Your customer has other things to do

I can like a business without wanting to hear from it every week. Especially when I just wanted to buy something and get on with my day.

That seems obvious as a customer. Inside a business, it gets harder. There are targets to meet, channels to grow and an app someone would quite like us to download.

Before long, a straightforward purchase comes with a little admin job. Each request makes sense on its own. An account saves time next time. A newsletter keeps people informed. A loyalty scheme rewards them for returning. Put them all in the way of payment, though, and you may be giving people reasons to leave.

It also makes me question what counts as engagement. Ten minutes on a website might mean interest, or trouble finding the delivery cost. Three conversations with support could mean the first two didn’t help.

That costs the business too. Confusion creates more enquiries. Extra steps can cost sales. A problem that drags on gives people a reason to try a competitor.

I’d pay more attention to what people came to do. Make the information clear. Keep payment straightforward. Let them reach someone who can use their judgement when the usual process doesn’t fit.

There’s plenty of room to leave people feeling good along the way. Sometimes that’s just a matter of making something easier than they expected.

I’m more likely to return to a business I trust to make things easy. Even if I haven’t thought about it once in between.