How to Outrun Evolving Customer Expectation

The continual journey.

All businesses are on a journey. A journey that is constantly changing, switching lanes and taking sharp turns. This is all part of the evolutionary process of improving and delivering better customer experiences.

But where on the roadmap are you? Some companies are the innovators, consistently ahead of the game, pioneering new ways of thinking and working. These are the companies that set the bar for others to reach, leaving everyone in its wake. These are the companies that acknowledge the need for change, listen to, and challenge, customer expectation. They set the standard for the rest to follow.

Leader or follower?

Some companies, on the other hand, are the followers. Those that plod along and follow the crowd. They try to maintain the status quo, and execute in the way its always been done. These are the businesses that are afraid of change. They are afraid to take risks, to shift perspectives, and to challenge others in the industry.  These companies will never outrun customer expectation, rather, they will meet it just as it changes, once again. These are the companies that are always two steps behind, that will soon fall out of the race all together.

The greatest businesses, the pioneers in their industry, the companies with legitimate longevity, are those that long ago recognised, and respectfully acknowledged, the empowerment of the customer. The customer of our era no longer likes simply to be absent-mindedly sold to. The customer of today expects products with substance, products to engage with. The customer experience is just as important as the idea and quality of the product itself. Indeed, it should not be seen as a separate entity, but part and parcel of the product itself.

Make the rules.

It is the businesses that understand these new standards, industry rules and expectations dictated by the customer, who are the ones that will enjoy sustained success. Remain relevant in our fast paced, digitally empowered, contemporary world. Don’t just respond to game changers. Listen, engage and innovate, and your company will evolve, not fall out.