In good times, or bad, it’s what matters most!Think about it… why do you shop where you do? For some, it’s all about price. For others, it is convenience, or the quality and variety of products offered that keeps them coming back. But, for the majority of us, it’s about all of that… and more.
Most of us want to do business with a business that values what we value; a place that runs on common sense, not silly rules; a place where we are recognized and feel appreciated; a place where we can count on fast, friendly and efficient service. We don’t want to wait, we don’t want to be rushed, and we really don’t want to be sold to!
But we do want to buy…and sometimes, we need a little help with the process; and when we do, we want to deal with people who take time to really understand our needs, people genuinely interested in us not just as customers, but also as members of the human race. Please tell me such a place still exists.
With markets shrinking, it is especially important those of us in business understand why people do business where they do; and even more important we provide a customer experience aligned with that understanding.
Gone are the days where demand outstripped supply and we could count on sales regardless of our quality of service. Gone as well are the days when we could compete solely on product, price or channel differentiation. Thanks to the Internet, competitive advantage of that nature is typically duplicated in a matter of weeks, days, even hours.
A quality customer experience is not so easily duplicated, ergo the fact that great customer experiences are rare and horrendous ones commonplace. That said, those with the desire and commitment to create one can achieve consistent delivery of a great customer experience.
Enhancing the customer experience not only represents a journey into the final frontier of sustainable competitive advantage, but also one of the best pathways out of this economic downturn. Yet, as the recession lingers, what we are seeing is less, not more attention given to this imperative.
This spells bad news for consumers, the economy, and sadly, for the many visitors we are expecting to visit our province in the months ahead as we host the world during the 2010 Olympics. But, there is a silver lining. This general decline in service quality represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to gain market share for the enlightened few that truly understand - it is the customer experience that matters most!
Most of us want to do business with a business that values what we value; a place that runs on common sense, not silly rules; a place where we are recognized and feel appreciated; a place where we can count on fast, friendly and efficient service. We don’t want to wait, we don’t want to be rushed, and we really don’t want to be sold to!
But we do want to buy…and sometimes, we need a little help with the process; and when we do, we want to deal with people who take time to really understand our needs, people genuinely interested in us not just as customers, but also as members of the human race. Please tell me such a place still exists.
With markets shrinking, it is especially important those of us in business understand why people do business where they do; and even more important we provide a customer experience aligned with that understanding.
Gone are the days where demand outstripped supply and we could count on sales regardless of our quality of service. Gone as well are the days when we could compete solely on product, price or channel differentiation. Thanks to the Internet, competitive advantage of that nature is typically duplicated in a matter of weeks, days, even hours.
A quality customer experience is not so easily duplicated, ergo the fact that great customer experiences are rare and horrendous ones commonplace. That said, those with the desire and commitment to create one can achieve consistent delivery of a great customer experience.
Enhancing the customer experience not only represents a journey into the final frontier of sustainable competitive advantage, but also one of the best pathways out of this economic downturn. Yet, as the recession lingers, what we are seeing is less, not more attention given to this imperative.
This spells bad news for consumers, the economy, and sadly, for the many visitors we are expecting to visit our province in the months ahead as we host the world during the 2010 Olympics. But, there is a silver lining. This general decline in service quality represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to gain market share for the enlightened few that truly understand - it is the customer experience that matters most!
To comment on this blog click on 'comments' below. To read previous articles, see the Blog Archive (lower right) and to become a Wavemaker Blogs follower, click on 'Follow' (just above Archive).
If you would like to be notified whenever a new Wavemaker blog topic is posted, just drop us an email at wmconsulting@live.com with "Blog Me" in the subject bar. We promise never to provide your contact details to anyone else and you can unsubscribe from this service at any time.
If you would like to know more about how Wavemaker Consulting can help your company improve the customer experience you provide, visit our Website, or email us at wmconsulting@live.com
Your blog deals with an important subject. I've seen far too much time and money spent on getting just one new client through the door while the de-skilling and centralisation boys and girls spend yet more to drive existing, paying, clients away with reduced and poorer service.
ReplyDeleteMore power to your elbow.
Good piece Jim. I like the linkages to relevance in today's economy and to business owners (What's in it for them).
ReplyDeleteIt certainly would appear that service levels have declined with the economy. I find that a bit odd. You would think that as markets shrink, companies would be doing everything in their power to keep customers happy and bring more business through the door. But instead, they seem totally indifferent - go figure.
ReplyDelete