A well-integrated company is a thoughtful one in a consumer’s daily life. It gives its customers valuable information when it’s actionable and lets us better plan our schedules. A thoughtful brand provides clarity in uncertain times by letting you know what to expect with enough foresight to make changes. Whether by phone call or text message, receiving real-time updates are always appreciated because they give us the gift of time and the luxury of options. It’s stressful and annoying to arrive at the airport hours too early for a delayed plane when a text or call from your airline would have been so simple. When brands reach out to us, we’re clued into what’s going on and given enough time to do something about it.
I moved recently. When I tell people this, I get a look of sympathy because we’ve all suffered through it. It’s not just the hard labor of packing and unpacking that we can commiserate about – it’s the frustrating world of waiting. If you think about it, we’re not all that used to waiting for anything anymore, so when we have to, it’s miserable.
We are creatures of habit and moving replaces our world of instant gratification with giant delivery windows, hold music and telling three people in three different departments how the sheets you just got in the mail are the wrong color. How can businesses address and mitigate these moments of frustration? The answer is integration. [Read more...]
