Comments on: The Customer Experience Road Less Traveled

By: Leveraging surplus, status and the gift economy – Chapter 5

Leveraging surplus, status and the gift economy – Chapter 5 — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:21:46 +0000

[...] – A debt structure that is positive. This speaks to exceeding expectations by giving extra. The idea of an equal exchange (market exchange) is a myth in marketing. You [...]

By: Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps — Thu, 26 May 2011 14:37:33 +0000

Thanks Kevin. Solid points about employee empowerment and the importance of not forcing it.
I look forward to checking out TheThinkingFlat.
Best,
Stan

By: The Thinking Flat

The Thinking Flat — Thu, 26 May 2011 14:10:00 +0000

Stan – agree with everything you’re getting at here, particularly your insight that you don’t treat everyone the same, but treat them fairly. Having staff who through talent, training and experience are able to nuance their treatment of customers is paramount. Many employers talk about ‘empowerment’ and ‘taking responsibility’ without really giving their staff the authority to make independent decisions based on their view of a particular situation and without recourse to senior management.

Real empowerment is a balance between authority and responsibility, and it is real empowerment that creates an environment whrein the management and staff can genuinely exeed a customer’s expectations.

I’m afraid that I don’t agree that there is a choice between meeting and exceeding; in fact, I think an over-the-top approach can cause customers (particularly in Europe) to become suspcious and suspect insincerity. Meeting expectations should be a benchmark and a minimum standard. The key lies in developing a team that can exceed expectations without really trying.

More on http://thethinkingflat.blogspot.com/ if you’re interested.

By: Marketing Lagniappe: Powered by the Gift Economy

Marketing Lagniappe: Powered by the Gift Economy — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 05:06:32 +0000

[...] Positive – A debt structure that is positive. This speaks to exceeding expectations by giving extra. The idea of an equal exchange (market exchange) is a myth in marketing. You [...]

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:18:50 +0000

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