Yes, I stepped into another argument with another so-called goo-roo.
I left bloodied and scarred, but I was victorious at the end.
You see, this nut job was trying to tell me that service and experience were the same.
And that was the basis for her argument (yes, I am fighting with girls… I am sure my mother would be just thrilled)
As far as I am concerned, client or patient service is but merely a part of the overall experience.
Service helps to deliver the experience.
- How do you serve the paint on a wall?
- How do you serve the aroma of fresh baked cookies?
- How do you serve the invoice?
The service is the live/human interaction with a guest.
The experience is how people feel
And no two people can ever have the same experience. Never!
Each experience comes from the interaction between the business and the individuals state of mind and being.
For example, let’s say there were two couples dining at the same restaurant.
- They ordered the same food
- The ordered the same wine
- They had the same waiter
- The food was divine
- The service was exquisite
Let’s say couple #1 was there to celebrate their first marriage anniversary.
But with couple #2, the wife was telling the husband she was leaving him and wanted a divorce.
Who had the better experience? They both had fantastic and flawless service, but their experiences were polar opposite.
Remember my email from last year about chicken and sex?
What tastes better?
Eating BBQ chicken in front of the TV by yourself?
Or…
“Eating a simple BBQ under a palm tree, and you feel the sand between your toes, samba music is playing softly in the background, waves are lapping at the shore nearby, a gentle breeze is cooling the sweat on the back of your neck at the hairline, and looking across the table, past the column of empty Red-Stripes at the dreamy expression on your companions face, you realize that in half an hour you are probably going to be having sex on clean white hotel sheets…
The grilled chicken leg suddenly tastes a whole lot better.
Which chicken will you be likely to remember?
Which chicken would you rate 5 stars?
BAM! Case closed! I win!
Are you creating experiences or just delivering your service?
