Isn't that the truth
Alright, I want all of you to give something a try. Ready?
The next time someone tells you, or ponders aloud, that you’re guaranteed success if you offer the customer a great experience, I want you to say … “BULLSHIT”!
That’s right, I’m calling out that ‘great lie’. I’m also calling out every other thought-leader/expert/pundit that spreads this nonsense.
If you’re thinking that I’m a fatalist, let me share a couple of points. Firstly, I’m not a fatalist, I’m a realist. I deal with the above mentioned everyday and I know that it’s manageable. Secondly, the relevant, and more significant, point is that a great customer experience alone guarantees you nothing. The great customer experience as a ‘nice to have’ is a dodo; it is now an assumption, an expectation.
Welcome to the new economy; the economy of the self-educated consumer who sees value in simplicity but who also expects to have their cake and eat it, too.
This economy allows that consumer to do all the research about a product, service, company, or concept well before they ever speak to a sales person. They tend to know what they want and have a pretty good idea of what we should pay for it.
Beyond that, they EXPECT to have a great purchasing experience and put the onus of providing that great experience on the company.
And you know what?
The sooner you accept this reality, the sooner you get back to the business of being in business.
And you know why?
Because each and every day the ‘great lie’ about customer experience is perpetuated. Real game-changing customer service is a Unicorn. You hear about it all the time but rarely see it. When teaching about the best customer experiences, only two or three companies come to mind which is quite pathetic, given there are millions and millions of businesses out there.
Guess what? This creates an opportunity.
If customer experience from one company to another in your industry isn’t significantly demarcated then work hard to ensure that your organization dependably, consistently, provides good customer experience.
Then, prepare for battle. Know that your customers are armed with more knowledge about you, and about your competition, than ever before. Be prepared for the potential to spar over price.
Customer expectations today are high. We want it all, value to most of us is in not sacrificing anything; if our businesses deliver at a high level AND give a good price then this type of buoyancy for the customer is achieved. Take heart; don’t throw in the towel just because you’ve been lied to … A LOT! After all, people pay more money to hear stories about unicorns and leprechauns rather than the truth of the new economy.
Rather, embrace the opportunity and do it better than anyone else. After all if there were such a thing as a triple-entendre, it would be the idea of great value, with great service, at a great price.
Happy Selling!
Hey Daniel ~ What you outline here and what is happening in our new economy is that you will have to work harder and “expect” less in return. There are no guarantees, spot on! “…Embrace the opportunity and do it better than anyone else” well said!
@JohnFeskorn Hi John – Thanks for stopping by. I thought you may appreciate this basedon the comments you left for Ted Coine yesterday.
I think about this all the time. We have to live with it…we just do.
Great thoughts, Daniel. As a consumer, even when I’m in the market for a one-off; an item I probably won’t be replacing in the near future and one which won’t need ‘service’ … like a sofa. I research online, find what I like, and compare costs all from the discomfort of my old sofa. And yup, I do expect Big Joe’s Furniture Emporium to roll out the red carpet and pop the champers when I show up. Why? Because I chose them. (and if Big Joe is smart, he may realize that I might need some lamps and a carpet to go with that sofa). Overall, I think customer service generally sucks. I’m regularly disappointed that my patronage is not celebrated and more often than not appalled by the apathy out there. From your ‘triad’ if I have to pay more to receive more of the other two, I would. And I do. Too often … I like this post ~ well done!
Great post, Daniel. I agree with your take on the new economy. Consumers have matured over the years and they’re smarter to know what they want and need most. Having that said, I would think customer ‘experience’ / ‘service’ have evolved into customer ‘requirements’ instead. It no longer is a good to have, but more of a must have because consumers still tend to compare services and good services has a better chance to be shared, especially with social media. While it definitely does not guarantee success, it allows businesses to stand a chance to differentiate against its competitors especially if one is a small business.
“ensure that your organization dependably, consistently, provides good customer experience.” this sentence sums it all!
@TobeyDeys Many of the interactions we have had have helped inspire this post. I don’t understand why people are not more focused on customer experience as a core of their business. Better yet, why they don’t realize that it isn’t a trojan horse.
Success is about many things, but it is the execution of many small things that generally drives patronage.
Always happy when you stop by!
@janwong Great assessment and feedback. No doubt whatsoever that customer requirements fill some if not all of the CX. Cheers and thanks for stopping by.
@danielnewmanUV It’s sure is funny what the “experts” say, isn’t it? Down with the unicorns and leprechauns!
Great post and it’s great to see others are hunting for the same “triple threat.”
@Biebert It is never easy to deliver it all, but if it was they we wouldn’t be as valuable right?