Page 57 - Delivering Authentic Customer Experiences

Principle 3 Delivering Authentic Customer Experiences

A blueprint for success

A well-designed service blueprint makes it easier to imagine what
a service process will look like and enables you to find points
where your service is falling short of delivering on your promises,
so you can modify them. Known as fail points, the serious ones
stop a customer accessing or using your service, whereas the less
serious ones prevent the customer from fully understanding,
using, or enjoying your service.

Brought over from lean-manufacturing, the Poka-Yoke method
for service improvement, is derived from the Japanese words
yokeru (avoid) and poka (mistakes). Here are a couple of simple
examples of poka-yokes in services:
Customer facing – sending a text to remind a customer of their
appointment.
Employee facing – putting mirrors in staff rooms to encourage
employees to check they look their best.
(Chase and Stewart)

Consider this…
• What are your current fail points?
• What Poka-Yokes could you apply to help you consistently
deliver your promises?

Bad design is not always the main cause. Sometimes your service
might need improving because of factors such as:
• new product or service offerings (from you or your
competitors)
• changes in customer needs
• introduction of new technology
• new processes in other parts of the service chain

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