Would you miss…

John Moore at Brand Autoposy has a number of posts about the customer experience. We have talked a little in this blog about the customer experience and what it means to our customers. Some of his posts are thought provoking. One example is his post titled Would you miss Chili's?

If Chili's went out of business tomorrow, would any of us care? Does Chili’s provide such a unique product and customer experience that we would be saddened if it didn’t exist? Does Chili’s treat its employees so astonishingly well that those workers would not be able to find another employer to treat them as well? Does Chili’s forge such unfailing emotional connections with its customers that they would fail to find another restaurant that could forge just as strong an emotional bond?

I asked my wife this question and her first response was, "Sure, I like Chili's.. I think they have very good food." Then I asked her when the last time we went to Chili's for a meal. Her response was, "Oh, I guess about six years or so." She conceded that Chili's really wasn't that important to her. People care about the experience... not about the product... not about the price. If the product is good or the price acceptable, then that can weigh heavily on the value of the experience. Develop an experience that makes a difference in your customers' lives and you will find that the attitude toward your business will change and your customers will spread the word for you. Develop an experience that will foster an emotional connection and you will be amazed and what happens next.

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Corey Smith is the Vice President of Innovation at Fisher's Document Systems where he maintains a blog on business and technology.