When have you seen force or friction impact a company’s ability to grow?

[mbarba]

Revenue Operations, or RevOps, is integral to taking an inbound approach to business and speeding up your company’s flywheel.

Why are those important? Let’s define terms first:

• Inbound is a method of attracting, engaging, and delighting people to grow a business that provides value and builds trust.
• The flywheel is a model adapted by HubSpot to explain the momentum you gain when you align your entire organization around delivering a remarkable customer experience. Rather than thinking of your business as a funnel, with leads coming in at the top and customers coming out at the bottom, think about your business as a circle — as a flywheel.

When thinking about how to spin your company’s flywheel faster with RevOps, there are two important concepts to keep in mind:

1. Force is what allows your business to scale by spinning your flywheel faster and faster. This looks like when your customer has a great customer experience and tells their friends and colleagues about it.
2. Friction is what grinds your business to a halt, if not addressed. This is when your company provides your customers with a bad customer experience, and they also tell their friends and colleagues about it. In turn, this slows down your flywheel.

Here’s what I’d love to hear:

1. Share a time when you had an amazing customer experience and you saw a company grow faster and faster because of their wonderful customer care.
2. Share a time when you had a poor customer experience (please don’t name names or organizations) and how you saw that type of poor care affect their business.

[JoshuaP]

1. Customer experience is so important when generating revenue through new and repeat customers. An organisation I previously worked out was acquired by a larger organisation. We were merged into the Ops / Customer Success team and took their response rates to customers from 20 minutes to 5 minutes as we understand from the customer feedback that this was a large friction point. We did this through building customer centric pathways and guidebooks.
2. A friend previously worked in the marketing team of an online retailer which would advertise quick delivery times but would often not have products in stock. This meant once a product had been puchased and the delivery time missed the customer would be updated about a longer wait. This set the customer journey off on the wrong foot before the product even arrived and meant cancelled orders, returned products and unhappy customers leading to them not returning.

[CBoersma]

I have seen an effort to reduce friction cause negative impacts to a sales process. I worked at a company where the sign up flow did not account for potential duplicative accounts being created and just allowed anyone to create new accounts without confirming if there was a duplicative account. This created a lot of wasteful efforts from sales teams trying to engage existing customers instead of new business. This also required manual efforts from each person that received a duplicative account to merge the accounts which also wasted selling time

[TAllerby]

Good CX

I asked a Live Chat function to explain the difference in price and value between two products. They pointed out the differences (not listed on the website), but also then made recommendations for products, based on different things that might be important to me.  I ended up buying one of the recommendations!

Bad CX

I recently checked out an online shopping fashion site. Only after the order had processed did it show that not all the items in my cart had been included in the order. I contacted customer service by Live Chat asking them to add the remaining items to the order (as to order them separately would have incurred an additional delivery charge). They couldn't do it, refused to offer free shipping for the items that had not been captured in the checkout process, and in the end offered a measly 50cents (in 'customer points') to use on a future purpose.  I was so unimpressed!

[cmarano]

1. Hockeystack removes friction from getting started with their product by creating reports and dashboards for the customers and turning brand new customers into champions of the brand. 

2. Making prospects who have used your customer previously go through the same long sales process as any other prospect. 

[WSmith88]

Good customer experience:

Ordered item from an online retailer and it arrived in a broken box, presumably through poor delivery method, and I reached out to the retailer and received quick reply, informing me I could return the item free of charge and receive a replacement next day delivery. 

Poor customer experience:

Ordered food via app, food arrived and they had forgotten our drinks. I called them and they told us that our drinks were included despite us not receiving them, they did not offer to compensate or refund the items and we decided to not use them for takeaways again.

[Dyrrachium]

Amazing Customer Experience and Business Growth:

"I purchased a laptop from a tech company some time ago. Shortly after the purchase, I encountered a minor issue with the device. When I reached out to their customer support, they responded promptly and with a genuine desire to help. The support agent not only resolved the issue but also provided additional tips for optimizing my laptop's performance. Impressed by this service, I shared my experience on social media (tagging the company on Instagram), praising the company's commitment to customer satisfaction. I believe some of my friends, as well as their connections, decided to try the company's products based on my recommendation. This fact should have contributed to the company's reputation, leading to increased sales and improved business performance."

Poor Customer Experience and its Impact:

Some time ago, I ordered a home appliance from an electronics retailer. Unfortunately, the product arrived damaged, and when I contacted customer support, the response was slow and unapologetic. The replacement process was cumbersome, involving multiple follow-ups and delays. Frustrated by the poor service, I shared such an experience with friends and family. As a result, I strongly believe that the company must have lost potential customers who were considering making purchases. Such poor customer experiences can act as significant friction in business growth.

[Susan11]

The marketing team is driving a high volume of leads, but due to poor communication or alignment with the sales team, many of these leads are not properly followed up on or converted into sales.

[JMuñozCorrea]

Perfect Balance Between Force and Friction

I looked up the insurance company's number to speak with an advisor about activating unemployment insurance. The communication was straightforward (FORCE). They explained the process to me and mentioned that from now on, all interactions would be through WhatsApp, and I couldn't proceed over the phone (FRICTION). Messaging on WhatsApp made it easy to attach documents and monitor the status of my request.

I saved on follow-up calls, signing papers, and sending emails. This is an example of how to use force and friction to benefit customer service. I'll certainly be recommending their services.

[uma_s_91]

Great customer experience: 
I have been working out with a Gym for the past 3 years. One day, I had not slept well and yet I woke up early in the morning to show up. I was very tired and I did not have the energy to follow the workout plan. One of the instructors asked me to go home and get some sleep so that I'd be able to get through the day. This happened a few more times and I got annoyed because I felt bad to go all the way back without getting my workout done. I started making it a point ot sleep properly so that I can get a good 1 hour workout. In the next 3 months, this started becoming a habit and my performance improved gradually. As a customer, I was happy ultimately. 

While typing this I am not sure whether this was a Force or a Friction. The instructor being well aware of the client's state is a Force and asking the client to go back is a Friction. Would love to know more thoughts here 🙂 

Poor customer experience: 
I ordered food from a restaurant recently and I had forgotten to specify the dietary constraints that my friend has. I called up in the next 5 mins and the phone line was busy. I had to wait for 5 more minutes and make another call. When the call was picked up I apologised for missing to mention the specifications and asked if it is possible to customise. Instead of addressing my concerns directly, he said they can only take customisation requests if it was placed within the next 5 minutes from the time of order and I had called up only after 10 minutes. I tried to explain that the line was busy and then he started going through the call logs and said I had only called them 6 mins later and not 5 minutes. A simple explanation saying that the chef has started preparing would have saved a lot of time and energy for both of us. 

[MHamilton13]

Navan (formerly Trip Actions) is incredibly easy to use AND knocks it out of the park with customer service via chat. They're always available, patient, and take time to understand the actual issue - not simply read through a script or behave robotically. Even though we use it for company travel booking, I've also used it for personal trip booking for these reasons.

Conversely, we have a home warranty, and they've made it incredibly easy to file a claim, but almost impossible to follow up on it or add any nuance to the process. Therefore, if your oven breaks, they can get a repair person scheduled within 72 hours, and you don't have to speak to anyone - but if your oven breaks 4 times, they keep sending the same repair person to replace the same part and refuse to acknowledge that there's anything wrong...need less friction getting in contact with an actual person.

[KDorton]

I recently switched internet providers. My previous provider (A) had excellent customer care, I just couldn't afford their prices anymore. I was offered a better price for faster speeds on fiber with another company (B). At first they seemed to have great customer care.

Until I needed help troubleshooting.

Both companies have an app for updates, billing, outages, etc.

Company A would provide notification that there would be techs in the area and that we may lose connection. They also provided an ETA for it to come back up, all through the app. If I called for tech support, they would stay in touch with me and provide a much smaller window for someone to come and assist. 

Recently, I lost connection during a meeting. I tried to call Company B for tech support. They stated that they didn't see anything wrong with my connection and couldn't figure it out. They offered to send a technician to check on my lines. I let them know that I work from home and need someone asap. Even if I had to wait until morning. They promised the following morning appointment. I then received an email stating the tech would not be available until 3 days later. I called back to clarify the message and make sure the ticket was not to take that long. I later found out that there were techs at my driveway working on the lines for customers further down the road. No communication at all! They had been there all day. They even told me that they did not have to report to HQ that they had disconnected internet for our neighborhood.

I'm not sure the price outways the customer care anymore.

[sambaker]

I see examples of both amazing and poor customer experiences living in San Francisco. Real estate is so expensive that it makes it hard for restaurants to stay alive in SF.

One of my favorite restaurants plays records and their pizza is delicious. Every morning, they sell bagels so people can come for breakfast too. It gives customers the opportunity to buy in the morning and at night. Chains like McDonald's and Taco Bell in San Francisco don't do as well because they don't deliver a customer experience on the same level as others. Sure McDonald's is open all day, but they use poor ingredients to sell cheap food. It isn't enough for them to stay in business when there's so much great food/restaurants around them. That's why you only see a couple of these franchise/chain restaurants in SF. The same is true in the software industry!

[stemkent]

experienced great customer experience with online retailier. Received damaged goods and replied via "contact us" function and they replied within 1 hour offering to send new product expedited no shipping cost incurred and a gift card in an effort to remeddy inconvenience. 

[RonFigueroa]

Hello Everyone,

Amazing Customer Experience:

This organization needed to be updated with its website design and helped with its image to acquire investors for a campaign they were doing. As soon as we revised and launched the new image, we saw investors and new members join the organization. We also fulfilled the initial funding needed to stay afloat.  

Poor Customer Experience

When a business sells you a service, and then you receive something else, it becomes stressful and a waste of time. I WAS SHUT DOWN AND IGNORED when I wanted to share and complain about my experience. Since this was in the tourism sector, I went to the minister and then headed to the police department to file the complaint. When a business is not accountable, something shady is occurring, so legal action is advised as long as you can provide proof and a detailed report. 

Saludos,

Ron

[Deepak_P]

Amazing Customer Experience:
Recently, I had an amazing customer experience with an online retailer. I had ordered a product, but it was delivered to the wrong address. When I contacted their customer service, they were quick to respond and apologized for the inconvenience. They immediately shipped a new product to me and even offered a discount for my next purchase. Their customer service was friendly, efficient, and went above and beyond to make things right. I was so impressed with their service that I became a loyal customer and recommended them to my friends and family. This type of excellent customer care can lead to increased sales, customer retention, and positive word-of-mouth marketing.

Poor Customer Experience:
On the other hand, I had a poor customer experience with a restaurant. I had made a reservation for a special occasion, but when I arrived, they had given away our table to another party. The staff was unapologetic and unhelpful, and we were forced to wait for a long time for another table. The food was also disappointing, and the overall experience left a bad taste in my mouth. I was so disappointed that I never returned to that restaurant and even warned my friends and family to avoid it. This type of poor care can lead to negative reviews, decreased sales, and a damaged reputation.

[RGaro]

1. Share a time when you had an amazing customer experience and you saw a company grow faster and faster because of their wonderful customer care.

When I worked at a hotel in Melbourne which went aboec and beyond for all transactions during the business process. It organically grew to be the best hotel in Australia and awarded Forbes 5 star international recognition. 

1. Share a time when you had a poor customer experience (please don’t name names or organizations) and how you saw that type of poor care affect their business.

Word of mouth for this company meant a drastic downturn in business revenue as customers were faced with a great product but very poor execusion of interactions with customers. Rude and unmotivated ownership meant a flow on of poor google reviews.

[JDahmes]

Amazing - I was on a vacation in another city and at a store. They didn't have what I wanted but they took time to find another local business that probably would (and did). The employee of this shop was so nice and helpful that I gave them a positive review online AND recommended them to another tourist I ran into that week. 

Not Great - was trying to make an auto-body/service appointment. sat on hold for nearly 10 minutes and then was asked to leave a voicemail. Chose to call back and try again... 10 more minutes of hold and then asked to leave a voicemail so this time I did. 2 days passed and no call from the shop to schedule an appointment. Left a negative review and chose a different shop who answered my call. 

[stemkent]

yea that is really frustrating. I am in a busniess where onliine reviews can make an impact (as are countless others). Question: After you left the review, did the body shop that kept you on hold contact/reach out to you? And has this happened to you in other scenarios (review left [positive or negative] and the reviewed business reached out to you?

[KBystrom]

Was on a team that was trialing AI dialers. 

1. Very engaging AE and Customer Success Rep both invested in our ability to see results. Even helped by looking up prospects Direct Lines. Got to know each team member individually. 

2. AE wasn't engaging. The whole team couldn't start the trial on the same day. The product was glitchy and didn't have as smooth UX. We were actually more excited about this product and it was significantly more affordable than what we went with. 

[nefer]

• Share a time when you had an amazing customer experience and you saw a company grow faster and faster because of their wonderful customer care.
• I used a chatbot Saas product that was remarkably more intuitive to use than the ones I've tried in the past. This led me to share with others in my groups, share use cases, and generated community discussions around the chatbot.

• Share a time when you had a poor customer experience (please don’t name names or organizations) and how you saw that type of poor care affect their business.
• With a self-serve Saas product, you're bound to encounter issues. I've encountered Saas companies with slow customer support response and poor documentation. I've seen this reflect poorly in their growth and community engagement versus similar products. 

[JGreer]

1.  I worked for a beauty/ body care startup that required all sales representatives to prioritize the customer by greeting them at the entrance, asking probing questions, and being their personalized guide throughout their shopping experience; Providing this experience consistently led to over 20% growth in customer satisfaction ratings and retention within a few months.
2. I also had experiences where I have heard management arguing with or in front of customers or sales personal ignoring the customer until the customer speaks to them.