One thing that frustrates we all is uncertainty and unpredictability. Even when we would like a new adventure and discovering new things, we still enjoy finding out after that happen next. It’s just how most of us are meant.
When were exposed to uncertainty regularly, our anxiety climbs up, our stress comes up, and that we seek a way to avoid this continuing. If you think on this in terms of your prospects, it is not a good thing. If your clients are assigned uncertainties and confusion regularly, everybody get anxious, frustrated, and finally leave to locate somewhere it doesn’t cause this to take place.
I refer to this as “Random Acts of Excellence and Chaos.” It’s where your customer experience is unpredictable every day, one individual to another, so that it causes your clients to be anxious… and ultimately leave.
I happened to become traveling to southern California a few months ago and had the “opportunity” to enter Macy’s in Costa Mesa CA, near Newport Beach. I usually dread commencing Macy’s for just a variety of reasons, many of which I’m sure a number of you have experienced. One of which is there is no one around to assist you if you need some guidance therefore it is like shopping on-line, only you have a store. AFter wandering around for any while, you what you’re looking for, determine if you like it (without asking inquiries), after which go try to find a checkout line to fund it. Sound familiar?
However, now full demonstrated the technique of “Random Acts of Excellence and Chaos” perfectly. This visit was different. I visited the mall with my significant other since she was looking for just a “mother with the bride” dress for the daughters upcoming wedding. While she was shopping, I chose to wander about the mall as it is often a very “high-end” mall that caters to an incredibly distinct class of customer. These weren’t the normal stores within your typical mall… this mall had stores like Bloomingdales, Sax Fifth Avenue, Dior, each other high-end luxury store you can imagine… many of which I have never been aware of before. I always know I’m within the wrong place whenever you walk by stores for you are 20 purses filling a complete store and guards inside the front with the store door to invite you. These stores obviously have a hefty price for their goods.
But as I wandered around looking for any coffee shop to get an Americano while I was waiting for my spouse to finish her shopping (or looking), I spotted a sign for just a Starbucks. Interestingly enough, that it was located on the top floor from the Macy’s store… a weird location from my perspective. So I took the escalators up three floors up and grabbed my coffee.
Since I is at Macy’s, I thought I would investigate one thing I have bought in them in recent times… Tommy Bahama clothes. They are one with the stores that carry a few and often times have sales on a number of their clothing. I love Tommy Bahama quality and fit so I usually take them into consideration if I happen to become in a Macy’s store. While continuing to fall the escalator I spotted several employees (rare find) stocking a rack so I went up and asked them should they could direct me to your men’s section, specifically the Tommy Bahama section. One in the two ladies for example was very friendly and seemed quite happy to help me out. She explained that during this mall, Macy’s actually had 3 stores… a women’s, men’s, and home goods store. All I could contemplate was just how much merchandise this need to be for them to inventory. She informed me the men’s store wasn’t in this particular store and was about the mall some distance.
Here’s the location where the “unusual for Macy’s” event happened. She accessible to take me down on the men’s store and asked follow her so she could show me the place that the store was located. What?!? A Macy’s employee actually attempting to help me out in somehow… this became totally unexpected from my past experiences. This was definitely a “Random Act of Excellence.” I followed her around the mall and she laughed and said all about the different stores, the layout in the mall, why they did things in this way, and provided information during our walk. She was incredibly friendly along our walk, not feeling like my questions were putting her out by any means. When we got close towards the store, I shared with her I could manage the rest of how and thanked for taking the time that helped me to out. She stated it wasn’t problems and was pleased to do it.
I such as shock… where was I? Was I dreaming or did this just happen? This was definitely a “Random Act of Excellence.” Something that was well out in the norm of the I have experienced at Macy’s within the past, which has been usually a “consistent act of chaos.” This was an “exceptional customer experience” and something that I wouldn’t forget… of course, I’m making the effort to share it along.
But herein lies the matter with “Random Acts of Excellence.” She raised the bar in my opinion… she showed me that your Macy’s employee could actually deliver an entirely awesome customer experience. I was capable of experience an excellent customer experience from your company I have always recognized to deliver a “sub-standard” customer experience. I’m confused… is this fact truly a “random act” or possibly is this a whole new way they actually business?
Unfortunately, this can be the problem with “random acts of excellence”… they’re inconsistent. I received this awesome experience this day and tomorrow I get a “sub-standard act of chaos.” This creates “customer confusion” which ultimately results in customer “defection” along with the customer choosing additional options.
While it may seem this is great someone stood up and acted differently, this task works from the organization. It creates uncertainty and confusion inside the mind with the customer because description of how the don’t know what to anticipate. This is customer anxiety. While the alternative is always to consistently deliver a mediocre experience, at the least the customer knows what you should expect and doesn’t expect anything different. And if their next experience is sub-standard, it really is illuminated more than it was from the past… because now I’ve seen a “random act of excellence.”
This is a wonderful time to carry out some analysis of your company. Are you delivering “random acts of excellence” or “random acts of chaos” today? This is very common in many organizations… there is certainly probably someone around trying their very best to deliver a wonderful experience it doesn’t fit the traditional experience most from the other personnel are delivering. If the norm should be to deliver an even more mediocre or average customer experience then you’re creating customer confusion which ultimately leads on the customer leaving. What’s happening is likely to organization? Now is a wonderful time to perform a little analysis to determine for yourself and earn the necessary course corrections.
While it might seem this is great to have employee or two acting using this method, this task works against your company as it is often creating uncertainty and confusion as part of your customer. The obvious (and absolutely best) solution is always to create detailed Customer Experience Maps connected with an awesome experience and also have all of them delivering a wonderful experience. Unfortunately, this does not “just happen” as you simply educate your employees to get friendlier and enjoy this, it’s… never works. They might try to try and do it for just a day or two, however they settle back in their old (and cozy) average options for treating the client.
Hopefully you will see why it truly is much easier to provide an average or mediocre experience than it is usually to raise the bar and deliver an excellent experience. If it wasn’t difficult, everyone would do it and that we all know it’s not the case… just go to your Macy’s store and you should see mediocrity face-to-face. To raise the bar being a Zappos or Southwest Air or Disneyland, or perhaps the Ritz Carlton, or possibly a host of other individuals, it will require a significant commitment in the top person and also a relentless hunt for making this happen.
When a corporation commits to repeating this day in and outing, that is one in the elements which helps them be CUSTOMER OBSESSED.
Customer Obsessed organizations are aimed at delivering this “exceptional experience” 24/7, not randomly. It is that are part of their culture, their strategy, their Vision, their Mission, as well as their Values. It runs through their blood… or as I refer to it, it really is the DNA on the organization.