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Are You Keeping Up with Customer Expectations? Customers are different today! Their ever changing expectations continue to increase! 54% of customers have higher expectations for customer service today compared to one year ago! (https://www.customerthermometer.com/customer-service/customer-service-and-satisfaction-statistics-for-2020/) They have raised the bar on how they view customer experience. They are looking for service providers who consistently deliver service experiences that drive loyalty even in an environment of customer expectations that change at supersonic speed and during a pandemic! Everyone lives in a wired 24 x7 x365 world today where customers expect us to keep up with their needs and desires and to change our experiences as well as offerings to meet their rapidly changing demands. The downside of a vacation at the beach can be eating way too much seafood, especially if you happen to be a lover of delicious fare from the deep! A popular antidote to weight gain from beach banquets is to rent a bicycle for a long ride along the shore. Bicycle rental today is far different than yesteryear. The one size fits all approach has given way to wide customer choices. You want a bike with skinny tires and a seat that is not much wider, or do you want the fat tires with a seat a wide as a saddle? Would you like a ten speed or a one speed? How about accessories—a basket, a horn, a child carrier, or a bell? They even have versions with a small electric motor in case you get tired of peddling. Customers today expect service to be like nouveau bike rental—lots of choices, options and forms. Some want highly personalized service with treatment as cuddly as a Disney character at the theme park. Some want it fast, efficient without any bells and whistles decoration. But, the challenging part for service providers is this: they want you to know and remember their changing expectations. And, as their needs and wishes change, they expect you to have ways to keep their service customization in sync. It means having up-to-the-minute customer intelligence that is second to none. It means inventing tools that can quickly translate frontline wisdom about customers into alterations in how their service is delivered. And, it takes leaders who are as smart about ever-changing customer expectations as they are about changing interest rates or the changing whims of investors. Keep up with your customers’ expectations or you will only see their taillights as they peddle away to a competitor! Be certain to check out Chip’s recent article; Also Chip has a new book coming out in September! Stay tuned!
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