“Engineering” Memorable Customer Experiences with Lou Carbone, the OG of Experience Engineering

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This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:

1. How does emotional impact influence customer loyalty? 
2. Why is distinctive value vital for exceptional customer service? 
3. What effects do sensory details have on memorable experiences? 
4. How can integrating technology improve customer experiences? 
5. How can businesses engineer repeat customer experiences? 

Top Takeaways:

• The power of a great experience is that the magic doesn’t end when the moment does. The emotional imprint that a great experience creates is what keeps customers coming back. It can influence the way customers feel about a brand even years later.  

• Magic lies in the details. Purposeful, repetitive clues create emotional resonance that emotionally bonds customers to a brand. Carefully embedded signals are like “pixie dust” (think Disney) that trigger unconscious perceptions, shape how people value a brand, and build a strong brand ethos that customers want to be part of. 

• Distinctive value means being irreplaceable. It is when a company delivers experiences that are so emotionally resonant that customers cannot imagine living without them. It goes beyond simply solving problems or meeting expectations. Some organizations create deep, memorable connections that feel essential to customers’ lives. 

• Trust grows when experiences are predictable and consistent. When customers know what to expect and consistently get it, they feel safe and comfortable with a brand. Consistency should be embedded into every part of a customer’s journey. 

• Many organizations approach customer experience by reacting to problems instead of proactively engineering experiences that deliver emotionally impactful value. Companies that stand out are those that design experiences with intention. 

• Plus, Lou shares insights from Disney and his book, Clued In: How to Keep Customers Coming Back Again and Again. Tune in! 

Quotes:

“The currency of experiences is memories which are unconscious and are imprinted emotionally.” 

“You need arrogance in pricing when you have something that no one else has. When you have something so distinctive that it creates emotional resonance and unconscious perception of clues that are embedded in an experience.” 

“False advertising happens when the advertising is better than the experience itself. Advertising should lead to an experience, not oversell it.” 

About:

Lou Carbone is the Founder and Chief Experience Officer of Experience Engineering®, Inc., recognized globally as a pioneer and leading innovator in experience management since the late 1980s. He is a best-selling author of Clued In – How to Keep Customers Coming Back Again and Again. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.