Moment of Truth – The movie that never ends…

1Moment of Truth was referred to as a new movie in the majority of my marketing discussions. I basically meant that every single client interaction needs to be handled professionally, just like you would if you were an actor in a major motion picture. It wasn’t intended to imply that being surreal or odd was the focus. But the focus was more on being sincere and empathic. In the current environment, a lot of films are being caught by CCTV cameras and then posted on social media. Once the brand has lost control, it gets viral and becomes more like a wildfire. The concept of “Moment of Truth” was first popularised in the 1980s by Jan Carlzon, CEO of Scandinavian Airlines Systems, and further developed by A.G. Lafley, CEO of Proctor & Gamble, when the world was less digitalized and there was less danger of news breaking on mobile screens via social media. Therefore, it’s important for us to understand what this concept it all about.

What is a moment of truth (marketing MOT)?

Marketing jargon refers to a moment of truth (MOT) as any chance a consumer (or potential customer) has to make an opinion about a business, brand, product, or service. Moments of truth are used by marketers to produce successful, customer-focused results. This idea’s premise is straightforward: Every single interaction with a customer presents an opportunity to leave a good impression. One must realise, though, that while a positive moment of truth may not necessarily become viral, a negative moment of truth may do so within a short period of time.

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Ultimate moment of truth has three main phases.

SET - Customer sets some expectations of a service or of a product. WOM (Word-of-Mouth) plays a key role in this. these are commonly known as stimuli (Stimulus).

Meet – This is the point at which the consumer experiences a service or a product.

SHARE – this is the post-consumption stage where they share their experience with other by means of WOM or using online social media. Therefore, even if a consumer wouldn’t get any first hand experience in negative or positive moment of truth, based on what’s shared by others, they may form an opinion of the brand or the service.

ZERO MOMENT OF TRUTH

This was introduced recently with the rapid growth in online marketing and online searching. Consumers now search for brands (products or services) online prior to actually buying them or purchasing them. This has become an ever-increasing phenomenon due to the increasing usage of smart phones. We no longer get people asking for help or information from another person, instead they type it on Google.

“Whether we’re shopping for corn flakes, concert tickets or a honeymoon in Paris, the Internet has changed how we decide what to buy. At Google, we call this online decision-making moment the Zero Moment of Truth, or simply, ZMOT. The ZMOT refers to the moment in the buying process when the consumer researches a product prior to purchase.” – Quoted from thinkwithgoogle.com.

Therefore, the concept of “The Moment of Truth” has evolved from its original model to a new model to accommodate ZMOT. Newly evolved concept of Moment of Truth – Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT)

Importance of Employee Training on Winning the “Momentof-Truth”

Five gaps have been discovered in the service gap model and must be totally closed or at least much reduced in order to provide a quality service. The criteria stated for service delivery and the actual service provided by the personnel are one area where there is a gap. It is essential that the service is provided in accordance with established standards if the service standards are well-developed, the staff is well-trained on the required level of service delivery, and they are well-monitored. However, the participation of human factors in the service delivery process might lead to service failures. There won’t be any service interruptions if there are kiosks where customers can purchase things rather than cashiers behind counters, unless there is a problem with the equipment. However, when people are involved in providing the service, there will inevitably be drawbacks. The most important factors are how a service failure is recovered from and how well staff are taught to do so, in order to make it a positive moment of truth rather than a bad one.

3 SERVICE QUALITY MODEL

Employees in the front desks, cashiers and any other point where they directly interact with customers, it’s crucial to train them constantly under the five pillars identified world over as important elements of delivering a quality service. This model is also known as RATER model. RATER stands for – Responsiveness, Assurance, Tangibility, Empathy and Reliability. More than anything else, training people to be empathetic is more important in creating a positive moment of truth.

CONCLUSION

Men and women may join your staff and then leave at some point. However, it’s critical to realise that your long-term asset (brand reputation) is in jeopardy. Even if the marketing budget is cut during hard times, it’s crucial to never economise on the T&D budget. If a T&D (training and development) policy is implemented in place of an H&F (hiring and firing) strategy, it will produce greater value than the money saved from the H&F policy. HRD should be aware that training is not about creating a stage for an outsider to speak up about anything or about the venue and menu to make employees happy. It involves bringing about a shift in the employees’ long-term behaviour. The employees’ thoughts must alter as a result of the transformation. Few people have the skill to do so, yet making an impact that lasts is an art. After the training is over, it’s crucial to undertake follow-up work and provide reminders of the lessons learned so they can be put to use at work. If the individuals in charge can read this last sentence, we can prevent the entire world from experiencing poor customer service.