Let’s explore the views of Richard Sheahan, a Principal Consultant with Forrester, a global research and consulting firm specializing in customer experience,

What is a positive customer experience?

A positive customer experience is one which makes the customer want to purchase your products or services again! To evaluate this customer experience, we have shown through research over many years that the customer thinks on three levels: “Did I obtain the product or service I was looking for?”, “Did I obtain it easily and quickly?”, and finally “How did I feel interacting with the service provider?”. This last question is the most important, as it will really determine whether or not the customer will want to come back. Even in the shipping industry, this “customer emotion” aspect is crucial. B to B is, above all, business between people; in fact, and we remind our clients that it is still a ‘P to P’ (Person to person) world …

How are customers’ expectations currently evolving?

Customers today know they want and can get, greater efficiency, better quality and faster service and this comes ever more cheaply. Business customer’s expectations are also influenced by experiences in their personal lives: they are smartphone users, and they expect a company like CMA CGM, for example, to be responsive and joined up’ as well as committed to their customers’ success.

How can companies improve the customer experience?

They need to invest more as an organization – not just the customer facing people - in understanding their customers and their expectations. Any company’s response to those expectations is however a business decision – does it make sense for both parties? Not all customer expectations ought to be fulfilled! A company can consciously decide to meet certain expectations and to forget others for example for cost or brand reasons. Again, you need to understand these expectations in order to design a strategy! The customer has an experience with you whatever. The question is to know what it is (in the minds of your customers) and why it is that way? Only with this knowledge can you optimise your customers’ journeys so both parties benefit.

What are customers looking for today?

SMART CONTAINERS

In collaboration with Traxens, CMA CGM is creating the smart container! By opting for this new innovation of high added value, our biggest customers will soon be able to track their merchandise shipment at all times. They will be able to verify the position of the container, even on land, and receive information such as whether it has been damaged or opened or whether there have been changes in external temperature. This new tool will enable customers to get the most out of their shipment and to follow the logistics chain from start to finish.

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