There is a great book out there called "The Experience Economy" which drives home how patients, (i.e. consumers) buy, shop and choose where they are going to invest their time and money. A quick summary of the book could read like this, "Experiences are as different from services, as services are from goods."
If you read it backwards you will have the history of consumerism. Thirty years ago we all were making decisions based on the quality and availability of goods. Then, when that became the standard, business and industry looked to changing service levels and quality of those services as a competitive advantage. Today, consumers expect high quality goods and services but with a new twist: experiences. What is the experience like when you buy these goods and services? When your patient/customer is gathering with friends or family or out for a cup of coffee, the stories they tell about their experiences with your business will, ultimately, become your brand.
What are you doing to manage and create those customer interactions so that your brand is exactly what you intend it to be?
Next week, keynoting in South Carolina at a regional educational conference to address this very topic with a professional doctors' group. Take care, thanks for reading and let me know what you think!
Michael
Well Michael, your passion for building customer experience, while developing a "memorable brand image" is riteous among the few, the proud, the knowledgable!
ReplyDeleteIt's all about the people, the team, the leaders, one and all! Keep up the passion and great work. People are the stories... peaple make up the stories. One example and I'm outta here, partner: 10 months ago, My and I went to dinner at Carrabba's Italian. It was pouring rain. Before we could open the car door for the wet, mad dash, a Carrabba's "team leader" {my term} arrived car-side with an oversized umbrella for our convenience! My told that story at a small dinner party last night. The other guests were shocked and 1 person said " I haven't been there in a long time. I son't know why. Honey, let's go to Carrabba's in the next few weeks?" Now, this example certainly demonstrates the truth in telling a great story... a company MUST have a series of systems with process and bullet points of impression every step within the process... and amazing pride-driven people to create the unforgettable, or outta-the-box experiences, for sure.