Chapter 8Develops Customer Focus
Shampoo was invented in India. Turn back time to the 1500s and boil a few soapberries with dried gooseberries to make the concoction that would clean your hair. The product name itself is derived from the Sanskrit word champu.
Today, you can buy the modern champu in hundreds of brands and you get to pick the formula: dandruff, moisturizing, straightening, oily hair, chelating, clarifying, detoxifying, smoothing, soothing, all-natural, gluten-free, wheat-free, sulfate-free, antibacterial, color protection, gentle baby, jelly, paste, cream, or powder.
No shampoo makes claims like, “not likely to clean your hair” or “will probably give you disappointing results.” The claims are always about the positive customer experience.
The pattern is similar with business claims. Organizations of all kinds rarely claim anything but the best presentation of themselves. The way this often appears in business is in the claim that an organization or company is focused on the customer or always delivering customer service excellence.
It's natural to view your own customer service as above average, but compared to what? It's clear that customer service means different things to different people.
Shampoos that clean hair and businesses that claim to provide excellent customer service both follow formulas, and the styles of customer service come in as many varieties as shampoos. At a basic level, shampoo promises to clean your hair, and we would all be dissatisfied ...
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