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!
