16 years ago Joseph Pine and James Gilmore wrote an incredibly insightful book called, The Experience Economy.  This book continues to be one of my favorite reference books. You might be thinking, "16 years ago isn't exactly current information and material to reference."  Well, think again because here's a timeless statement from the book, "If societies are to seek continued economic prosperity, they must stage experiences to add sufficient value to their economies to employ the masses (goods and services are no longer enough)." Creating memorable customer experiences must be a business discipline in all organizations who wish to survive and achieve successful longevity.

The driving message from The Experience Economy is the suggestion of creating better customer experiences by using your goods as props and your services as the stage. Companies that are staging experiences when they engage with their customers have a leg up.  Let me give you an example- I recently went to Universal Orlando to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  As I passed through the towering Hogwarts Castle gates, I had completely left Orlando, Florida.  Universal Orlando has created all the familiar passageways, corridors, and classrooms as if you were dropped right into one of the movie productions.  Watching the faces of the children as they explored their favorite movie and/or book come to life was priceless and memorable.  (There's that word again.)  I am pretty sure that some of you may be saying, "Not a great example, Jana.  Creating experiences is what Universal does; it's their business model."  Yes, it is, but this attraction is a driving force behind their success because it captures you in the experience.  How about this example- each of you go out and get a cup of coffee at the next gas station you pass, and then go get a cup of coffee from Starbucks or Barnies.  Was there a difference in your experience?

Creating memorable service is a choice. Ken Blanchard and Barbara Glanz wrote a darling book called The Simple Truths of Service.  This book was inspired by Johnny the Bagger. In many of our training classes we will show this short video and, like you (admit it), there is not a dry eye in the room.  But more importantly, the message of personalizing service is made clear.

There is good news- Forrester Research, Inc. just released their findings on The Customer Experience Index, 2014 where they surveyed customers from 175 large US firms in 14 industries, and the results showed improvements in the customer experience.  Most of the significant improvements came from industries that traditionally have performed poorly, such as health insurance, TV service, and wireless service. Brands like Southwest Airlines, Courtyard by Marriott, and USAA, who traditionally score well, made additional increases this year.  Although there were many factors that drove the higher scores, many of the brands improved their scores by repairing bad service experiences.  Pretty exciting, if you ask me!

Forrester recommends a 3 step process that anyone can use to influence the customer experience:

1. If your firm is new to Customer Experience (CX), implement a repair process. This means, identify your biggest issues, like, how easy is it to do business with your organization, are you meeting the needs of your customers, are you staging memorable experiences, in person, on the phone, as well as on paper/internet?
2. If your company's stuck in the repair phase, shift your focus to problem prevention. Once you identify your issues, there needs to be a clear understanding of the impact these issues have on your customers before you can prevent the problem.
3. If your firm already has a disciplined approach to CX, pick up the pace. As mentioned above, there is new found focus on the service impact to the customer. Continue to research what tools you can provide to your employees to keep them delivering positive memorable experiences to your customers.

One last point about service, as said so perfectly by Barbara Glanz, "Great customer service has to come from the inside out. You cannot mandate it. You can't threaten, reward, or coerce people to care. You can only awaken the desire and then give them the permission and encouragement to make it come alive in their work."  Now it's your turn to make experiences come alive!