Customer Experience: Is Your Timing Off?

Have you ever wondered how your customer experience impacts your business and brand?

Let me tell you a story where I was the customer with … an interesting experience:

When we decided to book our flat in Scotland for two weeks, we were immensely excited to learn that there were – not one, but two – Michelin-rated restaurants within walking distance. The term “Michelin Star” is the hallmark of fine dining quality with restaurants around the world proudly celebrating this attainment.

It’s the best of the best:

The food is spectacular.

The presentation is like art.

And your experience is usually unforgettable.

That is… until the timing of your service goes bad. 

Is Your Timing Off?

Your service timing matters a whole lot more than you may realize.

We went to our first Michelin Restaurant, The Kitchin, on our third night in Scotland. The style of service was different from anything I’ve seen before. There were all kinds of people dedicated to ensuring customers had a spectacular experience – but no one seemed to notice that their timing was completely off.

We ordered a cocktail and a bottle of wine to start.

The sommelier offered to open the wine and let it breathe while we had our cocktail. It was a kind gesture, but the next thing we knew, our main course was being served. We hadn’t even finished our cocktail or had our wine poured.

Let me say this though: the food was grand, but the timing was faster than necessary during our fine-dining experience.

Your Timing Will Make Or Break You

After we finished our mains, we were asked if we wanted to have some cheese (did I mention it was served from the most spectacular cheese assortment you’ve ever seen?). We delighted in having this cheese and requested a Port menu which, to our dismay, never showed up.

The biggest way to affect the quality of your customer’s experience? The timing and clarity of your follow-through.

We asked a second person to bring us the Port menu. But it didn’t stop there. We ended up waiting and waiting for the Port, then the dessert, the bill … and eventually for someone to notice that we were no longer enjoying our dining experience.

The timing and clarity of your follow-through matter immensely to your customer.

Our dining experience was quite expensive. We had a three or four-course menu, and it took us three hours to get out of the restaurant. It’s a good thing we were not in a hurry to leave – but that’s not the point.

The point is about timing, how your timing can affect your customer experience and, ultimately, the perception of your brand.

How’s Your Business’ Customer Experience?

Do you inspect how your customers are experiencing your business, communication and service? Bring this to the forefront because it has the power to ruin the perception of your brand.

Here’s a quick audit:

• Do you respond quickly when your customer reaches out to you?
• Do you follow up too closely when you’re trying to close a deal?
• Do you delay when you have a deliverable?

If you have no idea, ask your clients: are you too slow? Too fast? Or just right?

Your timing, much like the service industry in a restaurant, matters. Too slow, and you don’t have a strong enough sense of urgency. Too fast, and you come off pushy.

If you miss out on the clues that something is wrong, it appears you don’t really care about your customer’s experience.

You can have the best product around, but if your service doesn’t match the product experience, you’ve likely got a problem in your business.

And that problem, much like my own, can lead to negative word-of-mouth marketing.

Pay attention to your timing.

Pay attention to your customer experience.

Have you asked your clients about their overall quality of service? How did you go about asking them? Tell me below.