Price Wars vs. Experience Wars
Competing in Price Wars vs. Experience Wars
Compare these two headlines: Dunkin’ Donuts Ramping Up Discounts To Bring In Customers vs. Howard Schultz to Focus on Higher-End Shops. The two biggest coffee chains taking two very different strategies. Dunkin’ Donuts is forced to compete in price wars while the Starbucks is competing in Experience wars.
Dunkin’ Donuts, who finally dropped the “Donuts” part of their name (about fifteen years too late), due to declining sales and declining Customer traffic, is increasing the number of discounts in hopes to lure Customers back. Starbucks is opening up more of their high end Reserve Roastery brand offering a $12 cup of coffee. Is there a market for $12 coffee? That’s what people said in the early 80’s about a $4 cup of coffee. What do you get for $12? An Experience. Something Starbucks knows very well.
*Related – Starbucks Making Price Irrelevant
Invisible Service Providers
I read an interesting blog titled The Outsized Impact of Invisible Service Providers by Jeff Toister. An invisible service provider is someone at your company that plays an extremely valuable roll in your Customer Experience, but rarely if ever comes in contact with your Customer. They do not get the attention or credit they deserve and if you ask them to identify their Customers, typically they will tell you they don’t have any. Nearly every business has invisible service providers, from housekeeping, maintenance, dishwashers, shipping, warehouse, to home office staff.
It is critical that every business recognizes the critical role the invisible service providers play in your Customer Experience. They can make or break it. Their importance needs to be built into your Customer Experience journey and everyone in the company needs to be made aware of their significance.
*Related – Who Really Is Your Customer?
Recommended Video Clip To Share With Your Team
Watch this 90-second video on how the 3-2-1 system is a way to stay in touch with existing Customers in a non-soliciting way, which will keep you top-of-mind.
Big Announcement Coming February 28 about the Secret Service Summit!
Raise the Bar
Companies like Apple, Nordstrom and Chick-fil-A raise the bar continuously because of their well-desiged cultures that have been developed, lead and managed by customer experience visionaries.
Contact Claudia at claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com to learn more!
