Return on Giving: Customer experience lessons from an unexpected place

Return on Giving

With all the talk around CX today, it’s clear that avoiding hassles is not enough when it comes to delivering a consistent, positive customer experience. In today’s constantly evolving world, brands need to recognize that reducing customer hassles is a necessity, not a differentiator.

Great customer experience is driven by creating benefits from a product's usage (beyond what is expected from a brand) and satisfying emotional needs or uplifting expectations. You don't get delighted when a brand gives you products that work or just good service. You expect that in today's times - more so than ever before. You get delighted by a brand when you get more than what others in the category give you or are capable of giving you. Delivering this rewarding experience across segments, lifetime values and individual preferences requires a reinvention across many elements in a brand's business model, with the (right) belief that a superior experience will lead to success. 

(Source: Oliver Wyman)

So, as I ideate and create customer experience strategies for brands, I always use the example of a man who has (in all likelihood) never studied marketing, yet knows exactly how to build his brand, generate customer loyalty and make people happy. He has worked out a way to earn a new kind of ROI of customer experience; one that we can call ROG (Return on Giving). 

Meet Mr. Anna Durai

Anna Durai owns an Auto Rickshaw (similar to a Taxi or a TukTuk) in Chennai city, in the state of Tamil Nadu, in India.

All auto rickshaws take people from one place to another; a category that offers no real differentiator between its 'brands'.

What makes his auto rickshaw distinctive from others is that he provides a lot of experiences inside the vehicle for his passengers.

He delivers those moments of ‘wow’ based on people's emotional needs and anxieties but adds a very individualized customer experience.

Travellers in his auto rickshaw watch TV free of cost. The vehicle is also WI-Fi enabled and if you're not carrying a laptop or smartphone to connect to the internet, Anna Durai will slip you a tablet. He carries an internet dongle attached to a WI-Fi router and offers free access to the internet. He offers a free mobile battery charger too. He also offers mobile and landline recharges for those in need of urgent top-ups in the rat race of everyday life.

His main goal is to make his customers feel happy and he feels customer satisfaction is highly important.

"Most people who take my auto to work at IT companies and I know that access to the internet is important for them", Anna Durai says. "It takes about half an hour to cover the distance between Thiruvanmiyur and Sholinganallur. Why waste that time?", he adds.

The auto rickshaw also has slots for magazines and newspapers that contain the latest editions. There are dailies for the customers who need to keep up on the news, weekly magazines for passengers who are taking a long ride, and glossy fortnightlies for those interested in lighter reading.

Anna Durai spends 4,000 Indian Rupees a month on subscriptions to 35 various news publications. And gives them to his customers for free.

He is also conducting a bumper prize contest for customers for them to win surprise prizes.

He has an ongoing program for referring a child in need for education, so that the child can be helped out. Discounted fares are available for teachers, and for all travellers on special days such as national holidays and festivals.

And there are a whole bunch of other privileges.

Despite his investment (considerable for his category), he takes home a profit of between 1,500 to 2,500 Indian Rupees a day. 

"That is more than enough for me." he says and continues, "I drive from 8 am to 1 pm and from 5 pm to 11 pm". He charges 15 Indian Rupees for the 11 km route he covers, while other auto drivers demand 20 for the same distance. Smart man!

"Money really isn't too important to me", he says and continues, "What gives me pleasure is that people remember me and are grateful for the service I offer". Yet, he makes a profit and a healthy one at that.

“Giving more than you take” helps forge strong relationships across all facets in our lives – our families, our friends, our co-workers, our social media circles, our business partners and our customers. It helps us create a meaningful role for ourselves in people’s lives. And this makes more people want us in their lives and enhances our value in our world i.e. the return on our giving.

And as we welcome 2019 and brace up for tough years for brands and organization across industries, we could all learn a lesson or two about creating experiences for customers and doing them successfully, with a smile on our faces and on those with whom we work - from Mr. Anna Durai. 

By Tahaab Rais, Regional Head of Strategy & Truth Central, FP7 McCann Worldgroup MENAT

Newsletter

Enjoy this? Get more.

Our monthly newsletter, The Edit, curates the very best of our latest content including articles, podcasts, video.

CAPTCHA
1 + 19 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Become a member

Not a member yet?

Now it's time for you and your team to get involved. Get access to world-class events, exclusive publications, professional development, partner discounts and the chance to grow your network.