How’s the Chiropractic Patient Experience at your office?
For Big Business, there is one thing that is surpassing all other marketing efforts and that is the customer experience. Major firms are investing millions into “Big Data”, developing software and technology to quantify, track, and manage the customer experience in a bid to increase customer satisfaction, loyalty, and of course, the bottom line.
From Apple to Amazon to Zappos to the Ritz Carlton, large companies are turning away from traditional customer service models and using cutting edge technology to ensure every customer interaction is managed down to the smallest detail. Just look at how four of the biggest names at the forefront of customer experience have changed the landscape of customer interactions forever.
From the very beginning, Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos, focused on the customer first saying, “We start with the customer needs and work backwards.” Amazon’s technology allows them to capture huge amounts of data on every customer interaction, letting them anticipate real-time customer needs, like with their “Frequently Bought Together” and “You Might Also Like” sections. The information they capture also helps Amazon respond to changing customer needs and innovate to stay ahead of the competition.
One of the first pioneers of the customer experience, Apple has broken down each customer interaction into 5 steps. Each step must be completed by a staff member to create a successful customer experience and achieve their goal of “a customer for life”. This customer-centric focus has made Apple the most profitable retailer, with the highest revenue per square foot of retail space, on the planet.
Ritz-Carlton is another major company who has broken down the steps of each process they use to create a perfect guest experience. From their 3 steps of service required for every interaction with a guest to the over 30 steps housekeepers must complete just to make the bed, staff members know exactly how many tasks are necessary to achieve Ritz-Carlton perfection. And, not to be left out of the Big Data drive, every Ritz-Carlton employee is trained to use a database that keeps track of guest preferences from favorite drinks to bedtime snacks, allowing them to completely customize every guest experience.
Even before their acquisition by Amazon, Zappos founder, Tony Hsieh, literally wrote the book on managing the customer experience. Zappos uses technology to track customer behavior, personalize each experience, and create the “Wow factor” the company is known for.
Using Big Data, all four of these companies are applying and adapting to customer feedback. From improving their products and services and finding new opportunities for growth, to personalizing the customer experience, large companies are leveraging technology to capture market share and increase revenue. The question we have to ask ourselves is, with this push by Big Business to manage and improve the customer experience through technology, are small businesses being left behind, unable to compete?
