How To Create a Customer Experience That Enchants – Part 1 Go Undercover

Why is “Undercover Boss” so popular? Could it be because most of us feel like no one is listening to us?  No one understands our pains and sorrows? It’s cathartic to see a boss, for a change, put himself in the shoes of his workers and consumers.  It’s usually a kick-in-the pants, eye-opening experience.

If you want to stand out from the competition, kick yourself in the pants! The folks at Fast Company together with Mike Lieberman and Eric Keiles have brought us a wonderful article about ways to make your business remarkable. In it, the authors note that, fundamentally, “to be remarkable, you must be able to stand in the shoes of your client or prospect.”

To stand in your constituent’s shoes, consider some of these strategies:

Don’t just stand; walk a mile in her shoes. To be extraordinary requires more than standing still. The aforementioned article speaks to the need to continually innovate in order to differentiate yourself from your competitors. It’s a long haul proposition. And I agree. You must constantly take the temperature of your internal and external positives and negatives (I recommend adopting a culture of ongoing SWOT analysis). Yet here’s where I have a bit of a quibble.  Because sometimes being in someone’s shoes means knowing when to stopinnovating.

Know when to slow down and have a picnic. Sometimes it’s okay to stand your ground and enjoy the fruits of your labors. Did Steve Jobs discontinue the Apple or the iPad because his competition came out with new, competing products?  No.  Because he knew what his customers wanted. We don’t have to change everything just for the sake of it, anymore than we have to chase shiny objects just because they exist.

To create a “wow” customer experience requires knowing what your customers want, when they want it, how they want it delivered, and when they want to simply be left alone awhile to relax and enjoy.