User experience drives customer satisfaction, loyalty

Standing out from the crowd and maintaining customer loyalty is no longer achieved simply by being known for a great product and customer service. Taking your brand to the next level is about providing the best overall experience. According to a Customer Experience Impact (CEI) Report, 89 percent of consumers began doing business with a competitor following a poor customer experience. With the number of options that are available to existing and prospective customers, this statistic is an easy one to fall into for many brands. Retaining customer loyalty goes beyond the sales representative and product; with the rate in which technology is advancing, paying attention to the quality of each platform that your brand is engaged in is equally important. The significance of creating the ultimate customer experience rings even truer in a crowded franchise segment, such as pizza. That’s why for Drew French, pioneer of the down-the-line pizza concept and founder of No Limit Agency*, franchise development, franchise expert, development, franchise opportunity, franchise opportunities, 1851, ROI, 1851 magazine, business opportunities, item 19, FDD, franchise fee, franchise fees, return on investment, jobs" target="_blank">Your Pie, having a superior product was just the first step in building the best brand. Forward-thinking brands are ones that recognize trends and ride with it. One of these trends has been about improving the customer experience on mobile platforms. French upgraded Your Pie’s old, impractical loyalty card system, and improved the customer experience by building a user-friendly app that allowed customers to pay, order and be rewarded through their phones. The app has made things quicker, easier, and more transparent for guests. As an added incentive for Your Pie customers to download the app, users accumulate points with every purchase, and receive special gifts on birthdays and anniversaries. Going the extra step, French set himself apart from the pack by developing a Your Pie branded app rather than “share” an app with other restaurants. This strategy has also allowed him to make tweaks along the way. “We wanted a Your Pie branded loyalty app because we wanted our customers to stay loyal to our brand,” French said. “We wanted to protect our customers from being marketed to by other brands. It goes back to making the experience better for our customers.” French is currently working on version 3 of the brand’s custom-built app, which will include online ordering and gift card functionality. “With all of the choices our customers have, we are trying to make the user experience better so that we can keep and increase our loyal and best customers,” French said.