I had a recent demolition project, but was puzzled by how to get rid of the wood and shingles and other fruits of a few hours with the sledgehammer.  Clearly, even lots of large trash bags wouldn’t do the job, yet a dumpster seemed to be a big overkill. Did I need to rent a pickup to haul multiple loads to the dump if there was one nearby?  What to do?

A neighbor told me about a cool solution from Waste Management that turned out to be perfect.  They call it The Bagster.

Here’s the idea:

You buy a huge rectangular bag at your local Home Depot or Lowe’s.  Comes in a convenient small package, but unfolds to be 4′ by 8′ by 2.5 ‘ high.  It’s made of very tough, reinforced rip stop plastic canvas, with two bright yellow handles. They hold three cubic yards and 3300 pounds, so you are wondering why the handles are there, as no human will pick one of these up.

Your job is not to worry about that.  When you fill the Bagster, you go to www.bagster.com, create n, and let them know you are ready for pickup.  You let them know your location, where in the yard or on the driveway you have the Bagster, how many of them you have.  They price the pickup based on location, and give you a discount for Bagsters two through x.  You pay online, get a confirmation number for your order and you are good to go.  A day later I received an email saying my Bagsters had been scheduled for pickup.

So let’s review why this is a great experience.

1. WM analyzed a problem for the DIY ( smaller job contractor) and designed a solution
2. That solution provided easy access through a known distribution point
3. The concept was incredibly easy.
4. The fulfillment was self service, with frequent and effective communications throughout the process to let the client know where in the process they were.
5. The branding is super effective, fun and “three word” memorable:

BAGSTER:  BUY.  FILL.  GONE.

Check it out at http://www.thebagster.com/

Spread the word. This one is happily full of it

“Retailution” refers to the evolving consumer banking world – today’s consumer has brand expectations shaped not by its bank, but by service and brand presence delivered by any of the myriad experiences of consumers each day.

Banks can’t sit on the laurels of the past – those days are far gone, and regaining trust and confidence remains a primary objective.

This year’s conference still had elements of how the branch experience is a high impact interaction point.  But more so, the incredible growth of the mobile channel and how it is incorporated into a multiple channel setting is key. Get it wrong, and you are regulated to the heap of undifferentiated brands  at best  not mentioned, and at worst mentioned in social media channels.

Be aggressive in leveraging customer interactions across multiple channels – the tipping point from web or pc to smartphone has been smashed.  It’s a tidal wave, and ripe for new applications, leveraging of data and analytics.

This is not just a passing fad – this is how people will not only communicate but interact with banks, retailers, travel and medical firms, as well as run many of the critical elements of everyday life.  Get mobile – get going.

Some good fast facts on mobile, with a focus on retail banking:

Adoption of Mobile Banking is now at 12%, up 34% YOY

These are desirable customers – demonstrating a higher average household income, with higher investable assets

• 80% of these mobile banking users have smartphones
• They do more research – on web as well as talking to others
• The question is no longer about when mobile will change everything – it already has

So what are the implications and opportunities?

• Bankers need to shift from thinking of this as “alternative delivery”  – this is Banking Anywhere, Anytime
• Those who can demonstrate a seamless experience, especially across channels, can differentiate and win
• Plan and execute incremental improvements ongoing for mobile and it will drive your business – between Q2 2010 and  Q3 2011, more than double the respondents say the mobile experience drives the choice of who they will bank with – by far the largest driver

I’ve been intrigued lately with how QR codes might enhance the marketing and sales experience for the user.  A cool firm called Red Laser has some great ideas that extend and enrich what customers might do. 

A first example is around price shopping – let’s say you find a product that’s interesting – where can I find it at the best price and either nearby or on the web?  Red Laser can show you:

Second, let’s say you are vigilant about what you eat – what can you learn about a food product and potential content or allergen issues?  Red Laser can give you the next level of information, giving you more confidence about what you buy and what you eat.  That develops brand loyalty and directly leads to greater sales.

These are just a couple of examples of how information can enhance the marketing of products and the purchase behavior and experience.  Good stuff – check out Red Laser at: http://redlaser.com/#features

Hasbro President and CEO Brian Goldner was on with Maria B, and there were a few things that stood out to me:

Brian gets the concept of how important the customer experience is.  He must have talked six times in five minutes about the imperative of creating “immersive experiences” to fit how consumers want to experience the brand.

Think about it  – tying great storytelling through film to games and toys as a way to extend the richness of the bran experience, and to have consumers interact with the brand in sense based ways: sight, sounds, and touch.

This model with Transformers has grown from $34M in 2000, to $600M expected from Transformers relate sales and revenue this year, which is about 15% of total sales.  Wow. This is done as well with licensing, which ha grown from 32 partners in 2007 to 325 partners now.  An impressive way to grow both channels and an ecosystem where everybody wins.

And it fuels growth in the growth markets.  Hasbro’s business is headed from 60/40 US /Int’l this year.  This play transforms in many languages!  Sorry.

Mr. Potato Head, the first toy advertised on TV in 1952, is proud.  Immersive experiences fuel the bottom line at Hasbro.

Adobe is impressive in their commitment to this pace.  Their recent software acquisitions of Day Software and Omniture give them real depth in solutions for the digital experience, and position them extremely well for helping firms put both intelligence and responsiveness into their delivered experience.  They’ve built a new platform for Customer Experience Management, and I think are showing great leadership in this space.

Lastly, I got to spend a few minutes with Bruce on a new initiative he has launched for customer experience professionals – CXPA – the Customer eXperience Professionals Association.   He’s been recruiting corporate sponsors, as well as developing CXPA to be both a resource as well as a way to bring together business people who are advancing the art and science of customer experience.  Kudos to Bruce and to Jeanne Bliss, the co-founders of this interesting and exciting venture.

Check it out at http://www.CXPA.org

http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xbvde0?theme=none
Coca-Cola “Happiness Machine” by CocaColaHappinessMachine

– and spreading it virally

Sure, top end chains like the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton wrote the book on customer service and high end hotels, but when I travel for business, I value less the pampering and want a hotel experience that “works”.

I just returned from a week in London, one of my favorite cities.  I’ve had the chance to stay in a Club Quarters the last two trips, and am happy to report an excellent stay in both experiences.

Things they get right for the business traveler:

• Excellent and spacious business lounges – makes a good base for meetings, as well as working when you can’t sleep on the time zone change
• Free wireless, plus wired connections
• Great coffee/espresso machines
• Free purified water machines on every floor with personal bottles for you to refill
• A “good enough” workout room
• Self service check in and checkout machines that are well designed and fast
• Nicely, not overly done rooms
• An excellent and fair value for price

Tip o’ the cap to Club Quarters – you are way up the list

The good:

• ability to stack multiple checks for deposit
• not having to fill out the envelope
• getting the check images printed on the deposit receipt
• a faster, easier experience for deposit

Room to Improve:

• it’s odd to me that the check amounts that these ATMs have trouble reading are machine printed, as opposed to human handwriting – not a problem to have the depositor enter the amount but curious
• the image presented on screen is not high enough resolution to read  the problem check so had to cancel the transaction and read the check myself to get the amount right

Getting the customer experience right is  key to getting acceptance and growing adoption of new technologies.  Conversely,  technology can be a great enabler of a better experience.  In an area like check deposit, earning customer trust can be built with repeated positive experiences. The challenge here is that one poor experience can puncture customer confidence and set the acceptance of new technology back.  I think this area is a great one to ensure banks get customer feedback on for several months beyond introduction in order to refine the experience and continue to build confidence and let convenience carry the satisfaction of the customer.

There in the outdoor space just outside the branch door was a great four piece jazz band laying down some great tracks.  There was a small gathering to drink in the music – what a way to enjoy lunch and get ready for a great afternoon! And those coming and going for their business inside the bank all had an added smile either going in or upon their exit.

Many banks have added music as experiential elements to their branches.  Some have top 40, some more sedate – (and more on Muzak in another post!) And while there have been some critics of there being too much music in too many store experiences, it can be done well and add a smile to your day where perhaps there wasn’t.

Cool jazz on a hot day. A great combo.  Carry on!