The customer loyalty/customer experience conundrum | RetailCustomerExperience.com

The customer loyalty/customer experience conundrum | RetailCustomerExperience.com

"Every experience, every customer touch and interaction is an opportunity to deliver on the company's value proposition and reinforce the relationship, and a risk of failing to deliver on customer expectations and weakening the glue of the relationship. Experiences matter because they affect and are part of the gestalt of the customer relationship. But the experience is not the same as the relationship, and loyalty is more than the sum of the customer's experiences."

Nice article, and a very important area to consider.  In today's market no relationship is safe forever.  We have been witnessing companies, relationships and future opportunities whirl around more than a Friday night margarita machine.

It's good practice that if you care, tell someone that you love 'em!  Well, the same goes for the workplace and companies.  Tell 'em and show 'em that your relationship is very special and appreciated.  Tell 'em a LOT.  Try for nearly every time.  Each transaction is special and is worth a full measure of effort.

As a company, we have been taken for granted or ignored or forgotten at times, and it bothers how we feel and react because our company is made up of humans.  That's what you have when you deal with humans!  Companies that get it and act upon that knowledge are at an advantage.

One vendor of ours sends us a package every few months or so.  It's a Box of Love - my term, not theirs.  They call it a Fun Box, and it has little chotskies and toys, maybe a 'gimme-cap' and usually some product info.  The latest one came with color photos of us at their vendor meeting, pasted on the outside with balloon captions from our staff.  Now, this company also 'busts their hump' for us without question or reservation each time we call upon them.  Does the Box of Love really make a difference?  Yep, it's a part of their entire package of being a vendor with personality and caring about their relationships.