The cost of an Uncommon Experience

This is not a discussion about hunting optics, but it does hover around repeated service experiences I cannot forget. The dialogue here is about the loyalty this organization has earned by living a credo, I didn't understand until I saw it woven into their foundational fabric while visiting their facility. Though the end result of this share is going to be free positive publicity, I am happy to share based on promoting the lost art of real service as a value add.

I am an avid outdoorsman, about 10 years ago I upgraded my optics. I was looking for three key attributes quality, reliability, and cost. Of the 100 or more optic companies I narrowed in on 3. At this time Vortex Optic was known to me but my opinion was: of the three they were 3rd in quality. I have since changed my opinion. For the purpose of this share it’s important to understand my perspective at the time. I ended up buying a new pair of Vortex Viper 10x42. I made this decision based on the unwavering advocation of the retailer that Vortex was what I was looking for, based on how they ran their business. I bought what he was selling.

He was right, so much more than I could have ever known. Vortex promotes themselves well, markets really well, they have a great product they passionately stand behind and by all measures visible from the outside, standalone within their Industry. In other industries there are many companies that can claim the same however, never have I experienced what Vortex provides. So, what makes them different?

Vortex has seemingly built their company on providing what I would have previously called an extreme customer centric service culture and a solid product. Those two key components were enough for me to standardize my purchasing on Vortex. However, what I experienced after that decision has me questioning how I lead and what the most important part of business development is.

The interactions I have had with numerous staff at Vortex has me nearly a fanboy, I was driving near their corporate headquarters in Barneveld Wis. and absolutely could not pass up the opportunity to stop by. What I experienced when entered Vortex Optic headquarters had a head scratching impact on my thoughts as a business leader.

As I entered the building, I was engaged as a peer, and a guest. I was introduced to some experts and was given the focus and attention that a friend would get as a guest in my house. Every question answered, every opportunity was given for me to share my experience, passion, and lore as if the only important thing going on in that portion of the building was me. One of the experts got up from his cube to come support the interaction and I couldn't help but see a sign by his phone that said, create an uncommon experience. That was it! Vortex created an uncommon customer experience. That simple statement was at the heart of my loyalty and excitement about the brand.

Enter all of the business ideologies I've been exposed to. As a sales leader I am perpetually focused on top line growth. Thinking and workshopping unique ways to influence buying decisions and align our business with high close rate opportunity etc. In most cases any objection to unique approaches comes down to cost/risk/reward. We are always attentive to margin, overhead, erosion, in all of the varying capacities. Vortex has done something unique. They have built a massive business in a highly competitive retail environment with the main differentiator being a culture. A culture of intentionality behind creating an uncommon experience. Surely there overhead is higher than most,given there focus on the customer, I cannot imagine the margins are high or above industry averages, the high-quality vs price point would suggest they sacrifice margin to stay competitive. So how is it possible?

I would love to see a case study on Vortex in Forbes or whomever because from the outside it seems like they have a wildly successful business model that flies in the face of typically run businesses. I would submit that Vortex has locked in on a lost art of the uncommon customer experience. I have worked or been exposed to a few companies that have customer experience officers or departments whose focus is experience, inevitably the customer experience is second to margin performance. The companies I have exposure to set out on a seemingly quarterly customer experience journey and abandon/freeze it with the first report showing the cost to the bottom line. Service is too often relegated to meeting the customers expectation in the most efficient way possible, today if you leave the customer satisfied a positive response is yielded with surveys and word of mouth, which is good. The question does exist are we after good, or are we after uncommonly great.

The tragedy here is the missed what if: What if we recognized the cost of an uncommon experience seen through and how it affects our top line. What if our businesses left our customers with a fervor and excitement to call or buy? What if we cultivated customer loyalty that multiplied our top end by 300%? If we looked at the cost of an uncommon experience through the lifecycle of our business rather than profit impacts of a quarter, what then could be?

I believe this is what has set Vortex apart. The uncommon customer experience is a non-negotiable, it’s a critical part of the very foundations of the business and is woven into every fabric of its existence. I have intentionally left out most of the "what" behind Vortex Optics approach to the uncommon experiance, thats for you to experiance for your self. Additionally I hold the conviction that its up to us as business leaders to identify the what behind creating that magical culture.

I do not yet have experience to proselytize the workability of this approach in my home industry of life safety, but because of my experiences with Vortex I will be analyzing the cost and worthiness of this approach in every circumstance I can.

I am now a lifelong customer.

Vortex Optics