Everyone knows the value of good customer service, yet such a few companies get it right. And that presents a great opportunity for the few to stand out from the crowd. Two recent experiences reminded me how technology, combined with the right human touch, can help improve customer experiences…

During a recent trip, I used Uber app in Dubai. Soon after reaching my destination, the pop-up asked me to rate my experience. I gave it a 3 out of 5. Usually, that would be the end of it, but not on Uber app. Another pop-up asked me ‘What went wrong?’ providing a box to write comments. I briefly wrote the two issues that were less than satisfactory: The taxi was waiting at the wrong address, until I called. The driver didn’t know the shorter route, so the 10-minute trip took about 20 minutes. Within a few minutes of pressing ‘send’ on the app, I got the following email:

What was most impressive was the promptness of the reply, the personal attention and something in return to quickly turn a less-than-satisfied customer into a raving fan!

The other experience was at an optician in Hong Kong. Most clinics in HK give you a form to fill out on your first visit – often a badly printed or copied sheet on an old clipboard with a cheap pen, and with English or punctuation errors on the form. Not at iSight. I was given an iPad to fill out a neatly designed, short and sweet form. The clinic had a comfortable waiting area with a coffee machine! The experience with the doctor was also perfect, so I thought ‘They are about to charge me more than twice the normal price’. To my surprise it was exactly the same price as that of an average clinic. And I got a reminder for my follow-up appointment on Whatsapp! How difficult can it be to use electronic forms and Whatsapp?

A small investment in technology, combined with the right human touch, can significantly improve the user experiences and help to delight and surprise your customers!