Do we really know?
When shopping for outside services to help connect us to our customers, we see lots of language about ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and overall efficiency. There may be a case study and some hard data to go along with it… maybe a whitepaper?
It’s important to find a way to provide an accurate view from the customer’s perspective. Clients want to know what the experience will really be like, before making a commitment.
There’s no such thing as “risk-free” when we put something new in front of customers.
Stripe provides an ecommerce portal for anywhere on your site without navigating the customer offsite for processing. And they’ve done a great job demonstrating how the system works and looks from both ends.
So, now you’re thinking: “Great- they’ve mastered the art of taking screenshots and uploading demos. Bravo. What’s so great about that?”
Stripe has gone a step further. A customer-focused leader might wish to try the service from the end-user’s perspective, regardless of how robust the screenshot and demo are. (Have you ever bought a product only to realize the demo made things look unrealistically easy and gorgeous? Unfortunately, I could name several.)
Donate just $1 to a worthy cause. In this case, it’s Watsi, a web-based service that helps fund much-needed medical care to patients who can’t afford it. Stripe lets you use their service to process the payment! You get to see the real deal for yourself, as a customer would.
I’m glad to say my own dollar was well-spent on two fronts. 🙂
You not only have to appeal to your customers, but to your customer’s customer.
Stripe knows their customers want to provide a simple and elegant experience for the end-user, and to walk in their own customers’ shoes. This clever suggestion provides a chance to do that before bringing an actual customer into the process, all while doing a bit of good for the world.
What are some clever ways you’ve seen B2B companies give clients a chance to see the experience from the end-user’s perspective?
Jeannie is an award-winning customer experience expert, international keynote speaker, and sought-after business coach who is trailblazing the movement from “Reactive Customer Service” to “Proactive Customer and Employee Experience.” More than 500,000 people have learned from her CX courses on LinkedIn Learning, and her insights have been featured in Forbes, The Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal and NPR.
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