Like the smell of a brand new car, there is something exciting about a new experience.
I needed to get to the airport, and didn’t want to incur the expense of having a car parked at the airport, for a long time at a ridiculous price. So, I downloaded the Uber app and clicked the magic button. I am no longer, an Uber virgin.
It was a simple, seamless and spectacular experience. At the press of a button, a genie appears. Well, in this case, it wasn’t Jeannie but Laurie in a Toyota Corolla.
I knew that Laurie was going to show up in a small car and that she was just 8 minutes away. A map appears on your phone showing you where the car is as it moves toward your home. Watching the car move toward you is a cross between Mario Brothers video games and real life.
I saw the driver’s photograph and I know she saw mine so we both knew who to expect. As she arrived, my phone told me she was at my house. When she pulled into my driveway, she greeted me with an effusive smile and, called me by my name. Laurie knew I was going to the airport. She popped the trunk, I put my bag in the car and I jumped into the back seat. It was all so easy.
It was early. The ride to airport took less than 15 minutes. We talked about Laurie’s work with Uber and how the mechanics of being an Uber driver. She decides her own schedule. She can refuse a ride for any reason so she felt safe. She gets a percentage of the fee from Uber each week that I read is about 75% of the rate. This is mostly her full-time work although she said she was retired after working in the real estate field in Florida.
As we pulled into the airport, she slid the arrived icon on her phone and the rate popped up, $20.24 and an email appeared as an invoice for printing later. The ride costs about half of what a taxi would cost. It was so effortless, as if a friend was giving me a lift. The fee was charged to my online account that took five minutes to set up. I almost wanted to hit the button and go somewhere else at that very moment.
You can’t make a reservation in advance, but cars are so easy to get that there really isn’t a worry. I get to rate the driver and the driver gets to rate me. Customers with very low ratings don’t get Uber rides. Its a way to screen out jerks, something every business wishes it could do. Drivers with low ratings can’t be Uber drivers.
Feelings before Features
I expected a great experience and Uber lived up to what I expected. So often, we are disappointed because our expectations are set so high, that it is hard to keep ‘hitting it out of the park’. (Think Apple). Bernadette Jiwa, a marketing thought-leader suggests, “Think feelings before features” to help you market your brand. That is exactly what I preach, but Bernadette said it so succinctly.
[Tweet “Concentrate on how the customer will feel, it makes a discussion of the transaction unimportant. “]
What are you doing to make things so easy for your customer that they want to tell your story for you? If you aren’t getting enthusiastic customers who are over-the-top excited about your brand, you are in for a bumpy ride. Easy is a powerful marketing strategy. Eliminating pain points will keep the phone ringing. Creating experiences, at the touch of a button is magical.
What pain are you taking away to delight the your customer today?
Need a lift? Let’s connect so I can help you drive your business.
