Customer experience – ‘It’s not about the TV’
I was fortunate enough to attend the Forrester CX conference in Sydney where I met fellow ‘CXers’ and saw how they transformed businesses into customer-centric organisations and it reminded me of my current experience as an Airbnb host.
Earlier this year I turned the cottage at the back of my house into an Airbnb and at a small scale the experience has been about the guests/customers and applying the build, test, learn and iterate methodology.
We often get caught up when we are focusing on the customer experience with specifics, like the TV in my cottage. The TV needs a Chromecast to access Netflix and is not in the ideal position. I know it needs updating but guests staying at the cottage never mention the TV in their public reviews but will provide feedback directly to me that the TV is not in the best place. Which is interesting.
The TV remains a central item for many dwellings but it’s not the everything, it’s not what welcomes my guests when they are arrive at the cottage and it’s not what makes them feel at home. It’s the combination of a comfy bed, hot water, shower, toilet, kitchen, sheets, a doona and the little touches and good communication between myself and the guests.
Going it alone to prepare the cottage, I dedicated 3 months to cleaning, painting, buying new furniture and fittings, with a trip to IKEA where I strategically manoeuvred two trolleys and then lost a mattress at delivery. During this time, I carried out quick and dirty research on preferred platforms by asking friends about when they use Airbnb or Bookings.com to decide which platform was best for me.
Using design thinking I took a granny flat and turned it into a cottage for short-stays and have iterated and tweaked the guest experience based on their feedback, by experimenting with price variance, changes to check-in and moved some of the furniture. My business short-term goal is to get positive customer reviews by having as many guests stay so I reach the ‘Super host’ status.
The experience as a host has reminded me again and again that it’s not about the TV, it’s about the entire experience. Guests are rating the experience as five-stars with feedback that reflects what I said the property is at the price point that it is at. The words and images on the listing build the brand and when they arrive at the front door of the cottage they are welcomed, with the local paper and continental breakfast items. If guests arrive after dusk I turn on the porch light or the bedside lamps to make the welcome warm and when I get time I’ll get a new TV which doesn’t need Chromecast and position it so it’s easier for guests to see, but the experience is not about the TV.
My cousin on the Gold Coast has an Airbnb as well we often chat about the differences between the two places, mine being city and airport, the coast being tourist attractions and beaches. Even though the platform allows for both of us to operate successfully, we are creating two completely different experiences at different pay points under different house rules. Two different experiences for guests who at the time have different requirements but who still want to be welcomed to their bed for the night.
Each guest brings their own perspective, whether they are here from overseas, on a road trip, airport bound or needing a quiet place to study, they come with their own perceptions, their own experiences, their own needs and wants, but it’s not about the TV, it’s about their experience.
