Carpark challenge.

Today I would like to issue a challenge.

I would like you to enter your place of business in the same manner a customer would. I would like you to do this once a month!

When we arrive at our shop, office, warehouse or where ever it is that our business is located, we often park in the same carpark, arrive via the same roads and enter through the back door. Our experience is often nothing like our customer's experience. Which can be dangerous, it can mean no-one is taking responsibility for ensuring our customer journey is a positive one.
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By turning off auto-pilot and driving to the office in the same way a customer would, we can take notice and make changes if required. Try this on for size:

• Drive using google maps, pretend you don't know where you are going. Are the physical and digital directions sufficient? Are you easy to find?
• Park in the customer carpark. Is is clean? Do the gardens need weeding?
• Enter through the front door. Are you greeted with a cheerful "Good morning"? Does your shop present well? 

​By doing this at least once a month we can ensure we take notice of the small things, pat our staff on the back if everything is as it should be, or make arrangements for improvements if required.

This challenge applies to the virtual world as well as the physical world. Even if your business is online, or you don't have a physical shop front, use the same process for customers to find you online. Are you easy to find? Easy to call?

By taking up the carpark challenge once a month, you can be confident your customers are experiencing exactly what you want them to. ​Have fun!