There’s a saying in CX:  You’re not only competing against your industry peers, you’re also competing against Zappos.  While folks in the shoe business can take that sentiment seriously and literally, the idea is that Customers these days are getting more used to outstanding experiences from certain brands.  Besides the online shoe retailer, people point to Four Seasons hotels, Wegmans, and Apple, among a small group of elite Customer-centric companies.  These brands are impacting Customer expectations far beyond their own industries.  No matter what line of business you’re in (and whether you’re offering a product, service, or both), Customers know what it feels like to be treated well…and more and more they’re coming to expect it from everybody, no matter what.  You could say, everybody’s expected to be Zappos these days.

That’s a lot of work.  But here’s the good news:  While Customers are comparing you to Trader Joe’s and USAA, they’re also comparing you to the Department of Motor Vehicles and (let’s be honest) just about any domestic airline not named Southwest or Jet Blue.  My point being that, while Customer expectations are formed at the high end by these elite performers, sometimes they’re also prepared for the worst; and especially so if you happen to work within an ecosystem traditionally associated with poor experiences.  Sometimes it doesn’t take moving heaven and earth or necessarily knocking an experience out of the park to make a mark.  Simply addressing a known Customer pain-point that none of your peers is taking care of can do the trick. […]