A series of brands, be it from technology, entertainment and film industry manage to deliver a great and lasting customer experience. Mike Wittenstein, customer experience specialist, who managed the customer experience for McDonald’s, IBM, Apple and Coca-Cola, speaks in an interview to Wall-Street what defines a good customer experience and how it can be achieved.
Wall-Street: What is your definition of the term "customer experience design"?
Mike Wittenstein: Customer experience has four definitions, depending on how you want to use it.
1. As a perspective customer experience includes what we do for our clients and their customers, rather than what we do to them. We should never let our company’s processes define our customer’s experience with us.
2. The emotions that come with a great customer experience is also a valid business outcome. Customers experience everything at once as a feeling. Customers do not usually see behind the scenes into business rules and processes.
3. Business Strategy is the third definition of customer experience. More than just an ideal future state we strive for, designing the customer experience can become the purpose for our business as well as the way we run it.
4. Customer experience is also a valuable kind of communication. When we share requirements of the ideal customer experience as a clear and detailed picture of the future, each department in the company can work independently, yet arrive at the outcome of a seamless experience for customers.
Wall-Street: What are the main differences between this concept and customer service?
Mike Wittenstein: Customer experience is what you do FOR customers to make their lives easier and to give them greater value. It is the tangible expression of your brand. It is your company’s DNA. It is why you wake up in the morning.
On the other hand,
