Good businesses are always measuring progress – - sometimes in the unlikeliest instances. Years ago, retail magnate Marshall Field was walking through the original store that bears his name in Chicago. In doing so, he overheard a clerk arguing with a customer.
He stopped and asked: “What are you doing?”
The clerk answered: “I’m settling a complaint.”
Field shot back: “No, you’re not. Give the lady what she wants.”
Marshall Field, a notorious “floorwalker” at his landmark store, was way ahead of his time. He knew that giving customers “what they want” is the heart and soul of any commercial enterprise. He also knew that the key to boosting both his company brand and his bottom line was by constantly measuring progress, not just as a customer service barometer, although that’s obviously critical to any company’s success.
Like most successful business owners, he also measured the overall quality and effectiveness of the entire shopping experience. That’s what separates the contenders from the pretenders in business today ““ the ability to know exactly what makes customers enter your doors and come back again and again ““ knowing they can rely on receiving the same quality, service and product each time they do. Fast forward to the first decade of the 21st century, where companies like Starbucks are taking a similar page out of the Marshall Field playbook.
No matter which store or city a Starbucks customer is in, each one knows exactly what to expect ““ not just in terms of service, but in terms of overall experience. Each store’s product, design, atmosphere, décor and service is so predictable that it becomes intuitive; as a result, consumer behavior and response becomes accurately predictable ““ making it even easier to design promotions, incentives and products that will immediately boost sales.
What’s the key to Starbuck’s success? Why do they enjoy this level of consumer consistency and enjoy a fatter bottom line as a result? By identifying and statistically quantifying every conceivable element of the overall consumer experience — and then continually analyzing just how consistently those elements are delivered.
