Services

 The Global Leaders of Customer Experience Management Survey reported that 85% of senior business leaders agreed that “price, delivery, and lead times are no longer effective marketing business strategies”.       

When access to competitive product or service information such as availability, options, and pricing is accessible at the touch of the consumer’s finger – what really constitutes a competitive advantage? Customer Experience is the only competitive advantage left.      

Creating and delivering an exceptional customer experience, one that is unmatched by the competition, is the key to gaining a competitive edge and the continued satisfaction and loyalty of the consumer.       

Many service providers and vendors claim to be customer experience players nowadays. But what does this really mean?       

We believe that customer experience has to be much more than an elusive buzzword. We propose taking a measured and disciplined approach to what can sometimes seem like an art form or an immeasurable practice.       

Let’s start by sharing the definition of Customer Experience (CX) as we see it.  We define CX as the feelings, thoughts and emotions that occur throughout a customer’s journey with a brand. This journey includes using the company’s products and engaging with its various touchpoints.       

Each customer experiences this journey differently. One size does not fit all. To some, getting up and running efficiently with a new product or service is most important. To others, receiving fast resolution when facing a problem is key. Each customer has unique moments that shape their experience.     To succeed, organizations need to repeatedly offer an unmatched customer experience for every customer, throughout their journey. This means providers can no longer offer blanket solutions for all service, sales or marketing interactions.      

How can organizations identify the moments where experience is critical to each individual? How can they stage an engagement with a customer to be a memorable event every time, even when it is initiated by the provider itself? And finally, how do providers ensure that the action taken by frontline staff is performed in the most effective manner?     

Author Simon Sinek mentions in his Golden Circle work (2012), that customer experience is grounded in the tenants of biology. Not psychology; biology. The part of the brain that controls decision-making and behavior is the same part that controls feelings and emotions. The part of the brain that controls rational thought does not, in fact, control behavior. A person’s decision to remain loyal to one company in the face of overwhelming rational proof of a better offer has more to do with the buyer than the seller. Loyalty is, in fact, not rational at all but a highly emotional state.  Therefore, when we conduct a generic conversation with a customer, based on facts, figures, features and benefits, people can understand it, but it does not drive behavior. When we communicate in a human and personal way – one which incites emotion – we are communicating with the part of the brain that controls behavior. 

This explains why when we give someone a “vanilla customer experience”, coupled with all the right facts and figures, they often respond: “I know what you are saying, it just doesn’t feel right”.  This is also why people often don’t remember what you told them, they remember how you made them feel.  When customers are asked what turns them into advocates of a brand, they often point to feeling acknowledged and appreciated. Product features and cost fail to motivate advocacy; yet, they do generate detraction when outperformed by competition.