Close The Loop

Posted on Apr 25, 2010 | 0 comments

Is there anything worse in a sales process or within the use phase of a product or service than uncertainty? I stood in front of an ATM today after having swiped my card wondering if the machine had recognized my card. No feedback that the card was unreadable. Huh?

After reaching into my wallet a second time to re-swipe my ATM card, I completed my banking transaction only to be sent to screen that left me uncertain. Was my transaction complete or would the next lucky customer who walked up to the ATM be able to continue with access to my account? I couldn’t tell.

Computers and code are black and white. 0 or 1′s. Engaging with a real person is a different story. Businesses can take a step toward improving customer satisfaction by eliminating touch points that fail to set expectations. Explicitly tell the person what he/she can expect as the next step. Instead of leaving a customer hanging in a grey area of wonder, simply close the loop.