Improving the Customer Experience

This phrase is really bugging me. I gave an example yesterday about the airline experience and I really think there is a lot of validity in looking at the whole process and making it simpler.

I really believe technology is great, but executives like myself have looked to technology to create a better experience. This is a huge trap and it can consume a lot of time and energy with little or no progress.

Today, I am looking closer at the projects we are currently tasked with and I keep asking myself, will these projects radically change the current customer experience?

Today, I see a lot of restaurants making complete transformations of the outside of their structures. Once inside, the same décor is present. Some restaurants like McDonalds have even tore down their current buildings and rebuilt from scratch. Do these changes really improve the customer experience? There is always something to be said of a fresh design, but does the experience change much? Maybe that is not the goal in these cases. I guess I am looking at how can the whole experience be better. That is my struggle.

Today, I am making notes as to what do clients really want and how our business can be more than just another commodity. That is the goal for me. Best Buy is making this radical change from large store front to smaller retail store front. This is a very radical change. Is it making a difference! Now, you have the choice of going to a large Best Buy Store or a small Best Buy Store. For large corporations, these type of changes are incredibly hard to pull off.

Now look at the Nebraska Furniture Mart Example! This company started in Omaha, Nebraska and has a location in Kansas City, Kansas and its newest store in Dallas, Texas

This company was built on client service and has been able to draw in clients from all over the country to the midwest. It also doesn’t hurt that Warren Buffet has a stake in the company. The Nebraska Furniture Mart gives people complete information on all of its appliances and furniture and its associates work directly with customers to give them the best options possible.

Today, companies need to start looking more outside of their own businesses and learn to see where the biggest returns can come from with respect to improving the client experience. The next time, a company changes its look with respect to its building, makreting materials, business cards, show display, ask yourself are these changes really revolutionary or are they just updates. Keep your eye out for companies that are finding tremendous success with their ability to create a new, “client experience”. The race is on and those companies that can make a difference sooner will set the bar higher for their competition.

Picture Source: Pixabay

Improving the Customer Experience