The customer experience has fascinated me since I studied marketing in college. One might even say I’m obsessed with it.
Last week I was having dinner in the hotel restaurant. When my meal was served the waiter quickly turned away. Just a moment later I noticed there was no pepper on my table like all of the others.
This got me thinking: Why?
A simple checklist would take care of that. Better yet is training the service staff to notice the eyes of patrons that may need assistance, and asking them if there is anything else they need with their meal.
Yes, I’m sure I’ve heard that question before!

The Underdog Cares Enough to Care

We need to start understanding the world from the customers’ perspective. Empathy is vital for winning the hearts and minds of customers today, and actually, there are proven practices for making that happen.
If you are not thinking about what should be happening next at every single touchpoint throughout the customer experience, it will be average at best.
In this connected economy, I truly believe average is the new failure. If you don’t care enough to care, your business is destined to fail.
Creating amazing customer experiences requires discipline and consistency, but there is a secret. Just letting your customers know that you are trying to create an exceptional experience is often enough to win them over.
Nobody’s perfect. That’s why, despite his or her imperfections, we admire and support the underdog that tries harder to win.
Guess what? Like so many other small businesses, you and I are the underdogs.
Now go and do something about it.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the customer experience? Meet me over on Twitter to take the conversation further.

About the Author:  Jeff Korhan, MBA, is the author of Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business and host of This Old New Business podcast.
He helps organizations use media to create exceptional customer experiences that drive business growth in a digital, social and global world. Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+