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. 

The customer experience of Black Friday

As is often the case this Friday I find myself mostly working alongside the majority of the adult population of the UK. What this means on Black Friday is that my online buying is likely to be curtailed by the daily chores of work that will be getting in the way of my interweb purchases. This distraction doesn't seem to have affected the retailers who seem to be bombarding my inbox with email reminders about the merits of today while I have zero opportunity to act upon it.  If these emails are intended to result in a call to action for me to pick up my credit card and start spending then they are mistimed. If these reminders/prompts/aids were timed for this evening when I am not consumed by all this work related then I might have some chance to take advantage of them but given the volume of these emails by this evening I will have lost the need. Filing up my inbox so I have an excess of Mail while a work will not help conversion rates but irritate me by their volume. 

The customer experience of a tour of Wembley stadium

Wembley stadium plays host to major concerts and sporting events including home of the English national football team. There are cues to the past of English football throughout with Bobby Moore represented with his own suite and statue. The stadium itself is vast and modern in its architecture and fittings having replaced the previous Wembley towers in recent times. When the venue isn't hosting tens of thousands of spectators for a major event it makes its money hosting conferences and providing tours to members of the public. The tour takes you into the underbelly of Wembley where you are shown the route players and celebrities tread including a chance to venture onto the pitch although not onto the hallow turf. The tour guides are passionate in delivery and extremely knowledgeable about all things to do with the current ground and its history. A tour takes less than an hour but is a great insight into such a spectacular feature of the London skyline. Epic. 

The customer experience of Zee messenger

Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Zee continue to take market share from standard SMS services on phones. The messaging functionality goes beyond 121 messages and gives better 1 to many services including video and imagery to bring to life your messages. The issue with Zee and others is the invasive manner in which the apps are trying to grab market share. To retrieve a message you have to provide your email, phone number, access to your contacts, access to your photos and essentially a route into your personal space. The app then messages your contacts on your behalf without requesting permission so a random message is fired off to your unsuspecting contacts. Very dirty tactics for getting a broader customer base. These services seem to be sidestepping the Apple application sign off process which formerly was strict on this sort of behaviour but seems to be allowing such functionality. I'm sorry Zee but this is an epic fail. 

The customer experience of handsfree phone calls

Using your mobile while driving is well established as a driving offense and generally frowned upon in social circles as we have been made aware of a number of high profile media stories where deaths have resulted from such actions. As a result of this choices are to switch off when in the phone and let voicemail pick up the strain or use a hands free solution to keep in touch with all those vitally important communications such as what to have for dinner that evening. The difficulty comes when using these in how to trouble shoot a problem knowing where to point the finger when you get cut off mid way through the first minute of your conversation. Do you blame your phone, the technology demon you don't understand?  Your network provider, those invisible slackers soaking up your cash and losing you service when you need it most?  The Bluetooth connection?  Bluetooth?  More like witchcraft. Or the hands free phone kit that mocks you visibly from your car?   Because all these elements interact with one another and for most mere mortals we don't have the tools to decipher any problems we are left frustrated and angry at whatever is to hand. Handsfree calls. Epic in their complexity. Epic fail in making a call without some glitch. 

The customer experience of downloading movies through Apple TV

Many TV adverts showcase technology that allows you to throw digital content wirelessly direct to your TV from mobile devices able to wow your friends with your cable free lifestyle. This piece of functionality is something that has been with us for some time with the Apple TV that allowed iTunes users to share content wirelessly with the TV all in glorious high definition. The Apple TV is a beautifully crafted yet simple device that currently gives Apple a route into television interfaces that is likely to see replacement in the future by the long anticipated iTV although could be some naming rights issues there!  One service that Apple TV also offers is the ability to stream newly released movies selecting from a list in a classic movie renting style. You select through various filtered genres the movie you want then agree to the pricing streaming it to your TV paying through your iTunes account so no credit card details required. The movie stays open to viewing and reviewing for 48 hours permitting you to start and stop at your leisure. Problems emerge however when you hit broadband reliability issues and you struggle to get a fluid picture or any picture at all. The movie renting functionality is pretty epic but only when your broadband doesn't start smoking with the stress of it in the corner. 

The mixpixie customer experience

The twin tape deck hi-fi was a must for all teenagers in the 90's having become an established icon throughout the 80's. Creating a mix tape of your favourite tracks and sharing with friends an essential activity of school playgrounds. The mix tape also became part of the courting ritual with couples making the ultimate romantic mix tape to give to their newfound love and show their love through the power of top 40 hits. As technology developed and tapes died out the mix tape was replaced by home burnt CDs but these lacked some of the personalisation of the tape. Mixpixie are striving to bring back this retro feel with CDs created that give more of a mix tape vibe. Log into the site (www.mixpixie.com) and select from over 13 million tracks your choice in tunes then personalise with a bespoke cover with your text and even photos. To add to the home grown flavour you can even add in a voice recording to wow the recipient. All done online and delivered in days it feels more special than burning a playlist onto cd although in reality is exactly the same concept. There is something to be admired though about this resurrection of old school music tapes. Mixpixie. Epically retro. 

The customer experience of no reply

For many services no matter how skilled we may be in a variety of areas there will be jobs that we simply can't do and need a specialist to help. Even the most proud of men must concede that certain jobs go beyond what they can manage. For some this may be as lowly as changing a lightbulb for others this may be as lofty as refitting a boiler. For all of us though there are limits to our powers that see us reach out and request paid help. Taking the step to ask for help may well be painful but when we have made it we expect instant response. We want acknowledgement that our business is important and that our request was justified. When left hanging with no acknowledgement or a friendly reply with prompt timeline we can quickly lose patience with this concept of getting help and either give up altogether on the folly or even worse have a crack ourselves. When sending up the red flag we want a quick reply and that shining knight of support marching down our driveway. No response. Epic fail. 

The customer experience of a digitally connected home

Every home is continuing to become increasingly connected with the internet of things becoming more of a reality to consumer Britain on a daily basis. As machines talk to each other and everything becomes more complex from wireless music to smart TVs no longer is it enough to simply know how to programme the video recorder and tune in the telly. This week our household went into meltdown as we needed a new modem that managed to confuse every device in the house.  The configuration now needed borders on first line technical support and invariably results in something not working the same as it previously did and the resultant complaints. Digital house. Epic. Configuring it. Epic fail. 

The customer experience of applying for a loan

With a worldwide recession a harsh reality of the 21st century we have all had to face the grim realities of financial planning and showing prudence with where we splash our cash. Diamond studded pants and gold plated handbags may be on the essentials list for premier league footballers but for most of us mere mortals carefully managing our finances is a must. As our monthly money goes on buying less and less the need for additional financial assistance is necessary for anything over and above the regular bills and payments. The advent of a new car purchase, holiday, boiler or other major investment sees even the most frugal of us looking to the banks for the option of a loan. Emergency money lenders are in the spotlight for their enormous rates but I am focused here on the more efficient long term loans provided by banks and now supermarkets. You can't escape Tescos even when looking for a loan deal. The experience of applying is a nervous one as you are left to await the decision of some over arching being who holds your well being in their hand. You then need to provide every piece of evidence of your intentions down to a DNA sample from your first grade teacher. In time money arrives and you are able to bask in the extra cash left with the tunnel of repayments having satisfied the loan approval gods. Loans.  Epically needed. 

The click & collect customer experience

As the world of online shopping continues to mushroom taking huge chunks of business away from the high street the suppliers of these digital products need to continue to evolve to meet the ever demanding needs of their consumers. An emerging model is the click and collect service where you but online but then elect to pick up the product yourself in store. This solves the issue of missed deliveries and also allows shops to align their digital and physical sales channels bringing customers into their stores to collect products and then having the footfall opportunities to sell to then while they have them in store. The customer experience is improved and puts the customer in the driving seat to manage the transaction. It also helps keep delivery costs down for all as the products are added to the regula store delivery run. Could this approach help keep the high street alive? Click and collect, epic saviour of the high street? 

The customer experience of broadband failure

An internet enabled home is nearing an essential utility for many with our lives revolving around digital services. Computers, tablets, phones, TV's all rely on an internet connection which we take for granted on a daily basis and for those of us working from home becomes a critical item. The fatal network connection error leads to blind panic by all members of the household and eyes turning to the local first line technical support, any member of the house who knows how to connect to wifi. Likely not the most technical individual but the sucker burdened with bringing the house back to life. As buttons are pressed and settings changed little makes any noticeable difference leading to the last resort of the modem switch off and on. When this fails to make any difference its time to bring out the big guns and phone for help. Technical service lines then have to earn their money and get you up and running quickly from a remote location where they are shooting blind in hunting for the issue. When the inevitable occurs and they can't help you there is no other option but sit tight and wait for a man in a van to come to your aid. All of this pain and disaster leads you to realise just how valuable your broadband is and question if now might be the time to get a second line into the house....just in case!  Broadband failure. Epic fail. 

The customer experience of a supermarket refit

A trip to the supermarket is generally a mundane affair which has lead to online grocery shopping continuing to increase in popularity as the interfaces become more user centric and delivery times more flexible. This leads a visit to the store in person needing to be as straight forward as possible allowing us to arrive and exit with as few barriers to this as possible. This allows us to manoeuvre through the store in full zombie mode oblivious to much of what we see as we march around the exact same route time after time picking up our regular favourites. This familiarity is therefore completely thrown when the supermarket elects to "remodel" the store changing all the aisles and confusing your weekly tour of the store. In time it will feel like "your" branch again but for now all it feels like is someone trying to ruin your day changing what you know. Epic?  Not for many weeks to come. 

The customer experience of ageing Apple hardware

Every year Apple tempts us with slimmer, shinier, faster tech that we cannot live without and need to upgrade to immediately. This frenetic cycle of upgrade is subject to the financial constraints of modern life as families need to question the essential purchase status of a new MacBook versus a replacement boiler. These ongoing challenges of tech versus drudgery lead to some devices having a longer life than Apple may have planned. My original iPad is still a thing of beauty and of huge value to me and family life as it springs instantly into life from the coffee table able to help with everything from checking a bank balance to watching my TiVo box remotely from bed. It has started to creak at the edges now with no operating system updates any longer coming through. It is stuck in a Groundhog Day operating system of 5.1.1 completely oblivious to iOS 7 and all it's redesigned wizardry. Due to the lack of processing oomph in the original iPad it cannot take the strain of iOS 7 or for that matter iOS 6 which leads to increasing problems as apps no longer support the n minus 2 operating system. Each loved app starting to falter and fail leaving my poor iPad turning into an obsolete brick left behind by the pace of modern upgrades. Only 4 years old and I fear nearly ready for permanent retirement. Epic death of my loved iPad. 

The customer experience of an iPad mini

The original iPad was launched 4 years ago providing the solution to a problem we didn't know we had. Mobile usage and apps had exploded and we all were comfortable using mobiles and laptops where necessary so why did we need a tablet?  The press reaction to Steve Jobs unveiling of the iPad suggested he had gone off the boil and this innovation would be a huge flop. How wrong we were as sales and variants of tablets have been explosive. So why the iPad mini?  Another problem we didn't know we had?  With other manufacturers flinging out 7 inch tablets and 5 inch sized phablets Apple needed to branch out and offer an alternative sized device and the mini was born. The 7 inch device offers similar specs to its larger 9 inch sibling so delivers impressive processing power and crisp screen resolution. The key difference is the size and it takes some adjustment. Seemingly obvious but having rapidly adapted to the world of tablets a mini tablet did not seem such a quantum leap but for some reason negotiating how to cradle the device feels less natural. That said once you find your approach it is hugely useful delivering real capabilities while being light enough to be with you everywhere and bringing real mobility. iPad mini. An epic slow burner. 

The customer experience of Christmas shopping in the High St

As we survive bonfire night with sparklers still glowing on the grass the Christmas frenzy can move into full swing. Still over 6 weeks away but you can't hide from it with TV advertising pummeling you into submission that you might have to start thinking about what to buy the mother in law for Christmas. For months there has been extensive press coverage on the failing state of our High street shops and that we should step up to save them putting down the tablets and return to real shopping with a personal touch. This weekend I made this brave move heading to the High street to see the state of British shops savaged by the internet. Surprise surprise it was rammed  with little space to catch your breath as people marched in search of bargains in the run up to Christmas. There certainly appeared to be plenty of supporters for the High street and my thoughts turned to the rosey view of Internet shopping as you ponder which novelty socks to buy whilst half ignoring the X-Factor on TV. High street shopping mayhem making internet shopping seem all the more epic. 

The customer experience of Goodnotes on iOS

The notepad is dead long live the tablet. Last year I decided to try and change my way of working dumping my trusty notepad which I had spent years refining my approach to note taking and switched to digital. As an advocate of all things digital it felt hypocritical not looking to different methods for something as every day as taking notes. Having been a champion of all things Apple for a number of years it felt right to trial this on android and use a device and application on that platform. Having slaved and sweated over this for a year I have now given up on it and switched back to Apple. Very much not giving up on the digitalised note taking but jumping ship onto the HMS iPad and all it's familiar loveliness. In order to make some efforts to new areas I am doing this on an iPad mini having become used to note taking on a 7 inch tablet. Throw a stylus in the mix and a decent tablet cover making it feel more book like your ready to go. Ready minus the vital ingredient of an application of course. Having downloaded every single hand writing application I tried them all. Some for a very short moment realising instantly they were not right. After a smorgasbord of testing I have now settled on Goodnotes on iOS that is outstanding. Handwriting on my tablet with ease adding in photos and hand drawn images feels completely natural and uninterrupted by crashes or technical glitches. This is the way forwards and I certainly won't be reaching to the stationary cupboard again for the last notepad. Goodnotes. Epic note taking. 

The Good for Enterprise customer experience

As blackberry continues to struggle the future of corporate email has become a more relevant topic for companies around the world. With leaked documents recommending an exit strategy from a blackberry service everyone is scrambling around wondering what next?  Is this where Microsoft makes a serious bid for the mobile market and steals the corporate crown from a weak blackberry facing the same fate as Ericsson. Another option is for companies to look at Bring Your Own Device services that enable your corporate email accounts to be accessed through a native mobile application on a personal mobile. Imagine no more corporate mobiles to support with executives regularly dropping their phone down the loo or leaving it on a train. Good for enterprise is just such a service where you download for free from an App Store onto the main platforms and then use an activation code to get to your corporate email. This isn't without issues as the users are then using their own data packages and mobile minutes on company business so need some form of compensation agreement but on the plus side the device is their problem. There is also the small issue of security with remote wiping of content a must but services such as this have solid solutions to this and administration. For the end user I have one less device which is great and a decent touch screen interface that works the way I am used to. BYOD. Epic. 

The DIY point of no return customer experience

Decorating and home improvement are an unavoidable activity for most of us home owners unable to take the easier option of escaping to the Caribbean on holiday while some skilled team of workers descend onto our pad and transform it in our absence. Nope. Tight budgets and an established history of counting the pennies mean we crack on ourselves and roll our sleeves up to do the work. While flicking through house magazines and picking colour samples all seems harmless there comes a point where you no longer are planning but start doing and here is where the dilemmas start. Initially you witness only a minor impact on your lovingly kept home but before long you have to bite the bullet and go past the point of no return where you properly trash your house. Holes everywhere with carpet ripped and covered in paint as pipes and wires are exposed in all directions and you accept that at this point in time your home is a disaster and utterly trashed. No hiding from it but to move forwards it is a painful reality that we need to first make things worse first. Much much worse which leads to at times to the question of why you even began this folly and hark back to memories of garish floral wallpaper with silk ceilings. But at times like these you need to stand firm and smash through it holding onto your vision of a home fit for the cover of "modern swanky interiors monthly". DIY point of no return. Epic commitment required. 

The google nexus 7 experience

The nexus 7 was launched giving Google a physical presence in the tablet hardware stakes although the machine itself is in reality an Asus product. The nexus runs on android as you would expect and has access to the growing swarm of android apps available. The device is lightweight and very well finished often mistaken for the iPad mini as it shares much of its dimension with the Apple rival. The lack of a decent camera is an early shortfall which is a surprise as it has a rear facing camera for face recognition security purposes. The operating system is fluid and easy to negotiate with common tabs of apps on hand easily familiar to any smart phone user. The device comes with a range of memory sizes starting at 16gb but no option for increase with memory card or interchangeable battery. A complaint often posed to Apple users by Andoid consumers but seen here also. The battery life is pretty poor if used hard with a struggle to get more than 5 hours of use from it. The main issue is the regular crashes that result in the applications. All too often it hangs and then crashes out to the home page an experience alien to Apple users and something that wears thin very fast. Nexus. Not epic enough I am afraid. 

The customer experience of printerpix

Digital print services have advanced in line with customer expectations from the improvements in digital camera technology. Most smart phones now have high quality cameras built in with 1 megapixel grainy images a thing of the past. Demand for cloud print services is high as we no longer trudge down to Boots with our 35mm roll of film we want to manage our printing digitally. With printer cartridge and photo paper prices still very high external services are the most common method to transform your snaps into physical print. Printerpix ( www.printerpix.co.uk ) offer such a service but extend this beyond mere 5x7 prints into specialist art products such as montage canvas production. The sort of bespoke service that would normally need a graphic designer can now be done at home for a reasonable fee. Software to manage your upload and manipulation puts you in control of the process and is reasonably straight forward to use. Only issue with this service is their customer interaction in managing expectation post production while you await your delivery. From the point of sale to delivery there is no progress updates so you are left in the dark awaiting receipt wondering if something has gone wrong. Epic experiences need dialogue and would really help printerpix enhance their customer journey. 

The PayPal customer experience

Buying and selling over the web is a perilous past time filled with opportunity for disaster with scams and fraudulent hazards await you around every corner. Every request for your credit card details over the web should be met with extreme responses as you bring in the big guns to protect your cash and identification. All this fear and hassle opens the gateway for providers such as PayPal to offer you an alternative and something you can trust. This aligned to sites such as eBay mean that mere mortals can trade over the internet without setting up complex https secure site pages but simply provide their PayPal email account and sit back as punters confidently transfer you money. No Nigerian money scams in the mix or invitations to provide your PIN number just simple secure transactions. PayPal is linked to your bank account of your choice but is not a bank in its own right but allows you to conduct transactions safely online and without any complicated IT wizardry. PayPal. Epic.  

The customer experience of global conference calls

As we conduct business globally the need to communicate across borders increases which cannot rely upon air travel in every instance as the costs can rapidly spiral leaving us looking for alternative means of communications. The video conference has been a staple of modern business and Skype has found a home in even the most conventional organisation but we still rely on the conference call for the bulk of our interactions that can't be dealt with by email. We dial into the conference carefully typing in our 18 digit code then pressing the hash key to alert all parties to our presence. When you finally get in you need to establish your presence among the throng of voices as you question the value in why you bothered.  The chairman does their best to Marshall all the opinions and keep a single voice policy but this all to readily breaks down into anarchy as everyone battles to get their voice to the top of the table. Leaving the call your head aches and your ear throbs from the hours spent squinting at the earpiece. Conference calls. Epic fail with anything more than four people. 

The customer experience of hardware failure

We live in digital times with our lives played out through the interweb with a smart phone, tablet or laptop never far from our reach. As a result these electronic aids form an essential part of everyday life with blind panic setting in if we can't check our emails at a moments notice to check on that latest offer from Groupon for a fish pedicure at half price. This means hardware failure of one of these precious gems hits us like a cold hard slap to the face. Whatever the timing it is invariably the end of the world as we see the blue screen of death on a machine or worse still nothing, no flicker, no clever flowing graphics, no 70's sounding doorbell noises. Just a loss of functionality and an end to life as we know it. Of course every cloud.....this loss of utility for some sparks the flash of genius which heralds upgrade. That shiny new laptop you have been subtly interweaving into conversation with your other half now becomes a whole new topic of interest as they too are thrown into the dark ages of tech. While your trusty machine lays wounded you feverishly begin researching its successor. Bigger processors, chips, screens, memory. You name it more, more, more. While all the time last years laptop now lies defunc and most likely easily repaired but this would remove this wonderful opportunity for an upgrade you don't need to justify. Hardware failure. Maybe not such an epic fail. 

The customer experience of the cinema in half term

The school holidays create chaos for parents trying to juggle time off within their limited annual holiday allowance. Half terms let's kids recharge their batteries from week after week of schooling where their brains soak up learning but wipes them out. This extra time needs parents to work out daily action plans to entertain the kids free from the routine of school. The world of Hollywood has tuned into this annual cycle releasing junior blockbusters to coincide with this target audience availability. Half term daytime cinema therefore becomes mayhem awash with haribo pumped under 10's more interested in vending machines and pic'n mix than what movie they are planning to see. Inside the theatre Dolby digital does its best to drown out slurping and sweetie wrapper sounds as at least one child per hour goes into meltdown escorted from the building. The entire event an assault on the senses for unsuspecting parents. Epic customer experience but you wouldn't miss it because before you know it they will heading out alone and your services won't be needed. 

The customer experience of the big storm

The morning after the night before sees homeowners tentatively open their curtains and fear the view that awaits them hoping for no little presents from the big storm that would not meet with a welcome withdrawal from the bank balance that is bracing itself for Christmas. As we closed our doors last night we prepared for the storm that had been forecast for days and has dominated the national media all weekend. The storm hit the UK with winds greater than 80 mph and fences and trees failed to meet the challenge falling to the ground or for many unfortunates falling to meet windows and buildings. The aftermath leaves us battling to secure fencing repair services and various home improvement companies all of whom were less concerned by the upcoming storm as they prepare for a boom in business. Epic storm, not the most epic customer experience for a Monday morning. 

The customer experience of a pre-work swim

No shower. No shave. No breakfast. No coffee. Straight to the pool and a chlorine wake up dunk means extremely early o'clock and a shock to the system. As we strive to fit more into less time, sleep is a poor loser where we are forced to make compromises. Eating just about keeps a look in as we conduct our busy lives but throwing exercise into the mix means somewhere there is a sacrifice - sleep!  The dawn swim club are a select crowd all in the sub 30 minute per mile capability and all sporting streamline swimming apparel with style and street cred long since forgotten. Little conversation features as the drones prepare to clock in their lengths for the day eager to get on with it before they bottle it altogether and head for a bacon sandwich instead. As a customer we are pretty undemanding, ideally we want our own lane but failing that we want someone running the same drills as us and not slowing us down or perish the thought showing us up. We fear the pensioner floater who might enter our lane and disrupt our time for the day knowing that if they head for our lane they will be  floating their way straight down the centre of the lane without much awareness of this human torpedo they are now a target for. Post swim again it's all function and rarely is their any appetite for anything other than efficient washing and exit to start the day. Ticking the healthy box. Epic. Ticking enough sleep and social interaction. Epic fail. 

Roadworks - the customer experience you always want to avoid

The number of vehicles trundling around the UK road network increases year on year as we hide from sub-standard public transport alternatives. While Japan has 200mph bullet trains and double decker super trains sweep across Europe we have overcrowded trains from the 70's and an elderly bus service. No wonder even given the price of motoring that the number of vehicles heads in an upward direction. This pressure on our roads means commuting around the various bottle necks can be a hideous experience as traffic updates on the radio become crucial listening trying to avoid the worst of the congestion. Our sprawling metropolis' mean we are forever tinkering with the roads, new roundabouts, contra flows, road widening, laying cable, replacing sewage works. You name it our roads are subjected to a 24/7 facelift that deploys traffic cones onto any vacant plot of tarmac. Roadworks means delays which means frustrated motorists and complete loss of perspective in how we treat our fellow travellers. Roadworks light the ignition on most of us to become impatient and irrational as we become angry at the latest bout of roadworks. They are never a welcome addition to your journey and are always an epic fail in getting where you need to when you need to. 

The customer experience of a home valuation

The UK property market is hotting up with London house prices reported to have increased by 10% in September alone. A scary figure for those wishing to join the property ladder and food for thought for those lucky enough to be home owners. For those home owners it would be easy to entertain the prospect of cashing in on this economic upturn exiting the market or downsizing. Even those not planning any moves take interest in this shift as mortgage owners have the prospect of better equity ratios and improved deals on the horizon. Moving forwards with any of these actions means before long your path is likely to cross with a house valuation. The peoples choice is a desk valuation where all the pain and inconvenience is a silent activity far more preferable to the invasion of property visit and the uncertainty this brings. Welcoming a stranger with an oversized tablet into your home to give them the guided tour of your castle selling every improvement you have made eager to point out the merits of your luxury new coat hooks you had professionally installed. Post survey you are left violated and desperate for news of a huge valuation. Eventually following days of uncertainty the results appear in your inbox like an unwanted exam result you fear opening. Epic or epic fail awaiting you in the mail. 

The customer experience of a trip to the dentist

Those words you simply don't want to hear at the dentist "did your parents lose most of their teeth?".  From childhood we are conditioned to fear the dentist and dread upcoming appointments made worse with age as we also are treated with the pleasure of paying for the experience. The visit looms large in our diary even when the appointment is merely for a check up as we know deep down that we are unlikely to escape without some pain and / or gut wrenching fear of what is to come. Some people skirt through life rarely frequenting a dentist and boast of their pearly whites in pristine condition whilst the rest of us religiously attend the church of teeth to receive our punishment for poor quality flossing and levels of oral hygiene. It seems with age so increases the routine of teeth cleaning as we first invest in an electric toothbrush as we can no longer be trusted to brush in the right way. This is soon followed by paint stripper-esque mouthwash and dental floss. Recently this family of cleanliness has been added to with some curious wire brushes to really help batter my teeth. A trip to the dentist cannot be over quickly enough for me and I fear that in the future I will need to man up and look back with longing at the lightweight pain of a hygenist appointment that I would previously moan about. Teeth cleaning for most. Epic fail. 

The customer experience of a trip to your local Santander branch

The wonderful world of the web has changed the way we shop, search, read, watch, work and bank with many of us rarely needing to leave our homes to conduct much of our lives. A decent broadband connection is enough to get online and do a multitude of things making our lives easier and more efficient. The world of banking is in the most part just numbers on screens pushed from one account to another so consumer banking services online makes a huge amount if sense. There is no service to compare or product quality to investigate in person just a clear interface to see your bank balance dwindle during the course of the month as you long for the next pay day. This means we rarely venture into the high street branch of our local bank so have little connection with the staff or indeed the services they offer. So braving Santander on a Saturday was a pleasant surprise with staffon hand to help and equipped with all the skills needed to see me on my way in double quick time. The layout of the modern branch of Santander is a bit unusual as you navigate your way to the till past curved walls of office pods and bright garish colours make you feel like this is a young and hip institute. That said the customer experience in branch is good and with it being a novelty somewhat epic. 

The customer experience of a man shop

A shopping trip for most men is an experience to be avoided at all costs unless the trip heads to a DIY superstore men will be heading to the hills. The concept of men are from Mars and women are from Venus is rarely more relevant than in the shopping context. Women will organise weekend trips to enjoy such a past time whereas men would actively pay not to attend such a venture. Men are in the most part a functional creature so the prospect of drifting around a shopping centre with no real purpose is as foreign to them as donning a pair of heels. We can be dragged into the arena of shopping enticed by rewards such as a pint or a bacon sandwich but you will struggle to see us looking outwardly happy about the trip. Sexist?  Maybe but women and men getting pleasure from different past times is not such a crazy concept. Shopping trips for men are far from epic and for women to have an epic experience I suggest you leave us behind!  

The customer experience of breakfast at your desk

The classic British fry up is an institution not content with merely dominating UK  cafes and bed & breakfast establishments but spreading its wings to various summer holiday destinations of Brits abroad eager to find that taste of home while in the sun. This cholesterol nightmare is for most a treat and reserved for a Friday or weekend treat after a hard week of grinding out a living. For those other days where the weekend seems but a distant destination too far away to seriously contemplate breakfast becomes a more mundane affair littered with cereals and toasted products. For many this routine has now been moved from the dining room table to the desk at work as people are having to travel further and leave homes at such ungodly early hours that the prospect of eating at this time is offensive. The result is an army of workers in solitary confinement with their personal breakfast selection as they log onto to find what the day ahead awaits them. This gives rise and opportunity for some serious people watching opportunities and social commentary on each other's breakfast habits as the low calorie granola punter trades insults with the sausage sandwich connoisseur. We plough through our respective breakfasts pouring breakfast residue into our keyboards while sniping at those around us for their choice in morning grub each preparing for another day of working life. Epic? 

The customer experience of a commuter train to London

As autumn takes hold in the UK with nights drawing in and the temperature dropping the daily commute becomes an increasingly painful experience no longer softened by the pleasant morning sunrise to help ease the journey. Mornings now as dark as the middle of the night are accompanied by a chill in the air requiring the winter coat and scarf to be retrieved from its summer hibernation status. With commuter trains packed to Indianesque levels of loading people squeeze to get onto the train using their favoured door scouring the arriving carriage for that sacred vacant seat to use. Those lucky enough to find a seat can enjoy a journey of personal space invasion while being overlooked with envy by those not so fortunate to secure a seat who now stand over you eyeing you like prey. Having paid a premium for your ticket you have the right to expect something for your money but alas this you should expect an aging train and a mass of like minded disgruntled passengers. The commute is never an easy experience as we all wish for more sleep and are troubled by the stresses of the day ahead but with overpacked trains to add into the mix unfortunately tempers can be lost and ugly scenes be the result. Our rail network is far from first class and our brightest and best attempting to get to work and make a difference deserve better. The customer experience of using the commuter train is a far from epic experience. 

The customer experience of remortgaging

Home ownership is a glorious life event full of wonderful opportunities such as guttering replacement and tracking down mystery smells from the plumbing. Having purchased your dream property you are then free to stamp your own style on your home with as much wooden cladding and soft furnishings as your bank balance will permit. Before you have had much chance to recover from the signing of huge cheques and committing to monstrous levels of debt the end of your original mortgage term comes to an end. This then very quickly results in you staring down the barrel of remortgaging and going through much of the brain aching decisions once more. Hopefully your home has appreciated in value and you have some chance for smug satisfaction in your decision but unfortunately this will have had zero impact on how much you owe. Unless you have been supremely saintly and overpaid religiously the scary big number will still be there and need a mortgage. With the help of many financial folk you can manoeuvre through the remortgage process and secure a better deal than previously ensuring you tick every box in the right way and get paperwork signed, double signed and triple copied all in good time. This complex mine field of financial and legal issues is enough to scare the most pedantic consumer who rarely have to face such matters leaving the path of least resistance often the chosen one. Remortgaging. Epically scary customer experience. 

The customer experience of a takeaway curry

We are a nation who love to cook from Great British bake off to Masterchef, every spare inch of broadcasting can be filled with wannabe Michelin star chefs sharing their views on the best way to sauté an aubergine. Alas we are not all gifted with the talent or time to devote entire days to preparing a glorious banquet and as a result many meals are not exactly TV worthy with a plate of baked beans regularly the food of choice for time and talent starved individuals. The takeaway makes a further case for not cooking deluxe dinners as we have the choice of a range of options for takeaway food with many offering to bring your food to your door so you can gorge uninterrupted on strictly come dancing awaiting the doorbell announcing the arrival of your takeaway dinner that required no more effort than a phone call.  While eating out is always king with cash strapped Britain the takeaway is one luxury we can justify as we bank the savings of staying in with the small pain of still having to do the washing up. This small inconvenience easily forgiven as we settle on our sofas with our dinner on our laps with all the family convinced their meal is the best choice from menu, a result of everyone being able to pick exactly what they fancied. Takeaway dinner. Epic customer experience from the comfort of your home. 

The customer experience of banking text messages

Banks are dependent upon having up to date contact information for their customers, essential in the event of any fraud issues where they need to contact you with minimal delay.  This rich customer data provides the additional benefit of accurate contact information for building out self service functionality and marketing. One of the early self service capabilities developed was using SMS messaging to send a regular bank statement update of your last 5 transactions.  Also useful for text alerts upon overdraft usage or limits changes. The bank statement service is a useful mechanism to keep a track on your finances throughout the month but can be an unwanted intrusion especially if like me you elect to receive it on a Friday. As all thoughts drift to the weekend you begin to relax and consider the joys ahead over the next two days while hiding from the working week when BANG into your inbox is a message from your bank. Not a loved one or friend sending you a text with some banter about your weekend antics but your bank telling you how little cash you have to kick off these activities. A good idea?  Undoubtedly, but a sobering reminder of life's responsibilities before you even introduce your taste buds to any alcohol. Banking text messages. Epic?  Not really but sensible, absolutely. 

The customer experience of a patchy mobile network

EE, Vodafone, O2 all claim to have the best mobile network in the UK with EE leading the way in 4G coverage. I have been trialling a 4G phone alongside my other 3G lesser devices keen to feel the lightning speed of 4G which thus far has been underwhelming. What is has lead me to consider more is the reliability of my 3G networks. The third generation mobile network (3G) has been with us for nearly ten years now in the UK having been pioneered even earlier in other parts of the globe such as japan and the states. Such a retro classic piece of tech should by now be completely bullet proof which makes it totally exasperating when we feel connectivity issues. Last week the whole O2 network went down for a few hours which is a pain but it is not these hugely public failures that trouble me most but loss of signal on any given day on a network over ten years old. The massive explosion in smart phones has clearly stretched 3G to breaking point but basic functionality should not be a problem. Why do I experience call drop outs from loss of signal when driving across Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire. I'm not asking for super fast 3G data services here. Just to use the phone for - phone calls!  A crazy phenonenom I grant you but obviously a stretch too far. Yes I want 4G and better data services but as a minimum allow me to make a phone call without complete meltdown. Epic. Far from it. 

The dark art of Shazam

It's a normal Wednesday morning as you head to your local coffee house for a breakfast pick me up and as you reach for your wallet you hear that amazing new song you love but can't remember the name. How do you stop your mind from spinning trying to remember?  Shazam!!!  The answer to this painful customer experience is found in a mobile application where you can "Shazam" that tune and instantly end your miserly of searching your brain cells for the answer. The app essentially has one key button to begin recording a snippet of the music up to ten seconds in length and upon discovering the origins of your unknown track responds with the answer. This witchcraft of technology can accept any section of music and send you the result in seconds for free!  How does this magic work in the background of the web?  Shazam have built a database of music with unique signatures for every one so it can instantly match your song choice and respond with the answer. This clever data matching ends one of life's miseries of not being able to remember a track title all with the power of the internet. Epic. 

The lack of customer experience from a mobile

M-Commerce is changing the face of consumer shopping as we have evolved beyond merely shopping online to shopping anywhere sometimes while in the process of physically shopping!  Modern smart phones working on efficient mobile networks offer the perfect platform for companies to increase sales in an efficient manner removing the reliance upon a physical shopfront or call centre staff fielding enquiries. M-Commerce connects buyers directly to the purchase process seizing the moment where the demand to buy has peaked and a potential customer wants to complete the transaction that instant. This revolution in customer behaviour is unfortunately being let down by businesses capacity to adapt to this change in behaviour by delivering mobile friendly optimised web sites. The recent study by Eptica ( http://www.eptica.com/Eptica-Mobile-Experience-Study.html ) shows the scale of this problem which is backed up by other reports on the level of dropout for customers frustrated by the difficulties in using mobile payment solutions. What does this all mean?  We aren't ready for mobile and companies need to prioritise in mobile web projects to give us an epic m-commerce experience. 

The nike+ running application customer experience

Having been a user of map my run for a number of years the prospect of trying something new was not on my to do list but with a number of people recommending it I decided to take the challenge and try out the nike+ application. On first impressions the user interface on my iPhone is superb with beautiful scrolling graphics giving access to the various options replicating a rolling road concept that is hugely more interactive than a list of option buttons. The functionality of the application is straight forward enough using the GPS signal to track distance and speed logging the route with runner history. Some nice touches are the gamification side of the application where you amass fuel points and can invite friends to compete on speed and distance compelling you to enter into contest on the regular training runs. The application also has a power song feature allowing you to nominate a key tune to kick in when you start to slow down and power you to victory. One particularly nice touch is in addition to the standard ongoing update of progress by the voice over lady overlaying your music is that upon completion I was commended by Paula Radcliffe on my best 10k time which was an unexpected gift not normally receiving praise from former Olympic legends.  Overall it is pretty epic but not enough to pull me away from years of loyal logging into map my run. 

The customer experience you can't hide from - a hangover

Nights spent drinking in the pub always seem like a good idea as you enjoy the banter of your friends and sink various poisonous fluids that your body has no interest in. For most the daily chore of healthy living is the norm as we take our vitamin supplements and eat our low fat produce so when alcohol is thrown into the mix it is at first welcomed as we have forgotten the pain from the last experience.  The morning after is something we can't hide from and made even more real when the drinking has been on a school night meaning that the morning alarm is all too soon waking us from our drunken coma. Before we can creep our way out of the bed the hangover strikes and sets to work pounding our head and churning our stomach. All normal routine is abandoned as the shower feels painful and fridge unnecessarily loud. The victim quickly realises that all regular feelings will be absent for the remainder of the day as the hangover takes hold while your body does its best to rid itself of the evil alcohol and we vow never to drink again. Hangovers. An epic fail for daily life. 

The customer experience of car sharing

Going green is a serious consideration for companies eager to create a positive picture of considerate enterprise where no carbon, kittens or puppies were harmed during their daily business. One easy win on the environmental agenda for firms is car sharing and making steps to encourage this practice by offering preferential parking arrangements or even financial incentives. For those partaking in car sharing it is a juggling exercise to align start and end times working in a much more public transport regimented fashion which can be a culture shock for those used to travelling alone in their car and able to lock the world outside their doors. Colleagues have to negotiate this delicate landscape including avoiding any critique over personal driving habits and behaviours. Possibly the most challenging aspect of this relationship is day after day finding small talk to fill the time during the commute as a silent hour in the car can all too easily feel more like days of tense atmospheric pressure. This small talk needs to consider personal boundaries ensuring from the outset topics for discussion as established, work, home, relationships, sport. Often an easy middle ground is talking around cars which rarely stretch personal bias or threaten offence allowing regular updates on the state of vehicles and potential new ones. Car sharing for easy green epicness. 

The customer experience of a windows 8 phone

The latest release of iOS 7 must have filled windows 8 developers with joy as they looked on at their rivals latest offering with smirking glances and harsh critique. Apple seem to have lost the beautiful edge they previously raved about adopting a more clinical and functional interface which has opened doors for android and windows. The windows 8 platform sits inside the Nokia devices and offers its tiled view of the world in place of the familiar iconic sheets in Apple and android. The world of windows is much more vertically aligned as you swipe down to reveal portlets to the various corners of functionality. The interface is more fluid than some android devices with a glitch free experience and hugely different to the Nokia's of old. While the interface is a departure from the iPhone that is sold on intuitiveness it is still very accessible with my nine year old able to quickly work out the camera and change the lock screen without any questions. The user interface is extremely good although not to everyone's taste but for anyone foreign to smart phone usage they would no doubt be thrilled with its capabilities. The killer difference for this will be the applications. Without these it will never be epic and risk following blackberry to the mobile graveyard. Windows 8, where are the apps? 

The customer experience of a courtesy car

Time to time our often unloved motors need some TLC too and have to spend the day having a rest at the garage while we carry on as normal mindful of how much this latest fix will set us back. Often this creates the opportunity for a loan car to become our transport for the day which we can enjoy and abuse for the day.  A courtesy car commands zero respect from us as it is a short relationship that has been thrust upon us often with an inferior product to the one we handed over and are paying the privilege for. As a result this compact vehicle of many owners has to be prepared to be completely abused from the moment it comes into contact with us. This lack of any respect does not stretch as far as dinging the poor motor as that would result in more painful paperwork but more unseen damage as we test every aspect of the rev counter. Thrashed to within an inch of its life this temporary vehicle is returned to its garage ready for the next foster owner to take it for the day and stress test every one of its tyres. Courtesy cars never a good used car option. 

The customer experience of a corporate blackberry device

Many organisations worldwide rely on blackberry for their mobile devices ( www.blackberry.com ). The blackberry has been the standard corporate managerial aid for over a decade since introducing remote access to email and transforming the way we work. No longer was there the need to feel disconnected from the office and a mobile workforce was born working around the clock and no longer restricted to conventional office hours. The blackberry halo has been on the slide ever since the dawn of the iPhone and Android smart phones which have built on this concept and taken the next transformational step. The blackberry App Store has tried to keep pace and indeed the much maligned blackberry playbook tried to wrestle the iPad back under its control but without success. Recent news has confirmed this drop in fortunes with huge losses and staff redundancies making the blackberry a very questionable corporate choice. Firms across the globe will be asking the same question, if not blackberry then who?  The shift onto alternative mobile solutions for the corporate is coming and it will be fast as companies get their head around what to move onto. A change in direction for corporate device management is no longer such a painful one as firms can elect to merely offer BYOD and not manage any corporate platform. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) means firms use systems such as Good for Enterprise Mobile Iron to give staff access to their corporate email accounts via their own smart phones. Opening this up to more than a tier of managers and also reducing costs and maintenance for firms removing all their blackberry hardware. The death of blackberry could be epic in the end for business. R.I.P. Blackberry. 

The customer experience of a computer virus

Modern day life is rarely completed without some digital interaction where we are dependent on a computer. Few days pass without the invasion of technology that invariably makes our lives easier and leads us to wonder how on earth we would have coped before its existence.  This visible dependency and addiction for many means a withdrawal of this aspect of our life can be met with violent reaction as we realise we can no longer log into our Facebook account at 11 o'clock at night while watching Big Brother.  A computer virus has the ability to burst our bubble without warning and infest our technical personal space extending into every corner of our systems. Modern virus protection sells a vision of guarded walls for our computer where no unwanted intruder would dare to tread but the realities are that computer nasties move faster than ever and have the ability to get round, under or over any such defensive properties. The end result for us is a blue screen of death and no amount of button pressing or switching off and on can resolve. Panic and fear set in as you realise you are helpless and the only option is a rebuild of all your hard earned computer stuff which only leads to more delays and days or weeks without your beloved tech. The virus is an epic fail for customer experiences and is set to only have greater and greater impacts on our lives. 

The Costa coffee customer experience

The total global domination of Costa Coffee seems an unstoppable force as they dominate every high street, petrol station and inch of commercial space available. Few towns and cities in the UK have escaped one of their outlets with many enjoying the benefits of multiple branches where you can enjoy a costa consumable every twenty paces. Costa in spite of its name is a British company owned by Whitbread and established in 1971 but rapidly approaching 1500 outlets in the UK. For the small independent coffee house, Costa is the equivalent of Tescos to your local greengrocer, stomping all over your footfall and undercutting your prices. The march of Costa will not have escaped the attention of the likes of  McDonalds even as many people prefer the option of a panini for lunch over a burger. The experience is common throughout the country offering the same range of food and drinks at middle of the road prices. Quality is good and the environment is pleasant enough with Italian inspired interiors, not sure where the connection is but it is done well enough. Costa has even entered the world of customer loyalty cards offering points towards discounts, swallowing up all that valuable customer data to know your every purchase and journey habits. You would struggle to call it epic but you can't ignore it! 

The customer experience of getting lost

In an age of satnavs and smart phones we rarely find ourselves more than a second away from a map or GPS service. In spite of these modern marvels on occasion we still find ourselves lost and bewildered with where to go. This invariably is at the least opportune moment, on the way to a crucial meeting, a hospital appointment or any one of lives regular important moments. It is here that we find ourselves off the grid and alone in trying to find our way. Alone and in the black hole of mobile coverage we realise that we no longer own any form of real map or have the abilities to find our own path having paid little if any attention to our destination before departing putting all faith and trust in our beloved technology. Where this wizardry departs in steps blind panic and irrational thought. Speed limits no longer apply to us as we charge on at an ever increasing speed heading in an unknown direction but at least moving. Sweating kicks in and any presentable image of ourselves also is left behind on the dirt track we have decided to pursue. After blind luck we invariably strike gold and reach our destination where we rapidly forget our lack of planning but bemoan the technology for its failing. Being lost. Epic but for all the wrong reasons. 

The London Underground customer experience

Travelling around London is a challenge as you join millions of others circulating the city all eager to reach their destinations. The city is surprisingly small and supported by a tube network older than any of its users connecting the various suburbs and communities.  Navigating the tube you need to embrace your fellow man as you find your nose pressed against the armpit of the nearest commuter able to enjoy their lack of deodorant first hand. 

Each station operates as a unique island of this network with novel solutions to ascending from the depths of the tube with combinations of stairs, escalators and lifts. The tube staff appear at random intervals to aid you along in your journey directing you around the nearest pool of sick and onto your destination. Each train lurches its way around the tracks limping along clearly showing its age and miles of service. Without fail the station design will have incorporated a leap of faith over a vast canyon to reach the platform while you take care to "mind the gap". Whatever the time of year you can rest assured that you will be over-dressed as temperatures soar on the underground making the experience even more difficult to endure. Every major city has the same challenges to meet the travelling needs of its visitors and residents and we should be proud to have the underground in London. Epic? Not really but like much of London a part of the family for London life and as such able to get away with so many of its shortcomings. 

iOS7 a more Android customer experience

A new operating system for Apple means new devices and system upgrades for millions worldwide. Having loved every change Apple has ever delivered to the iPhone, iPod and iPad it was something to be looked forward to. Eager to see and feel the new environment I accepted the download on the day of launch, not taking a beta version ahead of time but patiently waiting for my shiny new interface. After a few days adjusting to the new OS my thoughts are not great and after an initial reaction of hate and loathing it has only mildly simmered to hate and disgust. To try and give some balance though here are my top and bottom 7 observations so far - 

The good - 

1) the multi page view of the open web pages in Safari is neat and feels lovely flicking through the pages

2) the open application finder upon double clicking the home key adds a screen grab for each icon and allows for shutting it down by swiping off the screen

3) the lock screen wallpaper with a 3d effect that pitches as you move the phone is a lovely feature and makes you want to hold your iPhone 

4) the battery life seems to have seen some improvement with more work on making the phone work efficiently extending battery life 

5) safari changes to have a single entry for the web address or search string simplifies the browser and aligns with most of the other popular interfaces 

6) exiting applications returns you to the home screen which sweeps onto the screen building up the content which is a very fluid solution 

7) the tweaks to the camera buttons make life very straight forward and you would struggle to misunderstand the usage 

The bad. Very bad - 

1) the design is appalling. Flat icons. Poor pastel colours. Over simplified arrows. Everywhere you look is now worse than before 

2) the wallpaper now bleeds into the colours on the bottom sticky banner and all the grouped icons selecting the worse possible shade based on the wallpaper 

3) the unlock screen now uses an interface last seen on the speak and spell with the most basic circles and fonts 

4) the notepad, mail and messenger now all have a basic white backdrop and almost non-existent design to the icons. If good design means less is more then this is more than ever 

5) the music player looks and feels hideous and the iMatch functionality seems to have stopped working altogether 

6) the calendar now has less function than the wall planner in my kitchen with a whiteboard wipe clean lack of anything

7) the search function now working by swiping down the middle of the screen as opposed to left from the home screen. Why?  Now making it twice as easy to select an application icon by accident. More than one step backwards. 

I love Apple products but iOS 7 is the most compelling reason I have ever had for getting a windows mobile. Sorry Apple. Far from an epic customer experience.  

The IMDB customer experience

Everybody loves a good movie whether from the comfort of our living room or from the back seat of the local cinema multiplex. For every epic blockbuster we are privileged to witness there are half a dozen stinkers we must endure to discover that hidden gem, often not hugely hidden with the level of expenditure in movie promotion today. This global fascination with all things cinematic creates huge demand for knowledge on the films and their stars. The classic dilemma being trying to remember what film you last saw that actor in who is starring in the latest blockbuster. Before the mighty web offered us answers we could be left for days desperately trying to place the actor in a previous scene and recall where we last saw them. The services of IMDB (www.imdb.com) give us all our movie needs in a single stop telling us what is on now and when near us and a biblical back catalogue of all things cinema and TV as far back as we could wish to delve. The website is supplemented by a quality mobile application that effortlessly steers us to the results we seek.  The information includes that essential cinema history for all our actors with a photo included just in case we weren't sure who they were.  All for free, no fees to pay just quality, reliable information that we can munch up to our hearts content. Brilliant. All my movie information dilemmas now addressed. 

The customer experience of neighbours

As you collect the keys to your shiny new house you are filled with excitement and anticipation of a new chapter in your life as a physical new door is opened. This innocent youthful enthusiasm is somewhat tempered by the experience of age that challenges your decision and questions if you researched every element in enough detail. Do you know how much insulation is in the roof? When was the damp-course last checked?  Is all the wiring professionally done and tested?   These questions and a thousand other doubts flash through your thoughts alongside the euphoria of being the proud owner of your new castle. Unless your new abode is an island with the safe boundaries of miles of water this new acquisition will come with neighbours who will now be a part of your everyday lives. This unknown is something we can do nothing about until we are in situ and living, breathing the experience. The realities of this mean you really can't choose your neighbours and it is pot luck which of the following you end up with - 

The in-your-face neighbours 

Nice folk who mean well but hijack you every chance they get finding you outside your home for a protracted conversation you cannot escape from.

The phantom neighbours

You know they still live there but are never seen entering or exiting their homes. 

The do-gooder neighbours 

Sometimes they can be spliced with the "in-your-facers" but these neighbours will be leading the neighbour watch scheme and a shoulder to cry on for anyone in the near proximity 

The black sheep neighbours 

In a row of perfect lawns theirs is the one with three foot high grass and weeds coming through the drive higher than their unwashed car. 

The nutjob neighbours

Completely random in every interaction and generally avoided by the entire street including the in-your-facers but to be found arguing on their drive with the local charity collection people about the price of fish. 

The magic seaweed customer experience

The world of surfing has grown in popularity from its simple roots into a worldwide phenomena creating multi million pound businesses such as Quiksilver tapping into the culture and aspirational status of the sport. Surfers nowadays are all shapes and sizes and not limited to the beaches of Cornwall with many frustrated and landlocked participants of the sport. For those miles from the sea every weekend away or holiday presents an opportunity to run for the sun and squeeze in some surfing wrapped around a trip to the sea. This rare opportunity to satisfy the need for surfing heightens the importance of accurate surf reports for those of us not lucky enough to be able to check by looking out their bedroom window. A good forecast of decent sized waves with clean intervals is enough to cause a raised heart rate in anticipation of satisfying the hunger for surf and commitment to a road trip to meet that need. Obviously having committed to travelling from afar to the surf if upon arrival the results are minimal it can be extremely frustrating and lead to prolonged trips to the pub. There is an answer to this need and a source more reliable than the telly weather forecasters - magic seaweed. A classic in naming a product if ever there was one. This surfers oracle provides real time surf forecasts and long range outlooks of surf conditions at spots all over the planet.  The web site includes all this without any fee (www.magicseaweed.com) and is complimented by a native mobile application to give you access on the move. The service uses swell bouys to provide digital updates on the sea conditions mapping this to weather outlooks to give every surfer exactly what they need. Reliable information on when the surf will be at its best. Magic seaweed. Epic customer experience. 

Customer experience of a trip to the pool

We are a nation of swimmers with local pools dotted throughout the country offering low cost exercise to the masses. The fact that swimming for 30 minutes is better than an hour in the gym escapes most of us who will choose to bob around in the water and float rather than swim. Having built up enough enthusiasm to leave your cave for the swimming pool you face the challenge of changing into your speedos in the communal changing facilities exposing your flesh to your fellow bathers all of whom appear to be Tom Daley's fitter brother.  Entering the water your body rejects the chilly experience complaining on being removed from the humidity poolside being replaced by a fluid surrounding feeling positively arctic where you yelp like a girl and lose any remaining credibility as a man. Those brave enough to attempt to swim lengths either stray into the designated lanes dodging testosterone power swimmers and breast stroke grannies or take their chances with the public masses weaving in between arm bands and bombing teenagers. Post swim having covered all of 16 metres during your visit sees the shower dilemma where you share your cleansing with others as you attempt to wash off the discarded plasters that have welded themselves onto your body while in the pool. Heading home full of pride in having ticked the exercise box you recount the activity as an extreme workout in spite of your meagre efforts. A trip to the pool. Still an epic customer experience. 

The iTunes iMatch customer gateway to the cloud(s)

iTunes was launched in 2001 as a media hub for Mac and latterly PC users providing a single home for all their digital multimedia. The iPod needed some form of software to allow customers to manage their devices and keep the MP3 players dedicated to playback rather than content management. The same software has now mushroomed to father the iPhone and iPad devices no doubt to spit out new and exciting variants on the base model of iTunes managing your content. Apple have kept this environment very closed and at times hit problems in developing the store with record manufacturers not playing ball and unprepared to share the wealth with the upstart tech giant. Much of this seems resolved and you can download most music, TV, video, books and other digitally consumed media. How much storage does all this need though?  I want movies and music. Stacks of it please. My home computer with its 100's of gigabytes of storage munches this up quite happily but my iPhone?  Eeek. Any iPhone with memory over 16 Gb needs a second mortgage so all my lovely tunes stay landlocked in my home PC. Rubbish. Apple has the answer. Imatch. This service backs up your tunes into your own private cloud allowing you to retrieve any track from your mobile device without filling your memory up. This use of the cloud effectively kills off the need for a massive storage device as you can maintain your hub of data at home. Granted this means you are dependent on some form of data mobile service or wifi but with the ability to store some core content locally plus access to your library in the cloud iMatch saves you £100's in accepting a smaller memory mobile device all for an annual fee of £21.99. Not bad. Cloud enabling epic customer experiences. 

The customer experience of lazy renewals

Few of us seek out grief and unnecessary paperwork, eager to go about our daily lives dodging the dull and tedious side of life wherever possible. For the rich and those flush with cash such menial paper based rubbish would quickly be handed to a willing minion to deal with leaving your days free to do lunch and attend to urgent grooming matters. The rest of us mere mortals have to face the drudgery of bills and renewals seeking to make this as swift as possible. Direct debits truly a god send. Unfortunately this apathy to all things boring is a concept only too familiar to companies as well as to consumers and this presents the opportunity for the quiet annual renewal bump up of premiums for the various services we need on an ongoing basis. The stealth like letter arrives through your door with no fanfare or indication of anything out of the ordinary. Indeed if you are as thorough as to open the letter without immediate filing the contents look very standard and without much fuss. My renewal price for that much. "Looks about the as this year" we all assume. But how often is it. A few quid extra a month quietly sneaks out of our accounts. Why?  Why when as a new customer you can always achieve a lower price. Shop around. Use all the meerkat wizardry and embrace the horror of paperwork.  Might be worth a few quid and you can put that towards a minion. Epic customer experience might need some staff to remove the boredom. 

The mobile phone upgrade customer dilemma

Over the past decade mobile phone contracts have stretched out beyond the established 12 month window as devices have become increasingly expensive. With devices costing well beyond £500 the mobile networks have felt the need to push contracts out to 18 or 24 months to make the monthly billing palatable for customers. The experience means the decision of when to upgrade becomes increasingly stressful and of greater significance. Most of the key players have device refresh cycles that cut well below this with even Apple timing an annual update to the device and the likes of Samsung accelerating their release cycles to try and get ahead. The customer experience of this can be frustrating as it pushes the costs of staying leading edge beyond the reach of most who have to justify their expenditure. The latest releases from Apple this week of the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c likely fall on deaf ears for many Apple fans who had forked out 12 months ago for the iPhone 5 but locked into contract for at least the next 6 months by which point they are only 6 months away from the next major release which is likely to be the more groundbreaking iPhone 6. As a result I think the iPhone 5s & 5c will not hit the sales targets reached previously by the 5 as customers will be sitting it out not prepared to buy out contracts but waiting for the 6. This same phenomenon is common across Android devices where the same economies are shaping renewals. So tech giants need to be patient and let us catch up but keep pushing the boundaries so we can enjoy even shinier newer kit. Long contracts = killing an epic customer experience. 

The customer experience of team building days

For many members of the white collared workforce there are few calendar entries to be feared more than the upcoming prospect of an offsite day enduring a team building exercise.  These have become more complex weaving in company principles in a clumsy fashion as you attempt to build an exact scale model of the Leaning tower of Pisa using macaroni pasta shells. Building teams and increasing morale are common problems for modern businesses and an appealing solution is to engage the services of an external company and get everyone running around outside instead of the usual office politics they would ordinarily face on a day to day basis. Arriving at your designated venue to survive some form of an ice breaker where you dance like a chicken or expose your sporting prowess as zero through inability to catch a ball. The day quickly begins to drag as you face various challenges grouped together with office colleagues you would normally avoid like the plague. Competitive natures rear their heads as the afternoon wears on and as individuals become distracted by the prospect of winning a bottle of Le Piat D'Or at all costs destroying colleagues in their paths as they seek to win the latest challenge of the day. In the event of an overnight as part of this punishment alcohol gets thrown into the mix and the gloves really come off as teams let each other really know what they think of them after a healthy dose of drinks to loosen the tongues. The morning after and all team morale having been sapped out of them sees a return to business as usual with team bonding at an all time low and new enemies notched up on the hate list. Office team bonding. Not exactly an epic customer experience for the attendees of the companies stumping up cash for the privilege.