Customer Experiences

            This week we’ve been learning about customer experiences. One customer experience that I can say was amazing is the time I got iLasik eye surgery. In order to describe how amazing this customer experience was, I have to give you a description of just how horrible not being able to see was.

            

            When I was younger, I competed in track and it was very important in my life. Running with contacts or glasses while trying to jump hurdles was annoying and dangerous. The dirt constantly got in my contacts, which was just painful. Then there were moments when the right amount of wind would come and dry up my lenses. I ended up getting an eye infection, which was just humiliating. When I was forced to wear glasses, they were always falling. If ever I took my glasses off, I was only able to see human silhouettes. I grew accustomed to identifying individuals by the colors they were wearing or the sounds of their voices. I remember my vision being so bad that I couldn’t read a giant Wal-Mart sign. That’s when my eye doctor told me I was close to being legally blind. 

            The horrible part wasn’t even the inconvenience of glasses or contacts, but really the fact that I had grown used to not being able to see. I didn’t remember what it was like to look for details. I didn’t pay attention to things around me, because there didn’t seem to be a point anymore. This impacted my learning, because I couldn’t see the board in class.

        

            When my parents finally agreed to let me get the medical procedure, I went in for a consultation. Although I was eager to see, I wasn’t exactly too excited about having anyone cut my eye open. In a private room, the doctor sat down with my mother and myself to discuss exactly what was going to be done. He shared with me some recordings of successful surgeries and allowed me to see for myself (no pun intended) that there would be no feelings of pain. He didn’t leave until I was completely comfortable scheduling the surgery.

            What I remember most about my surgery were the moments that the staff created for me before and after the procedure. To emphasize the drastic change, the doctors wanted me to take several eyesight exams. Before the procedure, I squinted to see the big letter “E” at the top of the chart. After the operation, the staff rushed me back to the same room and, with my eyes still blurry, I already had 20/15. It was a life changing experience. I hadn’t even noticed how beautiful the examination room was. They were aware of what a big difference this would be for me, so they made sure I was able to fully appreciate my eyesight before having to cover up my eyes. With every checkup that followed my surgery, my vision got better and better. They called me regularly to track my progress. 

            

            Stepping back to analyze my experience, it was the staff that really added value. Many members of the staff had received the same treatment, so they had a clear understanding of what this experience would mean to the patient, and how best to associate that experience with their office. Now whenever I think back to that moment, I can’t help but remember the employees that shared it with me. Whether or not they actually did, they made me feel like they genuinely cared. The doctor even telephoned me himself at times. It was almost as if they were giving me a gift, despite the fact that I paid for it, and who doesn’t like gifts? So when we discussed in class how positive experiences increase the likelihood of customer loyalty, I had to fully agree because that same staff still handles my regular exams. 

Personas

After reading about the persona lifecycle, I found several things to be particularly interesting. First, I enjoyed the statement, “complete personas include concrete facts as well as narrative and storytelling elements.” What I enjoyed most about this was the concept that, like an author, you bring a persona to life. This persona has likes, dislikes, design, evaluate, and release your products.” How cool is that? It reminds me of being young and having an imaginary friend. The only differences are that this type of imaginary friend is socially acceptable, nobody thinks you’re weird, and they hear suggestions from that person too.

Another idea that I found to be intriguing was the industry practice of teams maintaining constant assumptions about the persona. This practice leaves no room for any individual teammate to deviate, because doing so is detrimental to the project. I found this interesting because of the level of difficulty that must accompany this process. Essentially, every team member must share similar persona facts and be able to follow the same narrative. This may seem simple, but have you ever noticed how someone can read a book and interpret it differently from the director of a movie? This is after the fact that the book is already written, so I can only imagine having multiple writers like a television series.

So when asked to create my own persona, I figured, “What the heck, I saw A Beautiful Mind.”

The Blunt Busy Bee Persona

Lifestyle Characteristics

·      She’s a fourth generation Mexican American who speaks Spanish only with her family.

·      She keeps everything planned on her Smartphone and feels nude without it.

·      She enjoys having the latest technology.

·      Her dog is a pet, child, running companion, and good listener.

·      Hates to clean, but hates the mess even more.

·      She has strong brand loyalty.

·      She wants her products to perform as promised and when they don’t she will let everyone know about it.

·      She’s willing to run the extra two miles for chili on her fries.

·      Time is of the essence, so she likes things quick: fast food, fast Internet, fast shipping, fast running, and fast service.

·      A new pair of shoes can cure almost any ailment.

·      She aims to find the perfect balance of fashionable and comfortable every morning.

·      The unrealistic models in commercials turn her off.

·      She speaks two languages and is working on her third.

·      She has studied abroad in France.

·      She’s so competitive she won’t let her 5 year-old niece win at tic-tac-toe.

·      She frequently contemplates the future.

·      Rarely has an opportunity to watch T.V.

·      She can never understand art, but thinks it’s cool how people express themselves differently.

·      She’s never been drunk or smoked a cigarette. Peer pressure is stupid.

·      She believes every product should aim to make lives easier. If a product comes with a large manual, she doesn’t want it.

·      She despises pop up ads.

·     She takes pride in budgeting and researching products before purchasing.  

 
Role Models

·      Carlos Slim Helu

·      Martha Stewart

·      Steve Jobs

·      Mother Teresa

·      Her parents

Personality

·      Dream big. Perform bigger.

·      Hold the alcohol. My life is crazy enough already.

·      I can do anything with the right outfit.

·      Catch me if you can. 

Interests

• Running
• Fashion
• Baking
• Traveling 
• The Bible

Demographics

• Kids: 0
• Income: $0
• Siblings: 4
• Age: 20 
• Gender: Female

      Values

•          Discipline
•          Honesty
•          Family
•          Education
•          Religious Tolerance
•       Punctuality

Goals

·      Find a job that is both profitable and self-fulfilling.

·      Become a better person with each day that passes.

·      Learn Jiu-Jitsu.