This article was based on the interview with Jon Picoult, author of From Impressed to Obsessed by Greg Kihlström for The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström podcast. Listen to the original episode here:
Customer satisfaction is not enough. This is the message that Jon Picoult, founder of Watermark Consulting and author of the book “From Impressed to Obsessed,” wants to convey. In the podcast episode, Picoult discusses the importance of going beyond customer satisfaction and striving to impress customers in order to create a thriving business.
Picoult argues that customer satisfaction alone is not enough to derive a competitive advantage from the customer experience. Satisfied customers can still defect and leave a business, which can be detrimental to its success. Instead, businesses should aim to impress their customers, leaving an indelible impression in their minds. This impression will cultivate repurchase and referral behavior, which are essential for sustainable growth.
The idea of impressing customers goes beyond meeting their expectations or delivering a satisfactory experience. It requires going above and beyond to exceed their expectations and create a memorable experience. This is the key to creating lifelong fans of a brand.
Picoult’s book, “From Impressed to Obsessed,” delves deeper into the principles and strategies for turning customers and employees into lifelong fans. He emphasizes the importance of treating both customers and employees well, as businesses often subject them to incivilities and poor experiences. Pico believes that by improving the quality of the experience for both customers and employees, businesses can create a positive and lasting impression.
The decision to write this book was driven by Picoults’s long-standing discomfort with how businesses treat their customers and employees. He observed numerous instances where businesses failed to provide a satisfactory experience, resulting in frustration and dissatisfaction. Jon wanted to highlight the simple, straightforward, and often no-cost actions that organizations can take to improve the overall experience.
Customer satisfaction is not enough to create a successful and sustainable business. Businesses should aim to impress their customers, leaving a lasting impression that cultivates repurchase and referral behavior, ultimately leading to greater customer lifetime value (CLV). By prioritizing the quality of the experience and treating both customers and employees well, businesses can create a positive and memorable brand image.
