Eighty per cent of business leaders say that their brand offers a superior customer experience while just 8 per cent of customers agree, according to a study by Bain Consulting.

Rather worrying when you consider that research from a wide range of sources, including Forrester and Gallup, indicates that over the next decade literally every company will compete on that very basis. It’s increasingly the case that providing a uniquely positive experience is not just important, but essential to gain clear competitive advantages such as greater consideration, increased word of mouth, and even a price premium.

I was interested to follow the recent re-opening of the luxury Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel and Towers after the best part of a year’s closure for refurbishment. The brand’s announcement was heartening: while they mentioned the shiny new suites, gourmet restaurants and chic design, the emphasis was on creating a distinctive customer experience for each and every guest.

The most remarkable thing is that the hotel’s reviews were almost universally positive even before the makeover. It’s clear Sheraton understands that the real key to making customers happy doesn’t lie with polishing individual touchpoints in isolation, but by taking a holistic view of the entire company and creating a tailored customer journey so smooth that it’s virtually seamless.

This includes the brand’s online presence. While the hotel may have physically shut up shop during its nine-month hiatus, they realised that this needn’t have an effect on digital communications. They kept loyal and prospective customers informed on social media with updates, engaging content and competitions. Judging by the feedback and interactions their fans thoroughly approved.

This is no mean feat. Research conducted by OMG Digital reports that 50 per cent of social media users in the UAE would unlike or unfollow a brand if it became ‘irrelevant’ and 50 per cent would also unsubscribe if updates were too frequent or they thought they were being ‘spammed’.

For a brand investing $50 million (Dh183.65 million) in customer experience when they’re already at the top of their game is a brave and strong move, but in a world where brands live or die by word of mouth (74 per cent of people advocate for brands by describing their experiences with them), it’s one which is guaranteed to pay off.

But what about every other business? Once the decision has been made to prioritise customer service, what next? Well, as a start:

* Take time to understand and define how your brand should behave in the marketplace. Do the work to establish an experience platform, creating a clear and consistent definition of how your brand expresses itself in any context: from interactions with staff to customer rewards, from social media presence to promotions and beyond.

* With the experience platform in place, invest in educating your people to understand how they should behave to deliver your unique brand experience. Internalise before you try to externalise it.

* Audit the touchpoints that make up your current customer experience and work to bring them in line with your experience platform.

* Last but not least, listen to your customers. If your customer experience is working, they’ll let you know — and they’ll let their friends know too.

And then what?

Once a solid base has been laid, then keep going — customer experience activity is pointless as a temporary measure. It’s time to build on those foundations and be dynamic, constantly adapting and keeping up with customers’ changing needs.

CREDIT: The writer is joint managing Director, Jack Morton Worldwide, Middle East.