Consumer Experience

I could not agree more with the following statement:

“when we increase the value we provide to our customers, we can also increase the value they provide back to us”

The consumer experience is more than having a decorative store, calming music, or free samples. It is about creating an entire experience around your product or service so that the value of the product exceeds its monetary value. I believe it is a key marker of differentiation in the marketplace. For example, there are virtually thousands upon thousands of stores that sell clothing. But what makes certain stores more profitable than others? Initially, you may say price. Though price is one of the strongest indicators of value, customer experience is vital step in the purchase process and it greatly influences how the consumer perceives the brand. Wal-Mart is specifically constructed in a way that when consumers walk into the store they feel that they are getting a good bargain. Complete with white and blue vinyl floors, tall cases filled with a vast selection of inventory, bright lights and large signs with “roll-back” prices, Wal-Mart is creating a customer experience that is based on giving their consumers value by trying to seem that they sell their products at the lowest possible price point. In contrast, a consumer experience that made a lasting impression was  my experience shopping for sari’s and salvar’s in India. My parents are from the southern tip of India called Kerala. Kerela contains many different cities including the populous cities of Kottaym and Ernakulam. Deciding to go shopping in one of these major cities will turn out to be an entire day affair. After having the driver pick us up from my mother's house located in the rural jungles of Pathanvarum  in a family-sized TATA Sumo and catching a ride in n auto-rikshaw, we finally arrive at our first destination: Seematti Sari Store. Seematti is comprised of five floors of beautifully designed clothes ranging from bridal wear to men’s wear. As my family walks into the giant superstore, I look around see all of the elaborate Indian paintings, paisley encrusted clay jars, and the plush, royal couches. We were immediately greeted by the manager of the store and asked that we be seated next to a platform further into the store. In the picture, you can see how the platform is set up. The sales person stands on top of the “stage” and pulls different types of sari’s from the shelves behind them. As we were walking to our designated sitting spot, I am astounded at the number of customers and equally the number of people employed by Seematti. As we sit in front of our platform, a women jumps on top of the platform and begins analyzing my mother and I. We begin briefly describing the type of outfits we were looking for. The sales woman, smiles and prances towards the shelves and begins showcasing sari after sari after sari. While my mother and I were dissucussing our likes and dislikes of the selection being presented, another staff worker approaches us asks us for drink order. We both order hot chaiya (hot tea, similar to chai). While drinking our delicious chaiya’s, another staff worker asks if we would like some complementary snacks. We nod yes and within five minutes we were nibbling on our favorite Indian snacks which included samosas (triangular shaped, fried bread stuffed with potatoes, peas and carrots) and jalebi (fried dough coated with orange colored syrup). The quality of service was simply refreshing. Seematti’s goal to make the purchasing process enjoyable was remarkable. I could easily see how people who are not accustomed to such high quality service spend the entire day shopping. When people linger in the store longer, they are more inclined to purchase more products which means greater revenue for the store. Going to a sari store in India is much more than simply going to purchase a few items and return home, it is about enjoying a day in town, socializing with people at the stores, and enjoying great food. When you come back to the States and wear a sari, you immediately associate your product with the consumer experience you had in the sari store.