The customer experience of Santander web security

Online fraud is a serious concern with lives conducted through digital channels and little paper trails left to reflect our interactions. As a result of this digitally enabled existence security of web sites and digital data needs to continually develop to remain ahead of the hackers seeking to exploit this environment. Looking at the Santander configuration they have now developed 6 layers of authentication for new customers to ensure they protect their consumers banking details. While this is highly laudable the ancillary support services to their site is extremely poor as any issue that occurs with the site leaves the customer dependent on domestic mail to reset their account.  Advanced authentication is great when you can match it with support services in line with this, email, SMS and intelligent voice as potential options. Falling back on the post to inject major delays in availability is simply not good enough in modern customer experience engagement. Epic fail. 

The customer experience of failed deliveries

Following the privatisation of Royal Mail we can expect to see a shift in the business model for this backbone of UK infrastructure. The company has survived the digital age so far better than many had predicted as futurists plotting the death of the letter as email and instant message services dominated communications. While this digital transformation for many communications has taken place so too has the world of e-commerce with a dependence upon parcel delivery to receive your goods. This upturn in parcel deliveries including the many eBay addicts that have turned a website into a vocation means that while letters have declined parcels have seen an increase helping to position Royal Mail as a desirable business proposition having been floated on the stock exchange. This has lead to ever increasing pressure for parcel services with many smaller firms looking to undercut Royal Mail and take a slice of this action. These smaller firms often using Mum & Pop local people to make the local delivery reliant on these freelance individuals to represent their brand. A necessary evil to make the numbers work and cut costs but these local agents don't rely on every delivery to make their worth and merely dump and run. A recent experience where I was unable to receive the goods saw the tell tale slip left in my door with no address details for the courier service merely a local number that when called was never answered. As a customer therefore leaving me stranded and at their mercy. Where is the online tracking, the customer portal, the 24 hour contact number. None of these just a slip and a hope that one day in the future our paths may cross. Epic......fail. 

The Volvo customer experience

Love them or hate them but Volvo's are hard to ignore (www.volvocars.com/UK ) and have evolved from the boxy estate monoliths that dominated the 80's motorways to mainstream unisex appeal. A classic example of the changing face of Volvo was the product placement in the recent Twilight series of movies that captured media attention and delivered some serious value to shifting perceptions about the customer base for the cars ( http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/06/twilight-fans-root-for-team-volvo/ ). But owning a Volvo is still rooted in the traditional values of safety and reliability. Yes they have sprinkled innovation in the mix and design flare too helping soften the 4x4 haters on some levels but at their heart the cars are dependable and cocoon you in safety. It struggles to feel like a premium brand such as a BMW or Audi but it certainly feels a tier above the mainstream brands. They have enjoyed extremely long product life cycles with cars such as the XC90 lasting over a decade which in modern terms is phenomenal meaning the payback on research and development has been long since achieved making these big buses the classic cash cow for the company. The experience of these cars is one of being cosseted and safe while not setting the world on fire. But when I'm driving down the motorway with the snow falling that is no bad feeling to have. 

The customer experience of returning a lease vehicle

With the price of cars and the rate of depreciation many people hide from the pain of buying a new car electing to use lease or hire purchase schemes to provide a shiny set of wheels on their driveway. This process sees large slabs of cash drained from your bank account every month but all the stresses and concerns of car ownership lifted from your shoulders as you throw cash at the problem. This means should a tyre fail or a repair need arrises that you simply call a number and ask for a man to remedy matters irrespective of costs as you won't be picking up the tab. This euphoric relationship has to come to an end though and it is at this juncture that you realise that the car you have abused along the way actually was like part of the family who you readily put down but in reality you cared for and loved. The date of collection looms in the diary as you plan your next motor but dread the date where your pride and joy is stolen from you. This bereavement more painful than you would anticipate and far from epic as you realise thousands of pounds later you have nothing but an empty drive. 

The customer experience of learning from YouTube

YouTube ( www.youtube.com ) is the second largest search engine in the world sitting behind its parent company google with the largest growing library of videos anywhere.   Youtube is currently reporting its growth rate at over a hundred hours of video added every minute with over a billion unique visitors each and every month. Huge!  The value of this vast array of video content for Joe Public is that if you need to learn how to do something there is likely to be an instructional video on how to do it. The range of videos is staggering and help is at hand from how to fix your dish washer to how to build your own surfboard. Never before has there been this depth of self service content available empowering people to take on challenges where they previously held little skill with a much more meaningful tool than the static text of a book or manual but video footage of someone addressing the challenge you face. This library is free and available for you to watch again and again to ensure you understand every view and step of whatever you are looking for. YouTube instructional videos. Epic from the home grown help to the polished professional corporate. 

The customer experience of PC world

As high street technology shops swallow up one another and names become interchangeable with increasingly faceless brands it is difficult to be sure of getting the experience you expected when entering the store. PC world once Dixons and Currys now a weird hybrid of Currys and PC world. It is not the obvious port of call for computer purchasing now with more floor space dedicated to fridges than PCs although they could be forgiven as nearly everything in store now appears to need wifi and is smart. The stores are often leviathans of retailing needing a map to navigate throughout the aisles and offering sofas in places to absorb the retail technology experience if that proves beneficial. With so much on offer and seemingly so few staff if you need advice the internet from the comfort of your own sofa seems a more productive avenue to pursue. Staring with little insight at a bank of hoovers doesn't help you come to any valuable conclusion. No wonder the likes of John Lewis continue to go from strength to strength as consumers often want help especially when spending hundreds on tech they struggle to comprehend. PC world. Vast but not epic.  

The spotify mobile customer experience

Spotify has long been a rival to iTunes providing a radically different approach to music ownership transforming it into a streaming service of whatever you want moving away from the concept of your own store of music. Spotify has for some time offers this service through a desktop or mobile service but has restricted the use of the mobile service to premium paying usage only limiting free access to those using them through a desktop and prepared to accept the a advertisements. Spotify mobile is now also available as a free service to all those who had previously enjoyed the desktop utility. The service is much the same working the a native application but has a distinctly windows panel feel to it combined with some of the swipe left menu offering that Facebook pioneered. The ability to look up almost any tune and hear it for free is truly epic and the advertisement interruptions are a small price to pay for something so immense. 

 

The customer experience of the kids school nativity

For those parents with school kids this time of year means juggling jobs and various Christmas fayres and nativities at their kids schools. The Christmas play at school is a chance for the brave to shine with solo singing and numerous lines that would leave even the most confident performer wobble. Teachers in these occasions have the chance to show their ambition as drama teachers who are frustrated west end wannabees demand of the kids more than you might expect them capable. As a parent you get a sense of the scale of demands in the weeks leading up to the production based on how tired your children become and the help they need in remembering their lines.  On the night of the big show you wait in the seats eager to see your offspring shine and hoping they don't crumble under the pressure of the occasion able to enjoy some of the proceedings. The customer experience as an attendee in the audience is epic seeing your pride and joy proudly commanding the stage before you with a tear in the corner of your eye you slightly well up. School Christmas production certainly epic from a parents point of view. 

The customer experience of virgin TV anywhere

Sky was the first paid TV service to offer a facility to watch your sky channels while on the move. This service makes a lot of sense to permit users to maximise the value they can derive from their TV subscription. Network permitting it means while on the train or on the go you can view your sky channels and remain connected. Virgin media have stepped into this space joining sky with their Virgin TV anywhere application available for iOS and android. This service gives you similar functionality allowing you to view channels remotely, use your smart device as a remote or set the recorder while away from home to never miss that vital episode of extreme fishing again. The live TV streaming service is a bit of a letdown however with only a restricted list of channels available that is fewer than you can watch for free from internet TV services such as the TV guide application. There is real opportunity for virgin media in this space but they need to make the remote viewing available for all (or at least most) channels and they also need to make it possible to watch items stored on your TiVo box that you might wish to watch from your iPad. Love the tech just hate the limitations on it right now. Could certainly be epic. 

The customer experience of Xmas shopping for your partner

After the fireworks have fizzled out and the sparklers are safe to be handled without fear of third degree burns the ramp up to Christmas begins as shops quickly throw tinsel on everything that doesn't move. It is also impossible to avoid the glare of Santa from inside the World Wide Web as style sheets are tweaked on web pages to include a snowy haze or festive font drawing you into the shopping experience of Christmas. Kids, parents, friends and colleagues all offer a different challenge to the buyer trying to secure the perfect gift but for the boyfriends and husbands trying to meet the needs of their girlfriends and wives the heat is certainly on. A misplaced gift or gesture could easily offend and result in a moody Christmas lunch complete with painful silences and scornful looks. Keep clear of the deep fat fryer or vacuum cleaner which offer money off and fulfil a genuine need as these types of gifts lead to sleeping in the shed. The customer experience for these poor chaps is a solitary one as they desperately fish for clues of what to buy and in what size unable to share the pain with their friends as they can deliver no more insight than you. It is an epic experience that carries with it huge opportunity for failure. Admit defeat early and throw everything at it. 

The customer experience of a UK Christmas market

Many towns and cities are promoting feel good Christmas markets complete with whizzy web sites showing a wealth of stalls and attractions for the whole family to absorb the festive spirit. There seems to be a trend towards German flavoured markets with bratwurst and glugwein on offer next to a tame reindeer and a stand offering to personalise your baubles. Having researched your chosen market online and travelled to embrace the Yuletide madness unfortunately the reality maybe somewhat of a disappointment with only a handful of stalls available and limited entertainment beyond a brief stroll around the stands that soaks up ten minutes of your Sunday. If you fancy a day out better to think again bit if it is for merely a passing distraction for a while on route to something bigger. Go mad and feel the Xmas vibe. Christmas market. Epic with a lower case "e". 

The customer experience of the Santander 123 account

Santander is making a bid for new customers broadening its customer base with a current account that actually helps increase your money. With interest rates being slashed on nearly everything it is a struggle to make your money work hard enough for you to make it worth while not just stashing it under your mattress. Banks and building societies seem untroubled by the challenges of savers and offering little incentive to manage your money. Santander are now offering not only interest but cash back on money you have to spend including those monthly bills you cannot avoid. Individuals and joint accounts are being challenged to work harder where they are offering nothing more than a pretty debit card. Santander trying to do more to make your current account epic. 

The customer experience of the park & ride bus

Certain towns and cities construct their town centres to mock and ridicule the hapless car owner. Offering scant amounts of parking at mortgage worthy prices in a bid to keep the pedestrians free from the monstrosities that are automobiles. This tactic drives visitors to use park and ride facilities  and abandon their priced vehicles on the outskirts of towns to trade these for bus services into town. A win for the environmentalists as green buses replace pollution fueled cars near the town centres with pedestrians safe in the knowledge a 4x4 isn't imminently about to mow them down. For the motorist though this is a departure to new territory catching buses and understanding bus stops for drop off and pick up all the while their car sits lonely in a dark and distant car park ready for any quick thinking car thief to pounce. Park and ride. Not so epic for the happy motorist. 

The customer experience of visiting your local bank branch

Online banking, phone banking, self service banking - all lovely features that mean most of us have no idea who our local bank staff are or have any direct relationship with our bank. There are still a few services that alas mean you need to get dressed in more than your pants and venture out into the big wide world to visit your bank in person. For these rare occasions we are reminded of the dark days of the past and the uncertainty of dealing direct with banking staff. Shouting through the bullet proof glass to get the help you need you are faced by blank expressions and a general feeling of making their lives difficult by coming in. As you join the legion of pensioners you realise why you do so much online and have no fond memories of the pain of dealing in person and removing the anonymity of dealing with your bank via the web.  Going into branch. Far from epic.