The 10 Commandments of Customer Experience Management and Retention

hese commandments didn't come from the top of a mountain ... or from the hallowed halls of Harvard Business School ... or from the corner offices of Madison Avenue.

They come from an even more sacred source. They come from customers.

Customers don't generally live atop high sacred mountains, or attend Harvard Business School or occupy a corner office in a major Madison Avenue advertising agency.

Today's customers aren't living and behaving according to 1950 something standards ... even though many companies are still marketing to them as if they were.

That's why so many products and ad campaigns fail.

Here are some 21st Century truths about about Customer Experience Management and Customer Retention. Practice them and these truths will set you free!

The 10 Commandments For 21st Century Customers
1. It's all about the customer ... and they know it. Customers want a 100% satisfying experience every time they use your products or come in contact with your company. If customers don't experience it from you, they'll quickly turn elsewhere.

2. The customer always knows best. Always give them what they want ... not what you want ... or what you think research tells you they want ... or what the ad agency said worked for a former client like you. Even if customers don't know what they want, they certainly know what they don't want.

3. Know Your Customer. Understand their needs, likes, dislikes and expectations. Customers are not nameless, faceless entities. Listen to their feedback through measurable, real-time Voice of Customer programs and just by talking with them.

4. Get Customer Feedback and Act Quickly. The internet has given customers a forum where they can make you or break you. Customers want to give you their opinions and concerns. Make sure they tell you ... before they tell your competitor ... or the internet internet! Once you get their feedback, acknowledge it and act quickly.

5. Always Tell Customers The Truth. Customers can smell a lie a mile a way. If you lie, customers will sooner or later will find out the truth. If they don't, the media or somebody else will.. If you lie once, they'll never give you the chance to lie to them again.

6. Customer Service Is Only A Small Part of The Equation. Top quality service is a given. Customers expect a whole lot more ... like two way communication and feedback ... uniquely personalized experiences that provide them with 100% satisfaction 100% of the time ... easy to navigate web sites ... low prices ... free shipping ... and these are just for starters. Don't be lured into a false sense of security thinking you have great customer service and that's all you need to do.

7. Always under-promise and over-deliver. Customers have high expectations and don't like to be disappointed. One of the keys to maximizing customer experience is to continually exceed their expectations. As they say in show business, "always keep them coming back for more!"

8. Customers Always Have Choices and Options. They can always find other solutions, products and companies who are willing to give them what they need. Customers know that somewhere in the world exactly what they want exists, and all they have to do is go online to find it.

9. Always Maximize The Customer Experience. Today's customers don't settle or accept product shortcomings as easily as their parents and grandparents did. Customers expect maximum satisfaction from every product experience at every touch point they have with you.

10. Never Forget Rule Number One.