Customer Experience: More Than a Cookie and a Smile

by Paul Cardis
What do wildly successful industry disruptors like Amazon, Starbucks, Tesla, and Apple have in common? They’re all built on a cornerstone of providing an exceptional customer experience. Customer experience, or CX, is all the rage in today’s corporate world, and for good reason. Without it you’re simply providing a product or service, which won’t be enough to excite today’s experience-hungry consumer.
What people fail to understand is that good CX does not have to be “perfect” CX. In fact, I can think of many examples of companies who have made mistakes or failed their customers in some way but still have a strong CX, which is enough to overcome their shortcomings. The key is the total amount of CX you offer, not whether or not it’s perfect.
For example, have you ever had to wait in line for a Starbucks coffee? I certainly have. In fact, every time I pass a Starbucks, whether it be near my office or at the airport, there’s a line at the drive-through or inside the store. Long lines are a major imperfection of this great company, but consumers overlook this flaw and continue to spend more and more money on their overpriced — but worth it — morning coffee. Now, Starbucks didn’t invent coffee or coffee shops, but they did revolutionize CX around coffee, creating massive wealth in the process.
Thinking about CX in other industries has led me to reflect on CX in the homebuilding industry. Why is it that homebuyers become incredibly upset when we inform them of a delay or let them know that something was installed incorrectly?  Why don’t homebuilders get the same level of forgiveness and tolerance that coffee drinkers around the world extend to Starbucks?
The answer? Our industry’s overall lack of CX. Without a doubt, a renewed focus on CX could carry the homebuying experience to a new level: a level that’s impervious to smaller imperfections. As an industry, we’re not there yet — but here at Avid, we’re working to provide our customers with insights that will help them reshape their CX and grow their business.
I’d like to invite you to contact our wonderful Client Success Managers at clientservices@avidratings.com to ask for a complimentary webinar on CX. Our team will schedule a time to share best practices that will ultimately strengthen your business.
Go forward,
Paul