If you watched the Super Bowl, you probably already know what Amazon Go is.
If you didn’t catch the commercial, take 90 seconds to check it out below.
The commercial wasn’t filmed on a set with a bunch of actors, it was filmed on-site at Amazon’s Seattle based store where there are no check out machines, no lines and no human employees.
Picture this:
You enter the convenience store, grab a basket, and tap the Amazon app on your phone.
You pick out your items, choosing from a wide array of snacks, pre-made dishes and produce.
And then you just walk out.
No more waiting in line, no more having to resist impulse buys at the cash register.
You don’t even have to use one of those self-serve checkout machines that a lot of grocery stores use that beep and make you feel like a thief if the weight of your groceries isn’t properly distributed.
Amazon automatically calculates how much you owe and charges your account as you exit.
Amazon is describing it as an entirely “frictionless” experience
Now while I may not agree with the idea of removing the human element entirely (and I’ll discuss why in an upcoming email), I do agree with the idea of creating a frictionless experience.
I like to think about it as the removal of any points of pain (in Amazon’s case everything from standing in line to having to get your wallet out) and focusing on guiding the customer through a series of points of pleasure designed to make them feel great about doing business with you!
Amazon clearly did their research about what the points of pain of store shopping for their customers were and they went out of their way to remove all those pain points so that their customers can enjoy the shopping experience they want.
If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Amazon shoppers are used to finding everything themselves and using the 1-touch feature to pay for everything easily.
This store’s customer experience seeks to re-create that same experience.
All Amazon had to do was figure out how to deliver that customer experience their customers already love online and bring it to real life.
That’s the challenge you have in your business as well.
What are the points of pain your customers HATE about doing business with your competitors?
What are the points of pleasure your customers LOVE about doing business with you?
The more you can eliminate the points of pain and increase the points of pleasure, the more successful your customer experience will be!
