Be obsessed
A few weeks ago, I was cutting some videos to be used in an automated response system for customers who completed an online survey, grading us on their experience (1-5 stars). We did three videos, all tailored to how the customer said their experience was and then asking for additional feedback. I must admit, I didn’t enjoy the humble apology ones to be used when someone doesn’t have a great experience. That said, those are probably the most important, and reestablishing trust and listening to their feedback is essential. Without it, we only focus on what we perceive or hope their experience to be, not actual truth.
One of the principles Amazon preaches is to obsess over customers. In a letter to shareholders in 1998, Jeff Bezos wrote, “I constantly remind our employees to be afraid, to wake up every morning terrified. Not of our competition, but of our customers. Our customers have made our business what it is.”
Be constantly worried if you are delivering an experience your customer wants.
A few years later in a 2008 letter, he wrote: “Working backwards from customer needs often demand that we acquire new competencies and exercise new muscles, never mind how uncomfortable and awkward-feeling those first steps might be”
Customer desire evolves, we must also.
To become a customer-obsessed team, you must start by asking yourself some important questions:
These are questions Amazon always asks:
- Who is your customer?
- What is the customer opportunity or problem they are trying to solve?
- What is the single most important customer benefit?
- How do you know what the customer needs?
- What does the customer experience look like?
The first question is often most important. Know who your customer is.
Constantly be thinking about your customer’s experience. Ask questions about what they TRULY want. Find out if their experience is one they would pay to repeat. Take bold steps towards constant alignment between their desire and your delivery.
Be obsessed!