Companies pay lip service to "delighting customers" while simultaneously disappointing them at every opportunity. Turning customers into passionate fans is a cheap and incredibly powerful way to boost profits - but to do it, you have to see your business the way your customers do. You have to walk in your customers' shoes from the very moment they decide to try your product. Today, companies compete not just on what they offer but on every aspect of the customer experience. This shift requires a new way to manage: from the outside in. Forrester Research analysts Harley Manning and Kerry Bodine explain how to get your organization in tune with the real needs of your customers. Key lessons include: Customer experience is worth billions. Forrester's research shows it to be a strong predictor of three of the most common loyalty metrics used by businesses today: likelihood to make another purchase, likelihood to switch business to a competitor, and likelihood to recommend to a friend. A whole new paradigm. Customer experience is not just customer service. It spans the entire company, encompassing finance, legal, marketing, human resources, information technology, and product development. Decide on what your strategy isn't. Your company can deliver the white-glove treatment of a Ritz-Carlton, the no-frills experience of Sam's Club, or something else entirely. But it can't do everything. Companies struggle when they fail to narrow down their approach to customer experience. Surprising case studies. Companies as diverse as Comcast, Dunkin' Brands, Oracle, and USAA have brought a new sheriff to town: a single executive leading customer experience across a business unit or an entire company. These executives effect long-term, powerful transformations. Customer experience spells the difference between an angry support e-mail and a passionate new evangelist. Forrester's unmatched sources of insight and analytical tools put Manning and Bodine in a unique position to deliver definitive insight into a subject whose time has come.
