What makes a good customer experience?

When is what’s best for a business’ bottom line more important than what the customer actually wants? 

Just recently I thought my car insurance had lapsed. This happened because I moved house and forgot to update my details with the insurance company (AAMI).  So, thinking my car was uninsured I did some quick research hoping to save some money. 

I found the Youi site and tried to get a quote online. But after filling in all my details, instead of seeing a price as I expected, my phone starting ringing - it was Youi calling me. I was apparently a “preferred customer”. What I wanted to be was a customer that could see a price, I didn’t have time to take the call. 

I know that phone calls convert significantly better than online, but what I wanted was to transact immediately. I was ready to buy. And I would have. 

After 5 missed calls, I finally had time to take the call and I found it quite painful. Sales techniques that seem out of the 1950’s… “Hey Bud, can you hold while I discuss this with my manager?”

Really? You discuss every customer with your manager? And why are you calling me 'Bud'?

Still, I bought the policy. I needed cover and just wanted to get it done.

Then, after checking a few statements and to make a long story short, I realised that I was indeed still covered with AAMI. So I called AAMI and after a 3 minute phone call with Sarah (AAMI call centre rep) everything was cleared up. Sarah was great. She called me Adam, got to the point, changed my address details and explained my policy would now be cheaper thanks to the new address. Happy days.

So, to cancel my Youi policy… it took 25 minutes to finally get through my message that no level of competitor rubbishing or extra discounts was going to change my mind. Please, please, please just cancel my policy. Relentless salesmanship that progressively frustrated me rather than persuade me. It was a battle. 

As a customer, what I wanted at first was to transact online. I didn’t get that and the sales experience was not pleasant. 

Then, as a customer, what I wanted was to cancel my policy. Instead I had to endure an excruciating 20 minute phone call until I finally got what I had asked for from the outset. 

The result of these two experiences? Youi has effectively lost me forever as I never want to go through that again. I am more than happy to pay an extra $20 or even $50 a year to deal with courteous and efficient staff rather than relentless high pressure salespeople (who call me ‘Bud’). I can’t imagine how this experience translates into actually making a claim. 

A good customer experience is worth more than a quick buck. But that’s just what I think.