New Zealand consumers value personalisation and time and effort the most from their favourite Kiwi brands, the latest report from KPMG has revealed.
According to KPMG’s Customer Experience Excellence report, the organisations that score highest in these areas are enjoying the greatest levels of customer loyalty and advocacy.
KPMG commissioned 2,504 Kiwi consumers, who evaluated 124 New Zealand brands. These brands were ranked across the “Six Pillars of Customer Experience Excellence” – those being, personalisation, integrity, expectations, resolution, time and effort and empathy. Farmlands Co-operative Society, Air New Zealand and Kiwibank emerged as the top three for customer experience.
KPMG New Zealand head of customer experience Baxter McConnell said the three brands excelled at consistently providing personalised experiences that make it easy for consumers to choose to interact with them. The auditing firm found this success started with a fundamental understanding of their consumers and a strong belief in the identity and purpose of each organisation’s mission.
The report also showed that organisations who are delivering the best customer experiences, both in New Zealand and globally, are doing so by understanding how digital pathways integrate with traditional channels and by creating a seamless omni-channel experience.
“Customers are increasingly ‘mixing and matching’ as they unbundle and then reconfigure their buying experience to suit their individual needs,” McConnell said. “Firms that invest in understanding how, when and where their customers prefer to shop are creating a competitive advantage that drives economic value.”
The report suggests the top three brands approach their customer experiences with a mindset that’s unique to New Zealand.
“Many of our staff grew up in the local communities they now serve through Farmlands,” Farmlands CEO Peter Reidie said. “This reinforces our sense of family. We are in a business where our shareholders trust us with their livelihoods, so every interaction with them should return that faith.”
Air New Zealand general manager customer experience Anita Hawthorne, meanwhile, said: “Listening to feedback and keeping customers at the core is integral to how we do business. We’ve invested significantly in technologies that improve our customers’ travel experiences, like our Airband for unaccompanied minors, AI chatbot Oscar and mobile app.
“Coupled with our innovative inflight products, modern fleet, new and refreshed lounge spaces, and the unique Kiwi style of service our people provide, these enhancements help to make the entire customer journey seamless,” she added.
KPMG added that the New Zealand findings were in stark contrast Australia which saw international brands Emirates and Singapore Air take the top two places.
