The ultimate customer experience. What is that and how do you achieve it?

Is the Ultimate customer experience a 9+ customer experience?

A 9+ customer experience represents the customer experience that a customer rates as 9+. How often do you rate being a customer at a particular organisation with a 9+? Rarely, I suspect. Therefore, a 9+ customer experience symbolises a unique experience.

Stand out for a long time with the ultimate customer experience

Companies where you have been a customer for years, are you a customer there because they are the cheapest? Probably not. You have probably been a customer there for years because they serve you well, they know you or you trust them. The same goes for companies you sign up with as a new customer. Do you choose the one with the lowest price or do you choose the one where you had a pleasant conversation and where you felt they are there for you. Probably for the latter. A better customer experience will make your customers stay customers longer and you will get more customers.

How to achieve the ultimate customer experience

On paper, it is very simple: ask your customer what they want and arrange it. In practice, things are a little different. Business processes are often set up for the internal organisation. This means that the process is not set up to meet your customer's wants and needs. An ultimate customer experience does start with looking at business processes through your customer's eyes. You then start with what the result of a process should be and then design your process accordingly. The result is often stunning. Did you know that an ultimate customer experience is often many times cheaper than a poor customer experience? Besides, it doesn't have to be nearly as difficult as it seems. Start with the basics: do you know exactly what your customers expect from you? Do you know how you meet these expectations?

The role of customer service in the ultimate customer experience

As a customer service company, we naturally say: The role of customer service in the ultimate customer experience is crucial. Is a bit of an exaggeration perhaps but fundamentally, for many companies, customer service is a make or break for your customer experience. There is no such thing as a 9+ customer experience with mediocre customer service. Neither does an ultimate customer experience with poor customer service.

It's a bit like this: Whole good customer service does not yet provide the ultimate customer experience. But without good customer service, there will never be an ultimate customer experience. Good customer service is a prerequisite for that 9+ customer experience!

Do you need to pursue the ultimate customer experience?

This is a tricky one. Most companies have trouble enough making decisions at all in the interest of the customer and not in the interest of, say, shareholders. Yet you should pursue that ultimate customer experience. If only to constantly look at how customers experience your service and improve it on an ongoing basis.