Improving Customer Experience (CEX) is vital for success. While the term is common, maturity in this area is not.
We classify an organization’s attitude and actions from Version 1.0 to 6.0. Where are you today?
Customer Experience 1.0
WAIT FOR PROBLEMS
You react to problems. You wait for customers to complain, then work to eliminate the cause. Complaints are bad. Fixing problems is a cost. Denial and “blaming the customer” is common.
Customer Experience 2.0
FIX THE PROBLEMS
You fix the problem and try to “make good” for the customer. Apologies are extended, repairs are made, and discounts or other “service recovery” efforts are taken.
Customer Experience 3.0
PREVENT THE PROBLEMS
You try to identify and solve problems before they hit the market. Risks are studied and solutions put in place before negative customer, partner or colleague experiences can occur. You can see the problems coming, and try hard to avoid them.
Customer Experience 4.0
CREATE POSITIVE EXPERIENCES
You intentionally prepare positive experiences, aiming to earn high scores in areas like “easy to do business with”, “cares about me”, “understands my needs” and “creates great value”.
Customer Experience 5.0
CREATE SUPERIOR EXPERIENCES
You collaborate vigorously across the organization (divisions, departments, geographies, business units) to create outstanding, seamless, unexpected and genuinely rewarding experiences.
Customer Experience 6.0
CREATE GENUINE EXCITEMENT
Your organization collaborates internally and proactively with customers and partners to build a growing community of excitement, advocacy, ambassadorship and collective contribution to creating new value. You host the shared invention of a better and more richly fulfilling future.
Just want to say what a great blog you got here! I’ve been around for quite a lot of time, but finally decided to show my appreciation of your work! Thumbs up, and keep it going!
Cheers, Christian
This is SO important. I want to share an example here in regards to this.
3 years ago, I purchased a car for Juhie (my older daughter). As we have driven Toyotas for so many years, I naturally took her to a nearby Toyota dealer. At first the sales rep showed us some models. At one point he asked us if we will be purchasing that very day. As soon as we told him no, not that day as we’re still looking, he suddenly became indifferent–a total turnoff for especially my daughter. We then went across the street to the Honda dealer. There the experience was very different. We were asked the same question and we gave a similar response. Upon hearing that, the sales person said, that’s perfectly understandable and if we do decide to buy a Honda he requested we buy from him, and if we had any questions in the decision process, we are feel free to contact him at anytime. Much better service. Juhie decided to buy the Honda.
Fast forward 3 years later, we had a similar experience all over again. Same two dealers, different sales reps, similar experience. Tripti, my younger daughter also went with the Honda.
In total we spent about $55,000 (US) on both cars which Toyota lost, Honda gained. Given the life time value of customers, Honda gained so much in the process for I am sure these two girls alone will purchase many cars, and even more expensive ones, as they get established in life. AND they encourage their friends to buy Hondas too. What a loss to Toyota.
Here’s the kicker. Good service doesn’t cost more and bad service doesn’t cost less. Yet the direction of the trajectories they set businesses on is vastly far apart. One leads to growth and profitability and other decline. Therefore building a culture of superior service is the best investment any business can make, as far as I see.
We do not wait for complaints, we encourage them, because many complain with their feet, so you will never know the true numbers or that a simple feed back would have avoided loosing that customer. Put a nice big sign up like ours
“YOU CALL IT COMPLAINTS, WE CALL IT OPPORTUNITY.
PLEASE COMPLAIN TO GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET IT RIGHT
FOR YOU AND THOSE WHO FOLLOW”
I agree with Norman. Complaints are the lifeline that customers give to identify the gaps in our business.
Good is not good enough you have to deliver great customer service and seeing complaints as opportunities rather than ‘bad’ for business will take you from good to great.
I totally agree with Vinay! I spend money more towards good service provided. No matter how good the product is, if it’s given by bad service, I choose not to buy. I can buy something which is not necessary but I bought it because of the great service provided by that nice sales person. Cheers! 😉 @Vinay Kumar
Yes, I also agree with Vinay, the great service can cover the shortage in most time, it is make us happy and comfortable.
It does not cost you anything to be honest and NICE !!!
But the rewards are really high !!!
(unfortunately not measuarable in Papers).
This is the slogan of Service…
Nice Article… But, I agree with Natraj (Not measurable)
Also I am with Norman Customers complaints are very important…
“Customer complaints are the school books that we learn from”
Have a nice day…
Fully agreed wth Vinay. Nowadays products are identical. You name it, you got it. It takes very short time to copy products. What makes the difference is service quality. Good customer service, pays.