Esther: Welcome back the BusinessMakers Overtime Show heard here and online at theBusinessMakers.com. So we're gonna chat a little bit about something called the Experience Economy. That's what we're in right now, did you know that?

Katie: I do actually. I love the concept of the Experience Economy.

Esther: It's all about feeling and experiencing and just getting that gushy feeling when you're interfacing with a business.

Katie: That's so me, it's ridiculous today.

Esther: I know. I'm turning into you.

Katie: Ha-ha-haaa! (Laughter)

Esther: What's going on? I'm the cynical one over here, you're the mushy one.

Katie: Now the first time that I ever heard that term Experience Economy, there's actually a book that was written in 1999 entitled The Experience Economy: Work Is Theater & Every Business a Stage. Have you read it?

Esther: Oh, I haven't, but I think I need to.

Katie: It's quite good. It's very, very good. I read and - I mean a number of years ago - but now I feel like we're actually here you know. I mean this was just more of an idea like, "Hey, wouldn't it be great." But now like we live in an age where just selling goods and services is not enough.

Esther: It's not a value proposition. You've gotta have something "extra"! What's that "extra" thing that sets you apart?

Katie: Exactly. So just 'cause I get coffee in and a muffin from Starbucks is not what actually keeps me coming back.

Esther: Right. So what are some of the things that make up and Experience Economy? What does that mean? What does a business need to do to implement these? I mean it's one thing to talk about it, "Oh, wouldn't it be nice," but what can businesses actually do?

Katie: You can go about it in all sorts of ways. You can go about it literally and actually take a look at - to use the book's terminology - you know, "How to set your physical business stage." So Starbucks is the perfect example. When you walk in, it's not just a coffee shop, it's "Starbucks". Like you walk in, it's this - you know, you have the music you know, you have the local flyers on the wall, the setup is very inviting. The way that you sit next to people, the time that it takes for someone to greet you, the way that the menu boards look different every day; I mean it's kind of taking a walk through in the customer's footsteps and seeing step-by-step, "Okay, they drive into our parking garage, they go up the elevator." You know, these are all things that you can help manipulate and really form into an experience, for lack of a better word.

Esther: You've also touched on this a little bit, but understanding that "work is theatre". And that's what Starbucks Baristas do. I mean they know your drink, they greet you, they're friendly, they're nice, they've got little games that they play, they put little notes on the board, they ask you questions. It's just very interactive. It's very much an experience, and it kind of starts your day off on the right foot.

Katie: It does. So I went recently with my family to a place called Great Wolf Lodge, which is actually a chain. I think there's about 13 of these enormous indoor water park resorts. We went to the one in Grapevine, Texas and this is one of the most outstanding examples of this experiential interaction with business. You walk in and it literally - there's nothing in the entire place that is not wolf, lodge, you know, country, rustic related. I mean you walk in and there's giant trees growing out of the floor in the lobby. Like they have regular shows that they do, and even to the point where all of the employees, whenever you finish talking to them, like they have this little wolf call that they'll do at the end of like some phone calls. Not every single conversation, but it's like nothing they do is not surrounding this great wolf, you know, brand, this product.

Esther: That's very cool.

Katie: It's like it's - you just don't forget it. (Laughter)

Esther: Yeah, I mean that's a great example. Zappo's is another great example of how they've completely branded their space. They ask their employees to make little noises when people walk through and blow bubbles -

Katie: Yes.

Esther: - and put on mullets and all that. We've covered that here before, but it's very much an experience to go there and that makes you feel connected to their brand.

Katie: Exactly, yeah, exactly. So how do you at Blinds.com - what are some examples that you do? And I mean this could go for the online world too. It doesn't have to be just, "Yea, people are coming into our office and we're gonna do something funny." What do you guys to kind of promote that experience with customers?

Esther: Well I think the Number 1 is to have all of your customer service and sales people on the same page, and have a certain message that they're trying to promote. Especially as new employees come and old employees go, to keep that message consistent and to give people kind of the basics of what they need to say so that they do have the freedom to make the experience better. It's like, if you can teach your salespeople and your customer service people to really embrace your culture and embrace you core values, and not just to have them as kind of like some things that stick on the wall that like no one really pays attention to.

Katie: Gather dust; yeah.

Esther: Yeah, gathering dust. If you're actually practicing those things and you give them a script that they can read - I mean, this just goes for our business because we are a pure play retailer. You know, only online we're don't have - we're not multi-channels so we don't have stores that you can come into and touch and feel and you know.

Katie: Right.

Esther: We have to get through to a customer in another way. So we would just make sure that customer service people know exactly what they need to say and salespeople know what they need to say or can say. Have these scripts laid out so that they have freedom to make the experience fun.

Katie: It's like, to make it more personal. And I found that - I mean, poor customer experiences, they'll generate a lot more work, a lot more clean up, a lot more support time, than just kicking off the relationship; you know, even if the relationship's just one transaction on the phone or on your website.

Esther: Right.

Katie: I mean it's amazing how much more profitable even just those little incremental changes could be. So I was looking up some things on the Experience Economy today just because of course, I feel so positive about it. But then again as we've established, I am a tree-hugging hippie and I like to hug everything.

Esther: Yep.

Katie: But I found a great article on the Customer Think Site. So it's customerthink.com, that actually takes a more cynical look at this whole Experience Economy thing, to the point where the author's actually saying that, "It's headed towards irrelevance."

Esther: Wow.

Katie: And he wants like less like "namby-pamby" vision and more like actionable solutions. I mean I feel like it's more about being balanced and it's more about looking at your culture, looking at your customers needs, and moving from there, so I think he's taking it to an extreme. But, he had some really interesting pragmatic approaches to help kind of more reasonably approach the Experience Economy. And one of the biggest keystones he said in trying to kind of help your client base and your business grow with the Experience Economy and idea is just monitorizing and categorizing all of your customer service inquiries. So you know, it's just really taking a look at what the tone is that you're setting for every sort of interaction with a client; whether it's like, "Do people even answer the phone at your business? When they answer it, do they have something cheery to say? You know, if they're gonna pass you off to somebody are you on hold for 40 minutes and do you have to listen to mega-death heavy metal while you're on hold -

Esther: Right.

Katie: - you know, and just making sure that whenever you get to the point where you're making that person-to-person touch, "What's it like? Where do you take it from there?" Something else that he said is, "The importance of centralizing your knowledge in online repositories." So a lot of times, people don't like to have to call in or they don't have to feel like they're forced to interact with your culture or your amazing experience, but by putting information where everyone can access it, whether it's internal, there's an Internet and all of your sales and marketing people have access to this information; or if it's external. You have a great FAQ section, you have, you know, greats again repository where people can see exactly where you're coming from, what the expectations are, what the opportunities are. You know, that can go a long way without some of the touchy-feely stuff.

Esther: Absolutely.

Katie: Although I think I like both. (Laughter)

Esther: You know, they're definitely has to be a happy medium because some companies don't themselves to a Zappo's culture.

Katie: Exactly.

Esther: I mean you have to understand that. Not every company is an only online retailer that can have a wacky, zany, crazy, looking office like ours -

Katie: Right.

Esther: - I mean if that's not, that's not you, and that's okay.

Katie: Yeah.

Esther: It's just a matter of incorporating those things that do make sense for your culture and scrapping the things that don't.

Katie: Although having a really great bowl of candy in your office is always amazing. (Laughter)

Esther: That is amazing. I actually have a candy drawer -

Katie: Oh no.

Esther: - which is not for the public. And I am pretty sure somebody found it, because maybe like someone that works in the night staff because I am missing some Junior Mints.

Katie: Oh, no they did not!

Esther: The Junior Mints have been depleted; gone.

Katie: Oh no, no, no.

Esther: They're gone.

Katie: Yeah. No, there are some things that you just - you don't touch.

Esther: Yes, that's sacred.

Katie: Yeah exactly. I'd say Twix, Kit Kat's, and Junior Mints. I'm sorry.

Esther: Oh my gosh, I had a Twix today.

Katie: (Laughter)

Esther: I'm not kidding, I'm a candyholic. I cannot stop eating candy.

Katie: Me too. (Laughter)

Esther: It's really bad.

Katie: And it helps improve your personal experience in your business. (Laughter)

Esther: It's exactly. It's like it's really funny. I'm like it's really funny that you call these fun-size because I seven of them so they're not fun-sized anymore.

Katie: Yeah, you're exactly right. (Laughter) I'm having a lot of fun. (Laughter)

Esther: This is like two full-sized candy bars I just ate. (Laughter)

Katie: Yeah. (Laughter) I just had six musketeers, what!

Esther: Yep, yep. Proud of it! Proud of it! So I guess that wraps up our show for the week.

Katie: Yes ma'am.

Esther: If you'd like to get in touch with us you can at Facebook.com/theBusinessMakers or Twitter.com/overtimeshow. Either one of those will do just fine, we will find you. Or you can go to our website at: theBusinessMakers.com/overtime.

Katie: You've been listening to the BusinessMakers Overtime Show heard here and online at theBusinessMakers.com. From basketball to bowling to the experienced economy, I'd say that this was pretty awesome show.

Esther: It was.

Katie: And we're so glad you were here to share it with us.

Esther: Absolutely.

Katie: Well see you next week and until then, keep rocking out that business.