{"id":32039,"date":"2019-11-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/10-years-ago-customer-service-was-appreciated-today-its-expected\/"},"modified":"2024-03-12T01:16:37","modified_gmt":"2024-03-12T01:16:37","slug":"10-years-ago-customer-service-appreciated-today-expected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/customer-service\/10-years-ago-customer-service-appreciated-today-expected\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Years Ago, Customer Service Was Appreciated\u2014Today, It\u2019s Expected"},"content":{"rendered":"\"Customer<\/a>It wasn\u2019t that long ago that you would go to a store, dine at a restaurant, do business with a vendor or call a customer support center and notice how good the customer service was. A great service experience stood out. It was noticed. It was a differentiator.\r\n\r\nI started my speaking business in the 1980s. I know, I look much younger than I actually am, but it really was that long ago. Back then, the rock star company that was known for customer service was IBM. They recognized that if they created enough value beyond the actual product, that price would seem less important. That brings me to Lou Sterns, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Marketing at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.\r\n\r\nI had the chance to attend a weekend marketing program at Kellogg with Professor Stern. He shared a case study that I\u2019ve often thought about and even referenced in my articles<\/a> and videos<\/a>. IBM hired Professor Stern as a consultant when they were selling computers. As they were becoming more affordable\u2014yet still quite expensive by today\u2019s standards\u2014and more popular, the goal was to make price irrelevant, or at least less relevant. He listed 20 reasons why a customer would choose to buy an IBM computer. On the list were words like quality, reliability, fast response, quick repairs, capability and of course there was price. As customers were surveyed, they were asked to rank these 20 words based on how important they were to the decision of buying an IBM computer.\r\n

It’s not always<\/em> about the money.<\/h3>\r\nThe short story is that price didn\u2019t make it into the top ten. It was actually near the bottom of the list. That\u2019s how you know that your customer service and experience is appreciated\u2014when your customer feels the price is not nearly as important.\r\n\r\nLet\u2019s jump to today\u2019s competitive business world<\/a>. Customer service and CX are almost always in front of mind. People may still appreciate a good service experience, but it must be so good that it is noticed. That\u2019s because the bar has been raised. Yesterday\u2019s IBM has been replaced today by companies like Amazon, Apple, Nordstrom and other brands recognized for a stellar customer experience. As I often say, those brands set the bar higher for everyone. They create an expectation that when a customer goes into any other type of business, they will receive that same great service. Customer service is no longer a \u201cnice-to-have-it\u201d luxury. It\u2019s an \u201cexpected-to-have-it\u201d resource. When a customer gets it, they appreciate it. They show their appreciation by coming back.\r\n\r\nSo, how do you meet today\u2019s standards? There are two ways you can start.\r\n\r\nFirst, create a service experience that is consistently and predictably above average. By being just a little bit above average\u2014all the time\u2014customers will say, \u201cThey are amazing!\u201d By the way, it\u2019s the \u201call the time\u201d part that\u2019s hard.\r\n\r\nSecond, if you want to create a better service experience, look at your favorite companies to do business with. What do you like about them? More importantly, what do you love about them? Can you bring whatever that is to your own business? I bet you can. Figure that out, and you\u2019re on your way to a better customer service experience.\r\n
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