Just wanted to be sure I wished all of you a fantastic holiday season. After a recent trip to the mall (and watching some spectacularly rude customers), it’s hard to remember what this time of year is about. So here’s hoping you get to spend some relaxing days with friends and loved ones, and not stuck on the road between Oak Brook and Woodfield malls.
Enjoy, and we’ll see you in 2010!!
I’ve recently heard folks (”experts”) saying that they think business owners are sick of hearing about customer experience. The point, I’m hearing, is to generate revenue, or to “move product,” not get all touchy feely with customers.
They’re missing the point.
Put simply: if you’re a business owner, customer experience is not an optional issue. It exists. For better or worse, you have a “customer experience.” It doesn’t matter what type of business, what type of industry – retail, professional services, financial, online, etc. If you have customers, you have a customer experience. Ignoring it doesn’t change the fact that you’re customers are either enjoying or suffering through it. It doesn’t change the fact that the nature of your experience is creating a customer perception, and consequently a behavior (buy, don’t buy, stay, leave, refer, complain).
By ignoring the quality of your customer experience, you will suffer the consequences. And guess what? Those consequences reflect directly on generating revenue, and “moving product.”
So ignore customer experience at your peril. But at least do it with your eyes open. In this case, ignorance ain’t bliss.