Recession Survival with Andrew Field

posted by David Wolf on Nov 8, 2009 | Comments (0) | Permalink | Trackback URL

Surviving the Recession by Investing in the Customer Experience

Times are Tough

• Difficult economy makes it hard for businesses to predict the future, set growth goals.
• We can’t control the macro economy, but we also don’t have to just be victims, floating along waiting for things to get better.
• In these tough times, what can we control?

Current Focus: Passion for the Customer Experience

• The customer experience is more than just good customer service, which is just table stakes in today’s marketplace.
• The customer experience involves every single interaction a customer has with your company – from the first contact all the way through to putting a great product into their hands, on time and with a smile.
• Improving the customer experience involves looking for ways to deliver remarkable interactions at every touch point and figuring out a way to say ‘yes’ to your customers. It is a renewed commitment to putting the customer first.

If You Deliver, They’ll Talk

• If you go above and beyond for your customers, they will tell their friends.
• Referrals are single most effective (and cost-effective) marketing tactic.
• Company growth through referrals is organic, authentic and more permanent; will allow you to survive when things get hard
• By building referrals, you are building loyalty and passion for your business.

Happy Customers = Engaged Employees

• Focusing on the customer experience, instead of just sales will also help you to attract, hire, and retain top-performing employees.
• Nobody wants to work for a company that treats their customers bad.
• Passion for the customer gives employees a sense of purpose and empowerment.
• Encourage employees to look for ways to improve the customer experience.

FILED IN: Business Ethics, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Human Resources & Employment, Team Development, Management, Marketing, Operations