Just about every business claims that their customer service is a big reason to do business with them. From the customer’s perspective, however, good service is what they expect to get when they make a purchase in any industry or profession. Yes good or even excellent service may create satisfied customers, but in today’s competitive marketplace a customer who is merely satisfied is very often loyalty neutral. Your objective shouldn’t be just to have satisfied customers but rather delighted advocates for your enterprise.
A satisfied customer may have been happy with the customer service or aspects of your products and services, but nothing stands out in their mind. When asked, they tell us, “Yes, they are pretty good,” or “I am usually satisfied with them.” They may be satisfied but they are certainly not delighted. They don’t tell others about you or your business proactively. Hearing about a competitor, finding a better price, or being given another opportunity to take their business elsewhere — they likely will.
Delighted advocates, on the other hand, give you rave reviews. They talk about the elevated experiences and personalized service they receive. They advance your enterprise constantly through their positive word of mouth. They talk about their fantastic experience and interactions with your business at every opportunity. Here’s an illustration that demonstrates the need for businesses and individuals to provide a truly elevated experience for their customers.
Let’s start with an acronym, PSET:
- P refers to the products, platform, or processes you offer to the marketplace.
- S refers to the service you provide to your customers.
- E speaks to the elevated experience you must deliver in customer interactions.
- T represents a transformed customer that is not merely satisfied but instead is a delighted advocate— the actual outcome when you elevate customer experiences with you andyour business.
Commoditization has become rampant in most industries. As you know, commoditization occurs when attributes like product specs, price, availability, service, and brand are given economic value. This occurs as a result of the constant messaging from nearly every enterprise about P (their products, platform, and processes) and S (service).
What is required to build a moat around your customers is to focus on and consistently deliver E: an elevated experience in all your interactions. When you do, the customer believes they can count on you time and time again. This consistency creates trust and credibility. When you do that, you T: transform the customer and capture their loyalty. The result: marketplace distinction and delighted advocates who are less concerned about price or fee while — more importantly — they see, perceive, and receive great value from you and your business. Consequently, they tell others in the marketplace.
Action Required
- Are you committed to elevating all customer interactions?
- Do your current interactions create the impression that you are exceptional and organized?
- What specific incremental steps can you take right now to transform satisfied customers into delighted advocates?
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