Understanding the Gap

We are constantly inundated with "improving the customer experience" and frankly, it's overwhelming.  Some advice is extremely philosophical and others try to be more tactical.

I want us to back away from the mountain, walk away from the Soapbox and regroup around the reality of what the customer experience is..  

Customer Experience is really about managing the gap between the reality of today's experience and what our brand promise is.

There are 2 pieces we can move - the "experience today" and the "brand promise." As our marketing folks go through the 5 stages of loss, let's look at the Brand Promise quickly.

The Brand Promise is what your company should strive for. It's where we need to go all the time.  It needs to become a standard, where every customer would nod their head and give you a 10 out of 10 on that promise. It is key to understand, that as you start out, you have to hit this promise most of the time in order for it to be "promise-able."  Most of the time means that your score out of 10 is above a 6 (technically speaking of course).  

This of course means that your employees and customers know what your brand promise is.  If your employees don't know it, I'm sure there is an intern in your marketing department dieing to test out their freshly found skills and develop an internal brand communication plan.  This is a completely different post that one day I'm sure I'll get too.  

If your brand promise however, is significantly failing your employees and your customers, guess what?!?!  You can have a do over!  Please stop beating a dead horse because you have some magnets left in the chachkey cupboard. Maybe it doesn't need an overhaul just a refresh perhaps?  As always, easier said than done (denial is the first stage of loss).  How? is always the next question we get..

The Experience Today

How to get a good hold on your brand perception?  Your loyal customers hold the key.  Whether or not, you have tools in place to do so, listen to what your advocates are saying.  Calling them is the best.  People love to know that their opinion is valued.  As long as you are listening and being authentic. Understand why they love you so much.  This does a few really cool things that we can dive into again at a later date, but it pulls out some great nuggets you may never have thought of including!  It will be the launchpad for a great brainstorming session (which BTW, should include different departments, not just marketing).

So now after adjusting the goal posts you now should have a pretty good understanding of what "the gap" really is.

Follow me on this journey of gap closing advice.