oston-located Bain & Company surveyed 362 businesses, of which 80 percent firmly believed they offered an outstanding experience to their customers. The firm then surveyed the customers of those 362 businesses and found that only 8 percent of customers believed they were receiving an outstanding experience. Talk about a dramatic wake-up call. Just because you think you offer an outstanding customer experience doesn’t mean you are.
The customer experience is the sum of all interactions a customer has with a company and its products or services, many of which are often overlooked. From the first mailer in the mail box to the simplicity of updating billing information, it all cumulatively affects your customers’ opinion of your business. And it is one of the major keys to success in the current residential market. Customer experience is a decision to “wow” your customers from start to finish. That “wow” factor, combined with understanding and offering the connected home, staying aware of your strengths (aka security), snapping up new technologies, connecting with builders, and staying nimble in a fast-moving market of behemoth competitors will help dealers maintain and grow their share of the residential market.