Disruption of the status quo has become a customer expectation across all sectors and industries, not just from the few corporate powerhouses, Jamie Gorski, chief marketing officer at The Bozzuto Group, said during a general session at the 2019 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas. Customers have expectations that all companies they do business with will offer some innovation or disruption to enhance their experience.
Gorski said companies in the construction sector are no longer just competing against themselves, but also against companies such as Netflix, Amazon, and Google, which have streamlined customer experiences. Companies now have to strive to positively disrupt their business by getting out of their comfort zone. The number one priority, of which all other disruptions are derivatives, is the convenience of the customer experience, Gorski said in her session “Experiential Disruption: Enhance Customer Loyalty & Elevate Your Brand.”
Disruption also doesn’t require groundbreaking and company-shifting changes, Gorski said. Disrupting or altering just one aspect of business–and doing that well—can lead to large dividends in customer satisfaction and brand enhancement.
Many of the disruptions Gorski presented were catered to the multifamily apartment construction market, however most had broad applications for all construction businesses. In one example, Gorski discussed a multifamily apartment complex that installed a telescope on the roof of its building to deliver better views for residents.
“What they do the best is they pay attention to what their customers are doing and saying and then they deliver unexpected delights,” Gorski said of the complex. “It’s about your team and the experience they’re delivering to the customers.”
Tweaks to customers’ online experience can also go a long way to enhancing overall customer satisfaction and brand. America is increasingly a digital, self-service nation and catering to both these niches can positively affect customer satisfaction.
Simple additions, such as chat bots on websites, can deliver on customers’ desires—and expectations—for quick resolutions to any questions they may have, Gorski added. Making websites accessible and representing inclusiveness in marketing strategies are also minor tweaks that can benefit customer experience.
Another area where companies can differentiate themselves from competitors and effectively disrupt the customer experience in a positive way is through video marketing, Gorski offered. “It’s more important than it has been because 81% of companies are using these videos, but 85% of all internet traffic online will be using videos by 2020,” Gorski said.
Gorski stated video marketing can enhance message retention and give customers visual reinforcement of what is being marketed to them. Some of the best performing, most engaging posts have been ones that include video, according to Gorski. Behind the scenes videos and customer testimonials are two types of videos that be used to benefit your company’s brand, Gorksi maintained.
“I know [video] can be expensive but, guess what, it can be raw,” Gorski said. “It does not have to be highly produced. It doesn’t have to be expensive.”
