Disruption and change are everywhere.
A perfectly delightful product or service today can become old hat tomorrow, usurped by new entrants offering easier, different or more engaging experiences.
Those at the top of the heap rarely spend time looking down– imagining themselves in the Wasteland of the Obsolete. Instead, they read their raving reviews, count their star ratings, fuel their buzz, watch their numbers grow. And they feel invincible.
But then again, the mighty tumble.
A winning business doesn’t take it easy. Instead, it focuses on the next stair-step leap in their customer experience – even if, at the moment, they own the market.
Even if you own your space, your business can serve as a model for up-and-comers. They can avoid the mistakes you made and leverage the lessons you’ve learned, to skip the growing pains you experienced when you conquered the landscape.
In essence, you need to build a moat.
And we think that’s exactly what the Uber and Spotify partnership, which was announced yesterday, is all about.
In case you missed the news, starting this Friday, Spotify premium users will be able to stream their preferred music in participating Uber vehicles.
As sometimes Uber customers, we are still thrilled to say goodbye to the days of standing in rainy rush hours waiting for a cab. (We still get giddy watching Uber vehicles approach from a few blocks away.) And as Spotify listeners, we tap our toes and listen to any music, any time, with a Premium subscription.
Both Uber and Spotify offer two easy customer experiences built around pain points—and both are still in the early stages of disrupting the status quo. But before they become old news, boring, or unexceptional, they have teamed up to create a more personalized experience. They are building on the heart of their businesses—which are about simplicity, convenience, and control—to add an unexpected layer of enjoyment and personalization. Combining forces allows them to improve customer experience while remaining true to their core beliefs.
Guess who’s built a moat. (Hint: not Pandora, or Lyft.)
So what are you doing to protect your customer experience from becoming obsolete? How can you listen to your customers, understand their needs and adapt what you do today to keep you at the top of the game tomorrow?
–Kate Feather
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