Have you ever felt overwhelmed with the communication choices you are faced with each day? Do you anguish over how to get more likes on social media or more positive reviews on rating websites? The options for engaging online just keep coming.

Behold the latest news—Facebook has introduced yet another choice into the mix; chatbots are heralded to expand the engagement between users and businesses on the Facebook Messenger Platform.

You get the picture.

The shear range of alternatives can be maddening. Maybe its time to buck the trend. While I don’t recommend ignoring the realities of paid and social media or turning a blind eye to the latest and greatest customer engagement technology, perhaps the time has come for us to shift some of our attention and investment to a different kind of engagement. So let me repeat, I am not saying ditch digital. I do believe it can be a valuable tool in facilitating relationships, but it can’t replace the power of human interaction. Remember, your brand and reputation ultimately lie in the experiences you and your team create for your customers—the human connection being the strongest.

I am sure some wise person once advised us to control what we can control. Most sources estimate that the cost of acquiring customers is 4-10 times more than the cost to retain the person who has already chosen to do business with you. Retention of customers is all about delivering. Wowing the customer. Creating relationships. Remember, while you may not be in control of everything that happens on-line, you and your team are in control of the personal interactions you have with your customers. So, take advantage of this power. Engage, challenge and empower your employees to deliver impressive, amazing experiences for those who have already chosen to do business with you. Focus on what you can control, and you may find what your customer thinks and says about your organization takes care of itself. Here are six principles and some questions to ponder that will help you take your customer experience to the next level.
 

1. Identity anchors performance. Do your employees understand the core identity of your organization—who are you, what do you stand for, what value do you deliver to your customers, and what makes you different and unique?
2. People will own what they have helped create. Have you engaged your employees in contributing ideas for creating experiences with the customers that aligns with your core identity? In other words, are you walking your talk?
3. People tend to believe what they see. Take a moment and look at your physical space through the eyes of your customers. Does it represent who you are?
4. Measure what matters. How do you know if you are “wowing” your customers?
5. Reward what you want to see. Do you recognize and reward your team for customer service excellence?
6. Challenge mediocrity. Are you thinking big enough? Have you and your team set bodacious customer experience goals that you all will be proud of reaching?