If we were to break down the two words according to webster:
One that purchases a commodity or service something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through
Something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through
If we bring that together – Customer Experience is based on the fact that someone purchases a product or service and their personal encounter associated with that purchase.
It is the interaction that your customers have through their end to end encounter with you. I am specifically not saying purchase journey as your customer’s experience starts long before they make an actual purchase.
The Experience starts with the “Discovery” phase where your customer has a need that they want to meet. They start by looking for a business that can meet that need. It could be calling your store, stopping in and window shopping or doing a Google search to find your website The experience starts with that first impression.
The product or service that you offer and the people who interact with your customers. These two factors are the foundation of the customer experience journey for your customers.
Companies with a customer experience mindset drive revenue 4-8% higher than the rest of their industries. Two-thirds of companies compete on customer experience, up from just 36% in 2010. Companies that lead in customer experience outperform laggards by nearly 80%
After one negative experience, 51% of customers will NEVER do business with that company again.
Don’t be that company!
Your Customer Experience should leave your potential customers and loyal followers blown away with every interaction. You should ensure that you are delighting them by the attention your customer support team provides when you need to solve a problem. These are some general examples of what factors are at play when creating a great customer experience.
One thing to remember! Unless you are fortunate enough to be the only person in the world that offers your product and service, you have competition. You must compete on service to maintain a loyal following.
