"The Road To Reality"

Earlier this week I came across this provocative article by Bob Hoffman on LinkedIn that immediately grabbed my attention with its blunt language and pragmatic ideas https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/road-reality-bob-hoffman/?trackingId=JybcLWSRCzRBG0zdLnLbhg%3D%3D. Check it out, it's full of ideas that will make you think twice.

I know it could be the confirmation bias talking, but I'm super happy to see other people sharing a perspective towards CX that I've been advancing for some time now. We have come to expect too much of people and for that matter - of ourselves, too. Tribes, and communities, and emotions, and memorable experiences, and delight; all that, and the kitchen sink! Is it really needed? Or more precisely, is it what people really want from us?

We are certainly right in saying that people want to get value out of our products and services - we only act if we consider that we'll be in a better position after the action, i.e. we expect positive return of all of our actions. Yet, I'm not so sure people want to be bombarded with immersive experiences and to get deeply involved in their purchases.

Sure thing, for some categories that is certainly what people want - there is a reason behind the fact that Disney World is often cited as an example for good customer experience..

But does this mean that we should all, all of sudden, become Disney?

Yes, in the coherence of the experience; yes, in the matching of all elements together; yes, in the consistency across touchpoints.

And most likely not in the content, nor in the kind of impact Disney is trying to create; nor in the value they deliver to customers.

I am thinking here about some of the companies I've had the pleasure and the responsibility to work with. Heidelberg Cement delivers, well, cement and concrete to companies. If I'm Heidelberg Cement, do I want to deliver an emotional customer experience? If I'm a Heidelberg Cement customer, do I really want to get an emotional experience?

Liberty Global is one of the major telco companies. Now, if I'm a customer of a telco, do I want a memorable experience with my broadband? What does this even mean? What I really want, and what we've seen in studies, is that people just want their internet connection to work!

And utilities - take water as an example. Do customers want empathy or do they want good clean water? If I give you a choice right now, which one do you chose? And again, what does empathy even mean in this context?

It's not that it's bad or wrong that we want to push ourselves and do more for our customers. Not at all! We just need to be mindful of the fact that often times customers just want to get the service or the product and move on. Uh, hello, people have lives to live! Perhaps the best customer experience advice ever is the slogan of Nike: Just Do It!

My best wishes for a great day ahead!