By: Christine DeFelice
Have you ever wondered ‘What’s the difference between customer experience and customer service?’ Chris Zane at Zane Cycles points out “Customer service is what happens when the customer experience breaks down.
Accomplished Customer Experience (CX) expert, Annette Franz describes customer experience as the sum of all interactions throughout the life of the relationship with the company. This includes any emotions or perceptions that they play a role in.
Let’s take a look at a company that puts the company first. Imagine a company that sees you as not only another customer, but a valued member of the family. Acura, the customer-centric brand, brings this core belief to life in their compelling YouTube ad titled: ‘The Test.’
The scene opens with an Acura engineer gently buckling in crash-test dummies inside the Acura MDX. Here’s the twist – each dummy represents a treasured member of his family. His wife, young son and daughter are all present. He envisions himself in the driver’s seat and the realism is touching. Acura’s tagline ties it all together “When you don’t think of them as dummies, something amazing happens.”
Safety is a top priority for Acura and their awards prove it. The Acura MDX model line was awarded top safety ratings. You can trust Acura. They place a top priority on the customer’s needs and safety.
Customers are willing to pay for a better experience so price can no longer be the differentiator. Think of the delicious cup of coffee you buy from Starbucks – the experience is worth the cost. Some companies aren’t focusing on the customer experience. Here are some of the obstacles they are running into:
The Customer Experience Gap
Back in 2005, insightful research by Bain and Company found a revealing gap in perceptions. They found that 95% of companies say they are customer focused and 80% of executives believed they deliver a superior experience.While only 8% of customers agreed.
Have you ever received a bill with unexpected fees or hidden charges? This is a sign that the company’s focus is on acquiring new customers instead of maintaining their current customers.
Winning new customers brings in the fast revenue plus it’s easy to measure. The problem is acquisition costs get more expensive and your current customers decline. It’s a vicious cycle.
When company’s focus on providing the best customer experience acquisition costs go down. Customers that are big fans of your business will help get you new customers through word-of-mouth referrals. This is a win-win solution. Your customer gets a great experience with your company and you’ll see a ROI (return on investment)
Misplaced Focus
Executives can easily get caught up in the metrics and other priorities that cause them to leave their customers needs behind. Envision this scenario: sales are on a downward trend. In response the CEO might announce, “We need everyone to focus on generating new business to boost revenue!”
Let’s embrace a customer experience mindset and view things from a fresh perspective. Be curious about the cause for change. Flip the script to:
-
- Why are sales down?
-
- Are we looking at a potential issue with quality or performance?
-
- Are we losing revenue to the competition?
Shift your focus towards serving your current customer rather than constantly seeking out new customers. Dive deep into their experiences and persist at enhancing them. After all, why would anyone choose to buy from a poor experience? Making your customers’ journey an excellent one is worth the investment.
Are you ready to make your customers the top priority and elevate their journey? Take the first steps towards crafting a remarkable experience for your valued clientele. Explore their needs, enrich their interactions, and build lasting connections. Your customers deserve the best – let’s collaborate to make their dreams a reality. To learn more about creating an excellent Customer Experience for your business, visit our Contact Us page to get a free consultation.