This article is the first of four on a topic I touched on in my post Your Brand Isn’t a Logo, It’s a Lie, this series is about positive creation of customer experience.

Summary

You can’t coast anymore. Most business segments are saturated with near-identical competitors. Compete on price if you want to race to the bottom. Or you can wake up and realize that you only need two things to win: an experience for your customers and a story for your employees. This series is about customer experience. These aren’t new ideas, I’m just sick and tired of businesses who don’t get it and don’t want to.

Fairytales

A mere two blocks from my house is a children’s bookstore called Fairytales. My daughter only knows the name of two retail stores and Fairytales is one of them.

The are plenty of bookstores in Nashville and Fairytales isn’t special because it’s 2 blocks from my house, or the selection of entertaining and educational books and toys is good, or they carry many unique products, or they’re locally owned, or because the staff are friendly. Though all those things are true.

About one-third of the Fairytales retail space contains not products, but a craft and play zone for kids. A baby-gate keeps kids from running off and staff members are dedicated to supervising and engaging the kids in a safe environment.

Off of the main retail space there is a “parent’s zone” with seating, relaxed decor, free wifi, and beverages. Parents can talk, relax, shop, or use the internet for up to 2 hours while the kids are in the play zone.

Compare that to any experience you have ever had with a toys-r-us type box-store. Which do you think has more casual visitors, more repeat customers, and more grateful fans who tell friends and post positive experiences on their blogs?

Coming in The Real New Business Part Two: groceries.