Porters Five Forces Analysis of Virgin Atlantic
Introduction To introduce the article, it would suffice to say that each of the five forces that are discussed subsequently differ in their impact on Virgin Atlantic as the dynamics underlying them vary and the strategy employed by the airline is subject to the fluid and the changing external environment. Virgin Atlantic is a pioneer […]
Brand Building, Launch and Promotion on Social Web
Social Networks provide great opportunity for advertising as well as promoting the brands. The fact that you can present your brand in front of over 200 million people who are participating in the discussions at various Social Networks provides a different dimension to the concept of advertising. It is important for us to remember that […]
Establishing Business Goals and Measurement is Necessary Before Embarking on E Marketing Implementation
Setting up a web page and promoting online business has become a necessity for all business organisations, irrespective of the size of the organisation and the business. Every minute, several thousands of people from all over the world are accessing the internet and searching for products and information. A few hundred of them could be […]
Multi Level Marketing (Network Marketing) – Meaning and Important Concepts
Some consider being Salesmanship to be an inborn trait as is Leadership. Some consider Salesmanship to be an Art. Then there are those who believe that anyone and everyone can be a Salesman with some training. Traditional concept of channel sales and retain sales as concepts are studied by every marketing and sales student. From […]
The Role and Duties of the Board of Directors
Any public limited or a private company needs to have a board of directors which would ratify the management decisions taken by the leadership. These decisions can be financial or operational that affects the day to day running of the company. Further, the board of directors is expected to give a direction to the company […]
Every business knows that in order to thrive it needs to differentiate itself in the mind of the consumer. Price has proved inadequate since there is a limit to how much a firm can cut back on its margins. Product differentiation is also no longer enough to attract or retain customers since technological advances have resulted in products becoming almost identical with very few tangible differences from others in the same category. Consequently, marketers have realized the importance of service differentiation as a sustainable strategy for competing for a portion of the customer’s wallet.
A moment of truth is usually defined as an instance wherein the customer and the organization come into contact with one another in a manner that gives the customer an opportunity to either form or change an impression about the firm. Such an interaction could occur through the product of the firm, its service offering or both. Various instances could constitute a moment of truth - such as greeting the customer, handling customer queries or complaints, promoting special offers or giving discounts and the closing of the interaction.
In today’s increasingly service driven markets and with the proliferation of multiple providers for every type of product or service, moments of truth have become an important fact of customer interaction that marketers need to keep in mind. They are critical as they determine a customer’s perception of, and reaction to, a brand. Moments of truth can make or break an organization’s relationship with its customers.
This is more so in the case of service providers since they are selling intangibles by creating customer expectations. Services are often differentiated in the minds of the customer by promises of what is to come. Managing these expectations constitutes a critical component of creating favorable moments of truth which in turn are critical for business success.
Moments of Magic: Favorable moments of truth have been termed as ’moments of magic’. These are instances where the customer has been served in a manner that exceeds his expectations. Eg: An airline passenger being upgraded to from an economy to a business class ticket or the 100th (or 1000th) customer of a new department store being given a special discount on his purchase. Such gestures can go a long way in creating a regular and loyal customer base. However, a moment of magic need not necessarily involve such grand gestures. Even the efficient and timely service consistently provided by the coffee shop assistant can create a moment of magic for the customers.
Moment of Misery: These are instances where the customer interaction has a negative outcome. A delayed flight, rude and inattentive shop assistants or poor quality of food served at a restaurant all qualify as moments of misery for the customers. Though lapses in service cannot be totally avoided, how such a lapse is handled can go a long way in converting a moment of misery in to a moment of magic and creating a lasting impact on the customer.
Note: Moments of Magic and Moments of Misery are trademarks owned by Shep Hyken. Used with permission. For more information go to http://www.hyken.com.
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