A Wren Says

There is something that we get wrong when think about creating excellent customer experiences. It’s that we think it’s the same thing as service. Daniel Langer has this to say, reflecting on the state of luxury today:

This is where many brands confuse service with experience. Service is about performing tasks well. Experience is about creating emotional memory. A beautiful store, a polite greeting, a glass of champagne, or a smooth transaction are expected. They do not create distinction on their own. The strongest brands know precisely what clients should feel, how those feelings should be created, and how every touchpoint should reinforce the brand’s story.

We are under the impression that excellent customer service is what will set us apart. But essentially, you have to do things that everyone does. You have to present your products. You have to process payments. You have to deliver the items or service. Those things are relatively similar. And at this point in the game, people expect champagne with their shopping experiences with luxury houses. There is a baseline that you have to meet. That doesn’t make you special. It just means you’re playing the game.

Where you will win is in knowing your customers well. It is in understanding their needs at a deeper level. It is on delivering in the small and unexpected ways. It won’t be in looking more luxurious. It will be in how you tailor the experience, in small ways, too.

It is in the noticing and the intentionality. Those are the keys.

What could you learn about your customers so that you can deliver an excellent experience?