Tips, tools, and best practices for B2B marketers.

The Soup Nazi Customer Service Continuum

January 14, 2008 | Posted by: Lee

For those non-Seinfeld fans, the Soup Nazi was the title of an episode featuring an obnoxious, crazy cook who made the most wonderful soup in New York City.  He was rude to his customers and made them jump through hoops to get served, but people lined up for blocks to buy his soup. Why?  Because he offered something that was one of a kind.

With a corner on the market, he didn't have to worry about the customer experience.  People would buy from him because they couldn't get his product anywhere else. 

Which brings me to the Soup Nazi Customer Service Continuum...  

Today, many businesses sell basically the same product and services as their competitors.  They'll tell you that no one does exactly what they do, but most of the time the differences are only slight when you compare product offerings side by side.  Their products aren't one of a kind like the Soup Nazi.  Instead they find themselves in a crowded "one in a million" market. 

So what differentiates them?  The experience they provide for their customers.  That's not new news; but what many organizations fail to recognize is how important the Web is for creating a positive experience.  The customer experience starts with how you interact and engage with your prospects on the Web.  Does your site provide the experience you want customers to associate with your company?

• Are you providing relevant useful content?
• Do you make it easy to access that content?
• Are you looking for ways to start a conversation with your visitors?
• Are you genuinely interested in what they have to say?