How can innovation in appliance health monitoring transform customer experience

In the last 5 years or so we have seen a seismic shift in the relationship between customers and retailers, putting consumers firmly in the driving seat. This shift in power has been brought about by a combination of social, economical and technological changes that have required businesses to think differently about how they attract and retain customers in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

But in the appliance and white goods industry, where historically retailers have very much owned the customer relationship, the landscape is evolving even further. An increasingly saturated and competitive global market is bringing rise to new innovations, driven not only by the need to differentiate, but, more importantly than ever before, the need for appliance manufacturers to be closer to their customers, delivering enhanced, connected experiences that can unlock customer loyalty.

This in itself is challenging given the heightened consumer expectations brought about by new business models like Uber and Deliveroo. This concept of immediate gratification has been carried across multiple industries with customers beginning to expect convenience and real-time access as the norm in their journeys.

So how can appliance manufacturers stand out from a customer experience perspective and deliver over and above expectation?

If we use the Kano model below as a reference point, there are three points to consider in what drives customer satisfaction.

1. The Must-Haves: The essential necessities expected such as the basic cycle washes on a washing machine
2. The Performance Attributes (Satisfiers): These elements are not absolutely necessary, but they increase a customer’s enjoyment of the product or service. For a washing machine this may be a large array of cycle options including tumble drying and eco-washes.

3. The Excitement Attributes (Delighters): These are the surprise elements that can really boost your product’s competitive edge. They are the features that customers don’t even know they want, but are delighted with when they find them.

Not many consumers would expect to receive a message saying

“Hi Scott, we can see your washing machine isn’t performing at its best — it looks like an issue with how it’s spinning.

We’d like to send an engineer to take care of it. Follow this link to find a suitable time.

In the meantime, we recommend not doing a wash above a 600 spin speed.”

Let’s analyse how a message like this transforms the customer journey when it comes to the often onerous processes associated with maintenance and repairs.

1. An issue is identified before the appliance breaks down

By detecting an issue early, before any damage has been done, a customer avoids any machine downtime which can be a huge inconvenience, especially for families who do multiple cycles a week. In addition, this early diagnosis can prevent a more costly repair or replacement, especially if the appliance is out of warranty.

2. The customer saves time and effort by not having to phone the call centre

In a time-poor economy, this is a significant benefit. Especially as according to a survey by Mintel, 90% of customers do not enjoy call centre experiences. In this instance, a dreaded part of the customer journey quickly becomes an easy, digital self-service that completely transforms the experience. From an appliance manufacturer’s perspective, this also reduces call centre costs making it a win-win opportunity.

3. There is less time spent waiting around for engineers

Around 50% of engineer call-outs can turn out to be unnecessary as without a specialised, remote diagnostics tool, engineers have little insight into the issue before they arrive at the property. This could result in an engineer having to diagnose the issue on site, and then arrange for another visit at a different time in order to fit the right part, causing more headaches for the consumer. With the right predictive maintenance technology, consumers can receive a more efficient repair experience, and even be informed where basic, self-fix repairs are possible without having to speak to a call centre or receive an engineer visit.

4. The customer has peace of mind

Real-time performance monitoring not only offers peace of mind to customers that their white goods are performing efficiently, but that they won’t break down unexpectedly. Sustainability is a topic that’s front of mind for consumers and knowing that technology has been built into an appliance to make it longer lasting and more environmentally friendly is an excellent selling point.

With innovation driving ever-moving goal posts for customer expectation, finding features that customers don’t even necessarily know they want, but are delighted with when they find them, is key to setting yourself apart in the market and establishing that all important brand loyalty.

The wealth of insights gathered from a solution like this, however, extends far beyond these immediate customer benefits, providing a larger opportunity to enhance future experiences with a feedback loop that can inform product design and help manufacturers to provide higher quality services.