Speaker 1: How many of you have experienced an exceptional customer experience? An over-the-top experience at a business, maybe a local restaurant, a clothing retailer, your favorite coffee shop. Maybe that last hotel or restaurant that you stayed at, resort. Maybe it was the last family vacation you took to Walt Disney World. So exceptional that you might have taken a selfie and posted it on social media. Now I know no one here takes selfies, and certainly no one here posts on social media, but I do. So great, like me, many of you have experienced exceptional customer service that turned you from a casual shopper to a brand loyal ambassador. So why is it that each year, roughly one million businesses go out of business? Is it because of Walmart's aggressive low pricing? Maybe. Could it be Amazon or another online retailer's aggressive free shipping program? Perhaps. Is it just that the competitor was that much better at their marketing and sales techniques? Or are all these just excuses, and the real answer lies in delivering exceptional customer experiences each and every day? I have been fascinated by business and why some succeed and others fail. And my career has given me the opportunity to visit literally over 1,000 businesses and meet hundreds of executives and entrepreneurs. And the ones that stand out are the ones that truly focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences to their clients. Just like that experience some of you thought about a minute or two ago. I want to share a personal story with you about how I was seduced by exceptional customer experience 21 years ago. I met Ruth, the owner of 1010 Optics, while working in New York City just off of Fifth Avenue. I didn't find Ruth's store because of a giant sign outside that said 20% off. And it wasn't because of a newspaper ad she had placed in the paper. And it certainly wasn't because of a Google search I did, or an email blast that she sent, because neither of those options existed in 1996. No, I found Ruth's store for a very simple reason that day, convenience. What's kept me coming back for over 20 years is how she treated me on that first visit, and frankly, every visit since. On that first visit, I entered the store and was immediately greeted by an associate who walked me over and introduced me to Ruth. Ruth politely asked what brought me in that day, and like most individuals that have terrible eyesight, I said, I'm simply here to get a pair of glasses so I can see and do my work. She smiled and laughed. And she said, no, I mean, what style of look are you going for? What's the look you're going for? I never really thought about a look or a style with wearing glasses. They were very functional to me. So I said, well, maybe something like Michael J. Fox, a wireframe? She said, I'll take it from here. She then proceeded to have me try on glasses that were anything but Michael J. Fox wireframe-like. After about 15 minutes, she laid out three pairs of frames. She says, John, these are the frames you're going to decide on today. Option one is somewhat boring, ordinary, similar to what you were wearing when you walked in today. Option two is a little nicer, and option three is the game changer. Now, most likely, you're going to want option one. And she was absolutely right. I had already started to take out my wallet to pay for them. But she said, today, I'm going to sell you option number three, because it's the right option. I reluctantly purchased those glasses that day, and two weeks later, walked out with my new frames, incredibly self-conscious. Had I made the right decision? Did Ruth honestly sell me the best pair of frames for my face and personality? Or did she sell me the frames that were going to generate the highest profit for her store? A few seconds later, a woman walked up to me, total stranger, and she said, wow, I love those frames. Ruth is good. She literally had somebody waiting outside the store to compliment customers as they walked out. Well done. It wasn't until I received the fifth compliment on my commute home that day that I realized that Ruth was truly a genius and had delivered an exceptional customer experience. And by the way, my wife, Cynthia, absolutely loved them. Customer experience isn't about necessarily the product or service that you offer. It's about how you make someone feel during the buying journey, and frankly, after the purchase has been made. Maya Angelou said it best. They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. And Ruth made me feel excited, nervous, confident, and important all at the same time. She had truly delivered on her promise of delivering exceptional customer service. So 21 years later, I continue to receive compliments on my glasses. In fact, someone outside before the TED talk, his name was Ted, actually. Said he loved my frames. And 20 years plus later, I still go to Ruth, even though I have to travel three hours each way to get to her location in New York, take a personal vacation day to make an appointment during the week. Okay? What's more ironic is there are literally 100 optic centers that are closer. And online options that are more convenient and certainly less expensive. The answer is simple. And it's why so many other businesses that focus on exceptional customer service do so well. Like Mitchell's of Westport, that opened their doors in 1958. They are a men's and women's clothing store in Westport, Connecticut. Wazick's Cheese Shop in Wellesley, Massachusetts, that opened their doors in 1964, and as you can guess, purveyors of fine cheeses, as well as wines and other gourmet items. And my favorite Jewish deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that opened their doors in 1982, Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that is absolutely spectacular. And again, 1982. Now these businesses don't just survive, they thrive. And it's not because I can buy clothing at Mitchell's that no one else carries. Or that I can get cheeses at the lowest price at Wazick's Cheese Shop. Or that I can order a pastrami on rye with or without mustard at Zingerman's. No, the answer is simple. It's what they all have in common. They all focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences each and every day. It's what keeps the barrier between them and their competitors. Delivering customer experience isn't just good for the customer, by the way. It's actually good business. And Forrester Research did a study over a five-year period. And in 2016, they published this paper. And what they found was companies that truly focus on exceptional experiences for customers outperformed the leaders, outperformed the laggers in customer experience, significantly in revenue. So it's not just good for customers, it's just good business to have excellent customer service. So as we look forward, technology, marketing techniques, and sales channels will continue to evolve and continue to push these businesses as well as Ruth's and maybe yours someday. But as long as they stay true to their core principles of delivering exceptional customer service, I am confident I'm going to be able to buy really nice clothing, Enjoy the finest of cheeses, and order a pastrami on rye, extra mustard, all while wearing the perfect pair of frames. I was seduced by exceptional customer experience, and I couldn't be happier. Thank you.