Risk & Business Magazine California Risk & Business Magazine Summer 2017 | Page 10

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
BY: JOHN DIJULIUS
PRESIDENT, THE DIJULIUS GROUP
Customer Service Vs. Customer Experience
Knowing The Difference
T
hink about the last time you
were running through an
airport, headed to the gate to
catch a plane. You stopped at
the store to grab a magazine,
snack and water. The cashier said hello,
scanned the items you were purchasing,
told you the amount you owed, took your
payment, put your items in a bag, gave you
your receipt and thanked you. Was it bad?
Not at all, it was a typical transaction that
would repeat itself at 99.9% of stores you
visited. Was it a memorable experience?
No, that purchase will never cross your
mind again.
So how do you know if you received an
‘Experience’ or just a ‘Service’? How do you
know if you have delivered an ‘Experience’
or just a ‘Service’. People use these words
interchangeably. Is Customer Service the
same as Customer Experience from an
interactional standpoint? That is what this
article will define: What’s the difference
between someone providing a ‘Service’
versus an ‘Experience’? Let’s break them
down and see.
WHAT WORDS & ACTIONS COME TO
MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF ‘SERVICE’?
Service is delivering the product or service
as requested. We expect it to be on time,
accurate, professional, as promised. It
is reacting to a Customer’s request. It
must be delivered, not optional; it is
what the Customer is paying for, and the
10
bare minimum. A service by itself is not
unique; every one else is doing it, which
makes it a commodity. A service is not
memorable unless parts are done wrong or
omitted. It is a transaction, unmemorable.
The moment the ‘Service’ is complete, the
Customer will never think about it again.
WHAT COMES