I walked into a crowded Apple Store and very casually told an attendant in blue that I would like to upgrade my phone. "For sure. Which one would you like? Black or white?" And within 15 minutes, I walked out of that store with my new mobile device. The experience was surreal in a time when buying anything can be such a major hassle. I never moved from my original spot at the end of the Genius Bar. An associate moved about me, getting all the necessities out of the way. I signed a new contract using my finger on a touchpad, he swiped my debit card through a device that was attached to a modified iPhone. It was easy as cake, a piece of pie.


I left satisfied, not wondering if I had made the right choice, no inkling of buyer's remorse. Every shopping experience should leave you with that same feeling. Every single time you make a purchase, you should feel confident in your purchase and the support provided. For when this occurs, loyal customers are created. There are many organizations out there that get it right. There are far more that get it wrong.


Business owners can look around and clearly see examples, big and small, of what is ideal. And it isn't a matter of the customer is always right. It is a matter of doing right by the customer. Often, what a customer wants isn't in their long-run best interest. Often, a customer just wants the status quo, change and product evolution can be difficult. It reminds me of those facebook users who are adamant and scream, "Bring the old facebook back!" Not gonna happen folks. The developers at facebook consistently drive innovation and change. They know what they are doing. For now. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for companies like Apple, like facebook, like Microsoft, like Twitter. And subsequently, how they will hold the future.


There are lessons to be learned from these companies that provide excellent products, excellent service and are always looking for the better way. Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery. So flatter away. What sets you apart from your greatest competition? What do you do better? How might you improve? There is always room for growth and there should always be the desire for that growth. Stagnation is a death knell. Not a song I'm ready to hear nor is my company.


Clients and potential clients listen. They listen and they learn. What will they learn from you? How is that first impression experience? How is that on-going experience impression? I go back to Apple, I go back to Dell, I go back to Microsoft, I go back to Twitter and facebook. I want my clients to add my name to their list of go-back-to's. The attention I pay to what I provide and those to whom I provide it will return to me threefold; it is about "doing right by the customer." Seems simplistic and it is. Don't your clients/hiring managers/candidates deserve an upgrade?


©by rayannethorn