The last business book I was reading took a familiar path when it came to the discussion of customer experience. They raved about Zappos, Southwest Airlines, and Apple. Yawn.
Don’t get me wrong – they are great companies to hold up as role models. It’s just that they seem to be cited all the time. Zappos’ great service, Southwest Airlines’ no-nonsense approach, and Apple’s awesome products. I get it and I’m impressed. I’m just tired of hearing about it.
So what do I find interesting? B-to-B examples!
B-to-B seems to go under the radar, but I love the way the way they are more down to earth. They are not focused on a slick brand or a rock star CEO. Instead, B-to-B examples are often more practical and bottom-line focused. My favorites include:
- An account manager that salvaged a customer account when he he read their feedback and jumped into action.
- A company that cut costs by diagnosing a process improvement from a stream of customer comments.
- A channel partner that boosted sales by following up with customers that shared their interest in a new solution.
Without a doubt, B-to-B CX is different and it’s time we focus more on its unique characteristics. Toward that end my organization is even planning a customer experience summit specifically for B-to-B companies.
So please – make my day! Share your stories of B-to-B customer experience success.
