Great Day Window Three readers, and welcome back to the Window Three blog!  Today, we’re going to dive right into our conversation and ask the question, “How deep are you?”  Now, I know what you are thinking, with a Chandler Bing like attitude, “Jon, could you be any more vague?”  So let me explain. 

Let me start this explanation by asking you another question, “Have you ever bought something from a company, or started working with a company, and not far into the experience, you realized that the relationship you thought you were getting wasn’t quite what you expected?  I could give you an endless number of examples to highlight these scenarios, however for the sake of time I’ll just mention some industries that might seem notorious for this type of behavior: banks, airlines, phone companies. 

It’s like that trip you planned with your family, you know, when you found out that great deal on air fare was for just for you, your spouse and three kids...the bags are gonna have to pay extra.  Or the credit card you just opened that has the low interest rate as long as you pay before the due date...by the way, if we don’t send a statement, you better remember to log on and look at the amount for yourself.  Or how about that SUPER FAST 3G coverage that you were so excited about...so long as you happen to be in one of these few areas that actually have 3G coverage, and by the way, enjoy your new service for the next two years. 

These types of experiences remind me of when I was little and used to go to our small town’s yearly street fair.  Everything seemed awesome as long as you stayed on the main path, out in front of all the rides.  I remember going on rides like the haunted house where you would walk through what seemed like a never ending maze full of scary surprises.  However, if you ever walked around to the side of that ride, you saw that that scary display on the front was just a picture, and that never ending maze that you conquered was a trailer, no bigger than that found on a moving van.  The experience was gone once the limits of the experience were revealed. 

So often in our world today, companies have made their fortunes off of functioning in this manner.  Imagine what a meeting would be like for a company that designs these carnival haunted houses.  There would be talk of how to market the haunted house and the media channels covered.  A fortune would be spent on doing studies regarding the best type of display to have on the front of this haunted house/uhaul trailor, after all, you want to catch the attention of the people walking by!  I’m certain a well experienced sales trainer would be hired to teach the those running the ride what to say in an effort to grab the attention of the young kids passing by.  “Be dramatic...that’s what the children react to!” 

However, no matter how great the advertisement on the radio, no matter how artistic the huge picture out front, no matter how dramatic the person taking the tickets, there is nothing you can do to hide that fact that, once that little 10 year walks around the side and looks what is behind the big display on the front (and they will), all they will see is a trailer.  Once that customer arrives at the ticket counter and finds out they have to pay an extra $50/per bag, there is no hiding the price that was too good to be true.  Once that cell phone user goes on a trip and constantly drops calls, there is no hiding the reality of the 3G coverage.  Once that card user finds out their low interest rate is now 25 percent because their payment arrived a day late, there is no hiding the fact that just like the rest of the customers, the bank was indeed, banking (pun intended) on the customer being late for just one payment. 

Before we get back to my original question to you, “How deep are you?”  I want to remind everyone that just because these previously discussed scenarios seem to play themselves out often, that doesn’t mean they should be expected.  Case in point, Southwest Airlines and Apple.  Here are two organizations that, through the use of creativity, have redefined themselves in such a way that they are able to offer their customers a much deeper experience.  For either company, I could write a full article on what they’ve done at every level of the customer interaction to offer a deeper, more enjoyable experience, but I’m not going to do that.  Those of us who have experienced, already understand.  Those who have not, I won’t spoil the surprise.  Rather, I just want to use them as examples of what I am referring to when I ask the question, “How deep are you?”

My goal here is to highlight the fact that when you are sitting in that business meeting, there are ways to improve your bottom-line outside of the typical, marketing, pricing, and downsizing strategies.  However, it requires a change of focus.  There are ways of improving relationships with those you interact, but it to requires a change of focus.  It requires a focus on the customer.  It requires a focus on someone else.  In other words, you should not be trying to grow the bottom-line, you should be trying to grow the customer experience.  You should not be in a relationship saying, “How does this impact me?”  You should be asking, “How can I impact them?”  It’s a self-worthy attitude as opposed to a self-important one.  Trust me when I say that whether it’s a customer working with a business, or a you interacting with a another, how deep you are can always be seen.

Just like the previously mentioned organizations, the experience you provide others can always be improved, but it requires two things: patience and creativity.  Just like Rome, Southwest Airlines and Apple weren’t built in a day.  They had first decide that they wanted to create a better customer experience...then they had to move in that direction.  For all of you “Strategic Thinkers” out there, this will bore you.  “Create a better customer experience” is the strategy.  It’s like the old phrase, “Amateurs think about strategy, professionals think about logistics,” or in other words, while those “Strategic Thinkers” are on the conference call trying to be big picture, Southwest and Apple are out there making it happen. 

The same is true in your life.  Let’s cut through the crap...you want more emotion.  Now go get it, and I’ll give you a hint, if you’re looking for MORE emotion, you won’t find it by doing the same things you’ve been doing.  Try that approach and you’ll find the same level of emotion.  Duh.  “Oh, but just you wait, one of these days I’m going to try something new!”  Yeah, good luck with that one.  Wait, I almost forgot to come back to my original question, “How deep are you...”