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It’s very hip in marketing circles to talk about customer experience.  Nailing down the critical ingredients that comprise a customer experience, however,  can get tricky and make it difficult to craft a system that delivers a high-quality experience for your customer — every time.

Experience is More Than a Story

You may have noticed that whenever there are articles or case studies that reference customer experiences, they take the form of a story or a report on what happened and how it make the customer feel.  We aren’t often treated to the mechanics of how the company actually designed or created this experience.  In fact, we’re often left with the impression that these experiences are somehow magical and serendipitous.  Yet, we all know that cannot be the case.  World Class customer service happens by design and not by chance.

Five Decisions Your Company Makes That Drive Loyalty and Customer Experience

In her new book I Love You More Than My Dog, Jeanne Bliss outlines the five decisions “beloved” companies make that not only attract customers, but built insane loyalty and love for the company:

1. Decide to believe and to trust customers and employees
2. Decide with clarity and purpose on what you are in business to do
3. Decide to be real, authentic and human
4. Decide to be there for your customers when and where they need you
5. Decide to say I’m sorry when you are wrong

If your company uses this route to create and design a system around customer experience, then measuring your customers’ experience with you becomes a lot easier.  Now that your experience measures have been narrowed down to these five decisions, you can create simple questions around each attribute and measure your customers’ quality of experience.  Of course, don’t forget to add the all-important Net Promoter Question (How likely are you to refer [company name] to a friend or family member].

Four Attributes That Make Up Customer Experience

There are four elements or attributes that make up customer experience:

1. Feelings. When measuring customer experience, be sure to give customers specific feelings to rate or note specifically what they are feeling at different points of their experience.  Feelings are difficult for most people voice, so be sure to give them a list that they can choose from.  You will be amazed at what your customers come up with.
2. Body Sensations: This is an unusual attribute to note, but it is a critical component of your customers’ experience.  Perhaps the best way to get to this attribute is through focus groups or through observations of your customers around your product or service.
3. Attitudes:  Your customers’ attitudes around your product or service are really habits of thought.  For example, Southwest Airlines projects an overall attitude of “Fun” that they want to create for their customers.  Lands’ End works toward creating an attitude of care and empathy around how their customers experience their products in terms of ordering, receiving and returning what they’ve ordered.
4. Thoughts:  What thoughts do your customers have when they are experiencing your product or service?  The immediate example that comes to mind is Apple Computers and the advertisements they have that feature the thoughts that Microsoft customers might have versus Apple Computer customers have.

Customer experience doesn’t have to be this nebulous, magical chemistry that your company creates.  You can literally define, design, create and measure how your customers experience your product or service.  Use these points as a jumping-off point to begin measuring your customers’ experience.  Create questions around them and start adjusting your process in  a way that improves that experience and you will see your bottom line improve.

About the Author: Ivana Taylor is CEO of Third Force, a strategic firm that helps small businesses get and keep their ideal customer. She’s the co-author of the book “Excel for Marketing Managers” and proprietor of DIYMarketers, a site for in-house marketers. Her blog is Strategy Stew.