Four new lessons in selling that I learned as a customer

At Simplified CX, we strongly believe that the lessons one learns through experience are the most memorable and most impactful. In the past, we've shared two sets of lessons in selling that we learned as customers. We're back with a third set of lessons, which we learned from a few of our recent buying experiences.

This time around, all four lessons have a central theme: how the buying experience influences loyalty and advocacy. Let's dive into the lessons, shall we?

I recently wanted to port my family's health insurance policies from one vendor to another. I had heard good things about a third-party insurance advisory service, so I decided to go through the process with their help. They looked at my existing policies and suggested a couple of options, one of which was from a vendor whom I had shortlisted through my initial research. They shared the list of documents required and guided me through the whole process diligently.

We submitted the porting proposals to the selected vendor, but out of the two proposals, only one was accepted. A representative from the vendor's side told me that in the case of the rejected proposal, they won't be able to provide the specific policy I was looking for, but can issue a different one. I had a word with the folks at the advisory service, and they suggested that I continue my policy with the current provider and not take the option the vendor suggested. For this, they provided two reasons: Firstly, the new policy suggested by the vendor was more restrictive compared to the one I originally wanted, and, secondly, since I had already been using the current policy for four years, continuing it with the same vendor would give me more benefits in the future.

The lesson here?

Always have your customers' best interests in mind.

The advisory service's suggestion to continue with the old vendor is a lot more commendable than anything else they did for me. Here's why: Their service is free for customers, and they make money through commissions from the insurance vendor. Given that this is their business model, they could have easily asked me to take up the other option that the vendor recommended, thereby earning commission for two policies rather than just one. Still, they didn't recommend it because it didn't meet my requirement fully. I was thoroughly impressed by their act of prioritizing my needs over everything else—exactly what I expect from a business. In fact, I later recommended their services to a colleague who was looking to purchase a health insurance policy—an act of advocacy from my end.

Now, the next lesson.

About six or seven months ago, I was enticed by an ad on Instagram and purchased three pairs of trousers on a whim. I wanted to try something new, and the designs looked great. So I placed my order without thinking twice. After receiving the trousers and trying them on, I was impressed by their fit and quality. If this in itself wasn't sufficient for a social media shout-out for the brand—which I shared promptly on X (formerly Twitter)—there was another thing that absolutely warranted it.

After placing the order, I received a confirmation email that stated that the items will be delivered in four days. However, on the second day, I received a message on WhatsApp stating that there would be a slight delay in delivery due to unforeseen circumstances. And as stated, I received the package on the sixth day instead of the fourth.

So what's the lesson here that made the brand shout-out-worthy?

Communicate proactively.

Sure, it was an impulsive purchase of items that I didn't need immediately, but I had still paid for them in advance and was given a specific ETA. The brand did well by proactively informing about the delay; I didn't have to get in touch with their help desk, wait through an IVR sequence to find out why my order wasn't delivered yet, and get frustrated with yet another negative buying experience.

Whether it's a home-based cupcake shop or a multinational corporation, any business is bound to face issues that impact their CX. Letting customers know about such issues voluntarily leaves a good impression and inspires loyalty. Proactive communication is also a critical ask in today's connected world because all businesses have technological tools at their disposal. If you use social media and IM apps to market your offerings, you can very well use them for other types of communication as well. Therefore, invest in tools that automate communication workflows and keep customers apprised of order updates; treat this as non-negotiable.

The next lesson relates to a similar line of thought, but in this case, unfortunately, the brand lost my loyalty.

A few weeks ago, we had some guests coming over on short notice (yes, this is a thing in India; please don't be surprised). So we had to purchase some groceries urgently to prepare lunch. Since quick-commerce apps are widely used today, I wasn't really concerned about getting the groceries in time.

I opened one that I occasionally use for such emergency purchases and added all the items I needed. The total amount in the cart was one number, and when I went to the payment screen next, the final amount that appeared was about 25% higher. Of course, there was going to be a convenience fee and delivery partner fee, taxes, and so on. Still, I was shocked to see such an increase in the final amount. This was an obvious dark pattern, but because I was in a hurry, I made the payment and placed my order. The food we cooked with the groceries might have been delicious, but this experience certainly left a bad taste in my mouth.

Coincidentally, a few days later, I came across a viral post on X, wherein the user had rebuked the same brand for the same reason. Other users in the replies also detailed similar experiences and shed light on other dark patterns and downright unethical practices the brand employs in its app. A lot of them also added that they had uninstalled the app long ago because of these dishonest tactics. Needless to say, I followed suit a few days later and switched to another one.

That brings us to the next lesson, which is:

Be transparent.

Transparency and honesty are two qualities that customers always appreciate in businesses—the same qualities that inspire loyalty and trust among customers. In this case, all that the brand had to do was display an intermediary screen containing the breakup of all the extra charges involved. That's exactly what customers expect from an honest business.

No matter the medium or the touchpoint, most customers have a keen sense of discernment and can spot dishonesty. Even if they didn't, being honest with customers is ethical and more prudent than taking shortcuts to make profits.

Now let's move on to the fourth and final lesson in this set.

In one of my previous articles, I had written about my first-ever purchase at an Ikea store. I had also mentioned that the store—the closest one to my city—was 221 miles away. After the purchase, we brought along easily portable items, such as cushions, kitchenware, vases, among others. To transport the heavy ones, like the two-seater sofa and shoe rack, we had to employ the services of a third-party logistics business situated in the Ikea store itself. I had heard good things about their service, so I was fairly confident about choosing them. Plus, they also mentioned that other than glass articles, everything else was insured. So we paid the requisite charges and left.

The items were delivered about a week later, but unfortunately, the side boards of the shoe rack were broken in half. I immediately got in touch with the logistics service's help desk and informed them about the damaged item. They asked me to fill out a form and attach images of the broken goods for validation. In the next couple of days, they approved my claim and assured that I'll get a replacement. It took a bit longer than the first time, but I received it eventually—this time, with more layers of bubble wrap and cardboard for padding.

So what's the lesson here?

Ensure that your external partners are efficient.

Often, you can't handle every aspect of running your business end to end; you may have to partner with other businesses that specialize in particular services. Make sure that you partner with the right business(es) to handle things that you can't, because their processes and way of working also impact your CX vision. Set clear expectations and provide them with necessary training and appropriate incentives so that they take pride in working alongside your business.

Additionally, working with the right partners leaves a good impression on your customers and instills confidence in your brand—a sure-shot way to earn their advocacy.

I'll be buying more stuff and certainly learning more lessons in sales and CX in the future. So follow this space to catch the next set of lessons, and go through the blog for other useful content.