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Over the last few weeks I have gotten great feedback from companies and leaders about my articles and videos on delivering excellence to your customers. While it is always great to get feedback, I felt a little sad and frustrated after some of these conversations because some of these leaders agreed with me but had no power to change anything in their business
This led me to wonder why some leaders still cannot see the connection between sales growth and execution of service. It puzzles me that so much money is thrown away on advertising or buying new leads and NOTHING is being spent on delivering an excellent experience so I keep on preaching to lead this change.
In these conversations, I hear the glowing praise for the icons of service, the Apple’s, Disney’s, Ritz Carlton, Nordstrom’s etc. but when I pose the question to them as to why they are not delivering the same excellence, I am bombarded with reasons why it won’t work.
- “It’s too hard to change now”
- “My staff is used to doing it a certain way”
- “ I can’t take the risk it hurts my sales now.”
- “I am doing ok as it is.”
But what businesses are not taking into consideration is that customer experience is the currency of the future. Many products are commoditized. Profits are harder to make simply by focusing on price. Studies show this but still business owners smile, nod in agreement and move back on as if the future looks bright FOREVER.
Right now most company budgets do not include anything in terms of developing the consumer experience from a delivery standpoint. Companies focus on marketing effectiveness, or user experience on their website but not when it comes to communication or face to face delivery of their goods or services.
Now for the companies that have challenged this thought and shown me the training tapes or list of videos they use I applaud them for at least beginning the journey. My next challenge to them is how do they implement this training.
Do they have a line item or a role in their company that allows them to have ongoing training, side by side coaching and then accountability measures as well? This is where many fall off and to that I say, save the $$ on the tapes it isn’t going to work. Without long term coaching or follow up you are living on HOPE that things will work out.
Customer experience is how you will differentiate yourself, it will be how you market yourself it will be how your company rises above the others and becomes the go to place of business for your product or service. The caveat is it takes time, it takes consistency and it takes leadership buy in. Without it, you have lone voices wishing for change but no power to act.
Take the time before it is too late to look at how you deliver to your customers and see what it will take in terms of investment, time and training to separate yourself from the pack. Keep me posted.
Glenn Pasch is the current CEO of PCG Digital Marketing as well as a writer, National Speaker and Management Trainer. If you liked this article, please share and connect with me @glennpasch