is the customer experience.

What this has created is an opportunity for businesses to take the lead and really own a large section of market share. A shining example of progressive customer service, and as a result market share, in the Emirates is Careem, the taxi service provider. Careem has cleverly identified its top 10% of clients and makes personal calls to them every month to ask their opinion as to how they might improve their service. Out of this, Careem Kids was born. Customers didn't want to have to carry car seats around with them so Careem launched this new (and quite brilliant) service, which has made lives easier for parents and increased its offering and customer base, all in one.

Companies should be reinvesting budget into designing customer experience journeys and focusing on creating memorable interactions with their customers. Overall it is more cost and time effective to create a repeat customer, than to constantly attract new business. That said, the touch point that needs the most focus and can make or break the customer relationship is the one that's often not given enough importance. A company's frontline employees often hold the organization's reputation in their hands- over time, brand reputation really does come from how customers are treated.

I've prepared a few questions businesses need to ask if they want to improve their bottom line through improved customer service:

1.What is the customer journey? Know where their journey starts and create touch points along the way.

2.Who is your target audience? Is the type of person or business are you hoping to attract the same as you are currently attracting?

3.What are the right platforms to use? This is largely based on where your customer's journey starts- is it the moment they step into your shop, or is it the moment they type the name of your service into Google?

4.What is the right frequency of engagements? No one likes getting spammed nor do they appreciate five members of staff assaulting you with the same questions one after the other.

5.What is the right message? Know and understand your audience before you approach them.

6.What are the core interests of your audience? Find out and capitalize on them.

7.What is your cost per acquisition? If you consider this against your client retention cost, this will give you a much better financial yardstick as to the value of your customers.

Related: Customizing Connections Between Companies And Customers

Spencer Lodge

Managing Director, Make It Happen

Having trained and coached thousands of people during his career, Spencer Lodge knows what it takes to make things happen. With over 23 years of experience in building businesses and training employees to achieve their full potential, Make It Happen was born out of Spencer’s desire to share his success with people in the industry. Whether you’re an employee that wants to learn how to be a better salesman through our leadership program, or a CEO that wants to cultivate a strong sales and leadership culture in the workplace, Make It Happen has the tools you’ll need to help you on your way. Transform your sales team, redefine your success strategy and realize that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Spencer has won countless awards as global top wealth manager, country manager and regional director. He is 46 years old with two daughters. He enjoys skiing, cycling and most outdoor adventures. He has cycled from London to Paris in July and will be cycling from London to Rome in June 2017 to raise money for charities. He has, to date, donated close to a million pounds to charity over the last ten years helping children in Africa born with HIV and aids.
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