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Simple is Beautiful Business

How can you define a good customer experience?
Ritz Carlton suggests "We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen".  American Express' Service strives to make it "Easy, Recognize, and Solve" for the customer.   Exemplary companies with an amazing ability to deliver on the promise and make a customer feel special enough to keep coming back. But these are specific mantras for specific businesses.  Is there a universal truth that can act as the north star for those companies still looking to navigate through challenged waters.

In one wabi sabi word, the answer is Simple.  

Simple is easy.  Simple is intuitive.  Simple is quality. Simple is minimalist and complete all in one beautiful word.  Simple works.

Not to jump on the Apple wagon too far, but I think that Simple is the secret of their success.  But before you go out and change your business mission, keep in mind Steve Jobs' wisdom on the subject:

“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

As chronicled by Ken Segall in his excellent book Insanely Simple, "Simplicity is an all or none proposition", but it is worth it because "Simplicity Attracts".  So how can you attack complexity?  I suggest you start with the customer in mind by cataloging how complicated your company makes it to do business with them.  

1. Product
  • Simple has Purpose: The product(s) solve a problem or meets a sustainable need. 
  • Simple Makes Sense: The product should be intuitive.  Get rid of the five pages of instructions.
  • Simple Works: Make a quality product that works every time. 
2. Purchase:
  • Research Process: Clear, concise, quick. Make sure it is easy and potentially fun to research you.
  • Features: Everything you need, nothing you don't. HP has 47 varieties of laptops.  Apple has 4.
  • Purchase: How many more steps than Amazon's 1 step does it take to buy your product?   
3. Service:
  • Simple lasts: Avoid defects that cost repairs and loyalty. 
  • Simple is helpful: Service is competent, friendly, and anticipatory.
  • Simple is efficient: It takes as little time as necessary and gets it right the first time.
What could you do to make it easier to do business with your customers.  Keep it Simple.

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