Customer Service Revolution | Customer Experience & Employee Experience for Business Leaders

The Customer Service Revolution Podcast is for CEOs, CXOs, COOs, CMOs, CHROs, customer experience leaders, employee experience leaders, and business owners who want to build a service culture that drives referrals, loyalty, employee engagement, and market share.Hosted by The DiJulius Group, the show features John DiJulius, Denise Thompson, Dave Murray, and industry leaders sharing practical insights on customer experience, employee experience, customer service strategy, leadership, service culture, and operational consistency.Each episode gives leaders actionable ideas to transform how customers and employees experience their organization, whether they operate in B2B, B2C, healthcare, hospitality, financial services, professional services, retail, or any business where experience is a competitive advantage.Customer service and employee experience, done right, can become your company's single biggest competitive advantage. This is not just a podcast. It is a movement to overthrow con

Customer Service Revolution | Customer Experience & Employee Experience for Business Leaders is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 267 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Customer Service Revolution | Customer Experience & Employee Experience for Business Leaders, a business show with 267 episodes published.

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  Episode #267

  267: The Transformation Economy: The Next Evolution of Customer Experience

  Aug 20, 202639 min

  The Transformation Economy What comes after the Experience Economy? According to internationally acclaimed author and management advisor B. Joseph Pine II, the next competitive advantage is not simply creating memorable customer experiences. It is helping customers achieve meaningful, lasting change. In this episode of The Customer Service Revolution Podcast, John DiJulius talks with Joe Pine, coauthor of the landmark book The Experience Economy and author of The Transformation Economy: Guiding Customers to Achieve Their Aspirations . Their conversation explores how organizations can move beyond delivering products, services, and experiences to become true transformation businesses. What Is the Transformation Economy? The Transformation Economy is the next stage in the progression of economic value. Businesses create greater value when they guide customers toward outcomes that change them in a lasting way—helping them become healthier, more prosperous, more knowledgeable, more purposeful, or closer to the person they aspire to be. Joe explains the progression clearly: businesses extract commodities, make goods, deliver services, stage experiences, and guide transformations. In a transformation business, the customer is not simply the buyer. The customer is the product, because the value lies in the change the customer achieves. Why Customer Experience Alone Is No Longer Enough Memorable customer experiences remain important, but experiences are increasingly being commoditized. The next opportunity is to design experiences that are meaningful, transporting, and ultimately transformative. John and Joe discuss how this applies across customer experience, customer service, consulting, healthcare, financial services, education, salons, retail, hospitality, and leadership. The common question is not, "What service do we provide?" It is, "Who does our customer want to become, and how can we guide that journey?" How Businesses Can Create Lasting Customer Transformation Start With the Customer's Aspiration Move beyond the immediate transaction and uncover the outcome the customer truly values. An accountant may help a client achieve greater prosperity. A salon may help a guest feel renewed and ready to reenter the world with confidence. A consultant should not stop after making recommendations; the work should continue until the client can implement and sustain meaningful change. Design a Journey, Not a Single Moment Transformations usually require a sequence of experiences. Joe introduces encapsulation: preparing customers before an experience, helping them reflect afterward, and supporting integration over time. This structure turns an isolated event into progress toward an aspiration. Align Pricing With Outcomes Services traditionally charge for time and activities. Transformation businesses increasingly align their fees with the outcomes customers value. Joe shares examples of organizations exploring outcome-based pricing and explains why it forces a provider to focus on lasting results rather than completed tasks. The Connection Between Customer Experience and Employee Experience Organizations cannot help customers flourish unless they also help employees flourish. John shares his philosophy that team members should earn more than they thought possible—while the money becomes the least valuable thing they gain from working for the organization. The goal is an employee experience that helps people become better leaders, spouses, parents, professionals, and human beings. When employees experience growth and purpose themselves, they are better prepared to guide meaningful customer transformation. How AI Can Support the Transformation Economy AI can help businesses customize experiences, provide coaching between human interactions, offer encouragement, and recommend the next best step. Joe cautions that the strongest model does not replace human guides. It uses AI to extend and personalize the transformation journey while human judgment, accountability, and connection remain central. Key Takeaways Transformations are effectual outcomes that change people in a lasting way. The next evolution of customer experience is helping customers become who they want to be. Businesses in health and well-being, wealth and prosperity, knowledge and wisdom, and purpose and meaning are natural transformation businesses. AI can strengthen coaching and customization, especially between interactions with human guides. Consultants create more value when they help clients implement and sustain change instead of stopping with recommendations. Preparing customers before an experience, prompting reflection afterward, and supporting ongoing integration can make an experience transformative. Outcome-based pricing aligns what a business charges with what the customer actually values. Customer transformation and employee transformation are inseparable: employees need the support and purpose required to flourish, too. Memorable Quotes "You deliver services, you stage experiences, you guide transformations." — B. Joseph Pine II "Effectual outcomes that change individuals in a lasting way." — B. Joseph Pine II "Every superconsumer is on a quest." — B. Joseph Pine II "Businesses only change from the inside out." — B. Joseph Pine II "Better, better, better. Transform, transform, transform." — B. Joseph Pine II "We want you to make more money than you ever thought possible. However, we want the money you made to be the least valuable thing you got from working here." — John DiJulius Episode Chapters 00:59 — Meet B. Joseph Pine II 02:12 — Was The Experience Economy ahead of its time? 04:21 — The difference between experiences and transformations 06:48 — How AI can support coaching and customization 09:40 — Memorable, meaningful, transporting, and transformative experiences 12:03 — Applying transformation to consulting and salons 19:56 — Third places, human connection, and the "chrysalis" 20:37 — The four spheres of transformation 23:57 — Brands creating transformation: Calibrate and Eataly 27:26 — Why employee transformation matters 31:27 — The Transformation Toolkit 32:17 — Three ways to begin building a transformation business 34:23 — Encapsulation: preparation, reflection, and integration 35:34 — Purpose, human flourishing, and the future of business About B. Joseph Pine II B. Joseph Pine II is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor. He has addressed the World Economic Forum, the original TED conference, the Consumer Electronics Show, and South by Southwest. He cofounded Strategic Horizons LLP to help businesses conceive and design new ways of adding value to their economic offerings. His books include The Transformation Economy , The Experience Economy , Infinite Possibility , Authenticity , and Mass Customization . Resources Mentioned Order The Transformation Economy : https://strategichorizons.com/books-and-ideas/publications/ Explore the Transformation Toolkit: https://strategichorizons.com/integration/ Learn more about Joe Pine and Strategic Horizons: https://strategichorizons.com/ Links: ROX Dashboard: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/rox-dashboard/ The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors: tdg.click/claudia Ask John! Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode: tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts: Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com If you want to learn how world-class organizations build cultures customers cannot live without, explore The Experience Revolution Membership . Inside the membership you'll gain access to livestream workshops, practical frameworks, and proven strategies used by organizations around the world. Learn more at https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Learn More If your organization is working to improve customer experience but struggling to connect it to measurable business outcomes, The DiJulius Group can help. Visit: https://thedijuliusgroup.com Listen to more episodes: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast/ Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.

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  Customer Service Revolution | Customer Experience & Employee Experience for Business Leaders

  How to Extend Your Healthspan with Dr. Sandeep Palakodeti

  Aug 13, 202647 min

  How to Extend Your Healthspan with Dr. Sandeep Palakodeti Living longer is not the real goal. Living longer with the strength, energy, mental clarity, and independence to enjoy those years is what matters. In this episode of The Customer Service Revolution Podcast, John DiJulius speaks with Dr. Sandeep "Dr. Deep" Palakodeti, founder and CEO of Velocity Health and author of The Ultimate Asset: Extend Your Prime, Not Just Your Lifespan . They explore how proactive longevity medicine, personalized healthcare, better diagnostics, and sustainable lifestyle changes can help people extend their healthspan—not simply their lifespan. What Is the Difference Between Lifespan and Healthspan? Lifespan measures how long someone lives. Healthspan considers how many of those years are lived with physical capability, cognitive health, energy, and functional independence. Dr. Deep explains that most people do not simply want more years. They want to remain active, mentally sharp, and capable of caring for themselves as they age. John connects that goal to his philosophy of living an extraordinary life. Developing your full potential is not only about personal achievement; it affects your family, employees, customers, and everyone who depends on you. How Much of Our Health Is Determined by Genetics? Genetics can increase a person's risk for certain diseases, but increased risk does not always determine the outcome. Dr. Deep discusses how sleep, cardiovascular fitness, metabolic health, nutrition, exercise, and other environmental factors may influence long-term health. Understanding your risks can help you and your healthcare team make more informed decisions earlier. Why Is Traditional Healthcare Often Reactive? The traditional healthcare system frequently gives physicians limited time with each patient. This can make care feel rushed, impersonal, and focused on responding to problems after they appear. What Is Concierge Precision Medicine? Concierge precision medicine uses a smaller patient panel, longer appointments, advanced diagnostics, ongoing coaching, and more direct physician access to provide proactive, relationship-based care. Velocity Health uses a digital-first model that serves patients across all 50 states. Members work with a physician, concierge, and human performance specialist to understand their health data and build a personalized plan. Can Technology and Medication Replace Healthy Habits? No medication, supplement, or emerging therapy eliminates the need for sleep, nutrition, movement, strength training, and mental well-being. Dr. Deep explains that tools such as GLP-1 medications or hormone replacement therapy may provide momentum for appropriately selected patients under medical supervision. However, lasting results require sustainable behavioral change and professional guidance. What Are the First Steps Toward a Longer Healthspan? Dr. Deep recommends beginning with three areas: Improve the quality and consistency of your sleep. Measure meaningful health indicators under qualified professional guidance. Find a physician or healthcare team willing to provide personalized, relationship-based care. Key Takeaways Healthspan is more meaningful than lifespan when the goal is to remain active and independent. Genetics can affect disease risk without completely determining a person's future. Sleep, exercise, nutrition, metabolic health, and mental well-being remain foundational. Advanced diagnostics can reveal risks that routine healthcare may not identify early. Concierge medicine is designed around accessibility, time, relationships, and proactive care. Medication should be treated as a clinical tool—not a replacement for healthier behavior. The best health plan is personalized, measurable, medically guided, and sustainable. Protecting your health helps you continue contributing to your family, organization, and community. Memorable Quotes "Functional independence is what we want." — Dr. Sandeep Palakodeti "You can only manage what you measure." — Dr. Sandeep Palakodeti "The new flex is being healthy." — Dr. Sandeep Palakodeti "Being independent allows me to have one boss and one boss only, and that's the patient." — Dr. Sandeep Palakodeti "Living our life to its fullest potential is a responsibility." — John DiJulius "We all have seeds of potential." — John DiJulius Episode Chapters 00:00 Introducing Dr. Sandeep "Dr. Deep" Palakodeti 02:23 How Velocity Health delivers digital-first precision medicine 07:08 Why personal health belongs in a leadership conversation 12:44 How genetics and lifestyle influence long-term health 17:47 Lifespan versus healthspan and functional independence 20:08 Traditional healthcare versus concierge medicine 26:37 GLP-1 medications, hormones, peptides, and medical guidance 30:07 Using diagnostics to build a personalized health plan 38:23 Why health may be the new status symbol 40:59 Why medication cannot replace healthy habits 44:56 Longevity medicine for women and couples 46:19 Three ways to start improving your healthspan 48:30 How to learn more about Velocity Health Learn more about Velocity Health at VelocityHealthClinic.com . This episode is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before beginning or changing any medication, treatment, supplement, or health program. Links: ROX Dashboard: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/rox-dashboard/ The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors: tdg.click/claudia Ask John! Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode: tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts: Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com If you want to learn how world-class organizations build cultures customers cannot live without, explore The Experience Revolution Membership . Inside the membership you'll gain access to livestream workshops, practical frameworks, and proven strategies used by organizations around the world. Learn more at https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Learn More If your organization is working to improve customer experience but struggling to connect it to measurable business outcomes, The DiJulius Group can help. Visit: https://thedijuliusgroup.com Listen to more episodes: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast/ Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.

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  Episode #265

  265: How to Build Accountability Without Micromanaging

  Aug 6, 202636 min

  Accountability Without Micromanaging: How Great Leaders Create Ownership Delegating work should free leaders to focus on strategy, relationships, and growth. Too often, however, delegation swings between two unhealthy extremes: micromanagement and abandonment. In this episode of The Customer Service Revolution Podcast, Denise Thompson and John DiJulius explore how leaders can build accountability without micromanaging. The solution is not less communication—it is greater clarity, consistent checkpoints, and genuine employee ownership. Why Delegation So Often Turns Into Micromanagement Most leaders do not intend to micromanage. They want to protect the quality of the work, meet an important deadline, or ensure a strong customer experience. But when leaders dictate every step, employees become hesitant to make decisions without approval. John explains that leaders must clearly define the desired outcome and then give capable employees room to determine how to achieve it. Employees need to own more than the execution; they need to feel ownership over the approach and and the result. That means leaders must avoid "dropping an anchor" by presenting their preferred solution before employees have had an opportunity to think through the challenge themselves. How to Build Accountability Without Micromanaging Define What Victory Looks Like Before delegating a project, leaders must establish a clear objective, deadline, priorities, decision-making authority, and definition of success. A vague assignment followed by constant corrections is not accountability. It is confusion disguised as supervision. Establish a Consistent Check-In Cadence Accountability should prevent surprises. Weekly reports, one-on-one conversations, or structured operating systems such as EOS and Scaling Up allow leaders to identify obstacles before a commitment is missed. Instead of waiting until the deadline to ask what happened, leaders can ask: Where does the project stand? Are we still on track? What obstacle could prevent success? What support do you need from me? Give Employees Ownership of the Method Leaders should remain firm about the outcome while allowing employees flexibility in how they achieve it. When employees can contribute their ideas and place their fingerprints on a project, they become more invested in its success. Giving up control of the method can also produce a better result. John shares how The Customer Service Revolution Conference improved when the team took ownership of many aspects he had previously managed himself. Adjust Oversight to the Employee and the Risk Not every employee or assignment requires the same level of autonomy. New employees, emerging leaders, employees without a proven track record, and high-risk projects may require more collaboration and support. Closer oversight should be explained as coaching—not as punishment or a lack of trust. As the employee demonstrates sound judgment and consistent performance, the leader should intentionally step back. Why Leaders Must Let Employees Struggle Leaders who immediately step in to solve every problem unintentionally train employees to wait for answers. Failure, when handled constructively, gives employees an opportunity to learn, develop judgment, and become more capable. Instead of immediately providing the answer, ask the employee what they think should happen next. They may arrive at the same answer—or develop a better one. The goal is not to leave employees unsupported. The goal is to provide enough guidance for them to grow without making them dependent on the leader. Key Takeaways Accountability begins with a clear definition of the desired outcome. Employees should own the approach, not merely execute the leader's instructions. Weekly checkpoints help leaders identify delays and obstacles before deadlines are missed. Leaders should avoid changing priorities without explaining what happens to earlier commitments. New or inexperienced employees require more coaching until they establish a track record. Leaders should ask questions before jumping in with solutions. Failure can build confidence and judgment when it is treated as a learning opportunity. A company becomes stronger when its success does not depend on one indispensable person. Leaders create ownership by providing clarity, authority, support, and room to act. Memorable Quotes "Hire really good people, create what the outcomes need to look like, and then get out of their way." — John DiJulius "Besides just the execution, they need to own it." — John DiJulius "Your business is worth nothing if you're the most important person in the short term." — John DiJulius "You should never be surprised if you have a weekly cadence." — John DiJulius "Accountability doesn't require hovering. It requires clear expectations, agreed-upon checkpoints, honest feedback, and consistent follow-through." — Denise Thompson "Great leaders don't create people who wait for instruction. They create people who can be trusted to move the work forward." — Denise Thompson Episode Chapters 00:46 — Accountability versus micromanagement 01:32 — Why leaders must stop doing everything themselves 04:24 — What separates healthy accountability from control 06:40 — Developing inexperienced employees and future leaders 10:56 — Why capable leaders become micromanagers 13:24 — Establishing priorities through rocks and must-do commitments 17:21 — Managing the outcome without dictating every step 21:32 — How employee ownership improves the final result 23:30 — Building stronger leadership and service systems 24:13 — When leaders want employees to remain dependent on them 25:05 — Responding when an employee misses a commitment 27:33 — When closer supervision is appropriate 28:41 — A practical accountability system leaders can use 30:50 — Developing employees who are afraid to take risks 33:32 — What to ask instead of "Are you done yet?" 34:29 — Creating employees who can move work forward Resources Mentioned Entrepreneurial Operating System—EOS Scaling Up The Soul of a Start-Up—Harvard Business Review Build a Culture of Accountability and Ownership If your organization wants greater accountability, stronger leadership, and a more consistent employee and customer experience, The DiJulius Group can help. We work with organizations to build practical leadership and service systems that turn expectations into repeatable behaviors. Visit TheDiJuliusGroup.com or schedule a call at https://tdg.click/call . Links: ROX Dashboard: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/rox-dashboard/ The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors: tdg.click/claudia Ask John! Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode: tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts: Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com If you want to learn how world-class organizations build cultures customers cannot live without, explore The Experience Revolution Membership . Inside the membership you'll gain access to livestream workshops, practical frameworks, and proven strategies used by organizations around the world. Learn more at https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Learn More If your organization is working to improve customer experience but struggling to connect it to measurable business outcomes, The DiJulius Group can help. Visit: https://thedijuliusgroup.com Listen to more episodes: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast/ Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.

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  Customer Service Revolution | Customer Experience & Employee Experience for Business Leaders

  264: The Friction Tax: Are You Trapping Customers?

  Jul 30, 202633 min

  The Friction Tax: Are You Trapping Customers? Signing up takes less than a minute. Canceling takes 45. The cancellation button is buried. Customer support is difficult to reach. Returning a product requires multiple steps. A "retention specialist" keeps a customer on the phone until surrender feels easier than leaving. That is more than poor customer service. It is the customer friction tax : the extra time, effort, confusion, and frustration customers must absorb because a company benefits from making it difficult to cancel, return, receive help, or leave. In this episode of the Customer Service Revolution Podcast, Denise Thompson and John DiJulius examine when ordinary operational friction becomes deliberate customer exploitation—and what that friction reveals about an organization's priorities. When Customer Friction Becomes Part of the Business Model New York City recently adopted a click-to-cancel rule for automatically renewing and continuous-service subscriptions. Beginning October 1, 2026, covered businesses must clearly disclose subscription terms and provide consumers with a straightforward way to cancel. The fact that cancellation procedures need government regulation raises a larger customer experience question: Can an organization call itself customer-centric when it intentionally makes leaving difficult? John explains that ease of doing business should apply throughout the entire relationship—not just when the customer is ready to buy. That includes reaching support, resolving a problem, returning a purchase, changing an agreement, and canceling a service. Bad Profits Create Long-Term Damage Some companies generate revenue through what John calls "bad profits": hidden charges, excessive fees, restrictive policies, complicated contracts, or deliberately difficult cancellation processes. These practices may protect short-term revenue, but they can also: Destroy customer trust Generate complaints and negative word of mouth Increase service and staffing costs Create opportunities for competitors Force employees to defend policies they believe are unfair Increase frontline frustration and turnover Produce retention numbers that disguise customer dissatisfaction Blockbuster once generated approximately 16% of its revenue from late fees. That revenue made abandoning late fees appear financially dangerous—but it also prevented the company from adapting to a subscription model that customers increasingly preferred. Retention Is Not the Same as Loyalty A customer who remains because canceling is difficult has not been retained through loyalty. That customer has been trapped through friction. Healthy customer relationships produce repeat business, referrals, trust, and advocacy. Customer captivity may temporarily improve retention metrics, but it does not create customers who create more customers. Leaders must look beyond cancellation rates and ask why customers stay. Are they staying because they value the relationship—or because switching, canceling, or finding an alternative feels like too much work? Customer Friction Also Damages the Employee Experience Frontline employees frequently bear the consequences of unreasonable policies they did not create and cannot change. When employees repeatedly have to say, "I don't make the rules," it signals a larger system problem. Employees become the messengers for decisions designed to protect revenue, absorbing customers' anger while lacking the authority to make things right. Removing unnecessary customer friction is therefore both a customer experience and employee experience strategy. How Leaders Can Find Their Biggest Friction Points John recommends that leaders experience their organization as customers do. Purchase something. Attempt to return it. Try to cancel. Contact support. Track how many screens, calls, transfers, explanations, and approvals the process requires. Do not merely ask whether the process works. Ask how hard the customer must work to make it work. Leaders should also: Listen to customer calls and analyze customer sentiment Identify recurring complaints and escalations Examine policies that produce fees or prevent cancellations Compare earned sales from repeat customers and referrals with sales purchased through advertising Track retention after contractual obligations end Give employees appropriate authority to resolve problems Remove incentives that reward short-term revenue at the customer's expense Making it easier for unhappy customers to leave may feel risky. But making every customer feel trapped is far more dangerous. Trust is more valuable than captivity. Key Takeaways Ease of doing business must apply to the entire customer relationship, including cancellation, returns, support, and service recovery. Retention does not prove loyalty when customers face barriers to leaving. "Bad profits" may increase short-term revenue while damaging trust, referrals, employee morale, and long-term growth. Frontline employees suffer when they must defend policies they know are frustrating or unfair. Customer complaints and service-recovery situations are opportunities to demonstrate empathy and rebuild loyalty. Leaders should personally test their organization's customer journey. Repeat business and referrals are stronger indicators of loyalty than cancellation rates alone. The critical question is not whether a process works, but how hard customers must work to make it work. Memorable Quotes "Not all profit is good profit." "A customer hasn't been retained through loyalty. They've been trapped through friction." "Every company's job is to create customers who create customers." "You wouldn't have to chase new customers if you were keeping the existing ones." "Leaders need to spend time on the front line so they can feel the pain." "Don't ask whether the process works. Ask how hard the customer must work to make it work." "Trust is far more valuable than captivity." Episode Chapters 00:46 — The hidden friction tax customers are paying 02:12 — What ease of doing business really means 04:15 — Poor experience or calculated business decision? 06:29 — How leaders can recognize deliberate friction 08:58 — Can a high-friction company be customer-centric? 10:52 — Service recovery and rebuilding customer trust 14:55 — When retention dashboards hide dissatisfaction 18:32 — How bad policies affect frontline employees 20:28 — Charles Schwab's campaign against bad profits 23:48 — The difference between loyalty and captivity 25:47 — Why retention and referrals matter 28:45 — How to uncover your biggest friction points 30:16 — The customer journey every leader should test ROX Dashboard: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/rox-dashboard/ The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors: tdg.click/claudia Ask John! Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode: tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts: Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com If you want to learn how world-class organizations build cultures customers cannot live without, explore The Experience Revolution Membership . Inside the membership you'll gain access to livestream workshops, practical frameworks, and proven strategies used by organizations around the world. Learn more at https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/

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  Episode #263

  263: Crisis Management: What Customers Remember Most

  Jul 23, 202637 min

  Crisis Management: What Customers Remember Most A company may not have caused the crisis—but it still owns the customer experience surrounding it. In this episode of The Customer Service Revolution Podcast, Denise Thompson and John DiJulius examine what leaders should do when customers may be at risk, facts are still developing, and the organization's reputation is suddenly on the line. Using recent food-safety concerns and well-known brand crises as examples, they explain why silence, defensiveness, and rigid policies can magnify the original problem—and how a fast, transparent response can help preserve customer trust. The Four Principles of Customer Experience Crisis Management John outlines four actions organizations should take when a crisis occurs: Address the situation immediately. Make the highest-ranking leader the visible face of the response. Take full responsibility for protecting the customer experience. Overcorrect to demonstrate that the organization genuinely cares. Customers do not separate a company from its suppliers, franchisees, distributors, or employees. They remember the brand name connected to the experience—and how that brand responded. What Successful Crisis Responses Have in Common Denise and John revisit several high-profile corporate crises, including Johnson & Johnson's response to the Tylenol poisonings, Domino's reaction to an employee-created viral video, Chipotle's food-safety challenges, and JetBlue's response to severe travel disruptions. The strongest recoveries shared several characteristics: Customer safety came before short-term profits. Leaders communicated quickly and frequently. The organization took visible, decisive action. The crisis led to meaningful operational improvements. Customers were shown what would prevent the problem from happening again. Why Service Recovery Cannot Depend on the Employee You Reach The conversation expands from large-scale crisis management to everyday service recovery. John explains the service recovery paradox: when a company handles a problem exceptionally well, the customer can become more loyal than if the problem had never occurred. But that outcome requires a consistent recovery process. TDG's LEAST model helps employees respond effectively: Listen Allow the customer to explain the situation without interruption, defensiveness, or debate. Empathize Acknowledge what the customer experienced and demonstrate genuine concern. Apologize Take responsibility for the inconvenience or impact, even when the employee or company did not directly create the original problem. Solve Resolve the issue or take ownership of finding someone who can—without forcing the customer to repeat the story to multiple people. Thank Thank the customer for bringing the problem to the organization's attention and creating an opportunity to make it right. Stop Hiding Behind Policy Policies can protect consistency, but they can also prevent employees from using sound judgment. John shares the story of a longtime salon client who was charged for a missed appointment after her husband unexpectedly died. When she questioned the charge, the manager responded, "Sorry, that's our policy." The problem was not an uncaring employee. It was a system that had trained the employee to enforce a rule without giving her the confidence or authority to recognize an obvious exception. Leaders must decide whether onboarding primarily teaches employees what they cannot do—or prepares them to serve customers and one another with judgment, empathy, and ownership. Key Takeaways A company may not have caused a crisis, but it owns the customer experience of that crisis. Customers judge brands by what they do next. Silence allows speculation to control the story. The highest-ranking leader should be visible during a significant crisis. Taking responsibility is different from accepting legal blame. Overcorrecting can demonstrate that customer safety matters more than short-term costs. Employees need a clear service recovery process and enough autonomy to use it. Every transfer forces the customer to relive the problem and often increases frustration. Policies should provide guidance without eliminating judgment and empathy. A crisis can strengthen trust when it produces transparent action and lasting improvement. Memorable Quotes "Customers don't experience your supply chain. They experience your brand." "A company may not have created the problem, but it still owns the customer experience of the problem." "It's never what happens that is the worst thing. It's the cover-up." "Customers rarely judge a brand by whether something went wrong. They judge it by what the brand did next." "Listen like you're wrong." "Whoever gets the initial complaint owns it." "Every time customers have to retell their story, they get angrier." "Remove the word 'policy' from your company's vocabulary." Chapters 00:49 – When your company's name becomes part of the crisis 02:22 – John's destination-wedding revelation 08:40 – Why a supplier's problem becomes your brand's problem 10:19 – Four principles for responding to a crisis 13:05 – What Johnson & Johnson did after the Tylenol poisonings 16:42 – How Domino's confronted a viral reputation crisis 18:30 – Chipotle, food safety, and the cost of responding slowly 19:21 – JetBlue and turning failure into customer protections 24:17 – The service recovery paradox 25:33 – Using the LEAST service recovery model 27:29 – The "Ask Once" ownership promise 29:05 – How leadership attitudes shape customer treatment 33:45 – Why employees should not have to hide behind policy 36:06 – Final lessons for leaders Links: Storytelling blog: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/how-to-be-a-more-effective-leader-by-learning-the-best-way-of-storytelling/ ROX Dashboard: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/rox-dashboard/ The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors: tdg.click/claudia Ask John! Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode: tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts: Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com If you want to learn how world-class organizations build cultures customers cannot live without, explore The Experience Revolution Membership . Inside the membership you'll gain access to livestream workshops, practical frameworks, and proven strategies used by organizations around the world. Learn more at https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Learn More If your organization is working to improve customer experience but struggling to connect it to measurable business outcomes, The DiJulius Group can help. Visit: https://thedijuliusgroup.com Listen to more episodes: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast/ Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.

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