Great customer experiences are more likely with small businesses than large ones. The family owned Anderson Inn in Morro Bay, for example, makes most hotel chains look like they’re run by lobotomized amateurs. Why is this? Three things come to mind:

1 Psychological proximity

The voice of the customer is literally the voice of the customer. They interact with customers so frequently and closely that they can more easily tune in to their wants and needs. Customer relationships are often personal and long term - a different dynamic entirely.


2 Autonomy

The small business owner is making up the rules as they go. They’re free to do what feels right in the situation without being mired in procedural gloop.


3 Skin in the game

If their business fails, they fail personally. They can’t afford to have unhappy customers. As the owner they often take personal pride in their work.

Creating a great CX is often intuitive when these 3 conditions are present. The challenge is that they evaporate with scale and require a degree of inefficiency. Maintaining them as you grow requires conscious, tenacious effort.

See this post on LinkedIn