1. Q: Are the digital changes that have happened in our society good or bad? Are we better – as humans – with so many of us heads-down most hours of most days staring at a screen? Are we?
2. A: There is no right or wrong answer. There are convincing arguments to be made for “we're much better off” and “we're way worse off.” But opinions ultimately don't matter because the world is the way the world is.

But here's a question you should answer:

1. Q: What are you going to do about it?
2. A: Whether you are a primary decision-maker at your company, an influencer of decisions, or just a “bug in the ear” of your superiors – the stance you should be taking is:

Why Customer Service for “Traditional” Companies – Like Casino Blackjack – Isn't Fair

Have you ever played blackjack? You know, each player gets two cards and the dealer gets two cards. From there, both sides can either stand pat with the total they have or keep drawing more cards. Closest to 21 wins. But be careful, because if you go over 21, you lose. So simple.

You, as the player, are free to make your own choices for every hand. You can stand on 9 if you feel like it, or you can take a hit on 19 (please don't do either of those things, ever!). But your decisions are entirely your own.

The dealer, however, has to play by rigid “house rules.” Dealers must take a hit if their total is 16 or less, and they must stand if it is 17 or higher. That basic set of rules is how blackjack is played everywhere from Vegas to Monte Carlo to your kitchen table.

But here's the thing: You, as the bettor, can play by the same exact rules as the dealer – and in most cases you should.

So why does the house win so much money? If you're drawing from the same deck and playing by the same rules, shouldn't it be a 50/50 game? Shouldn't the players and the house come out dead even every time?

But the house has one clever advantage that most players never even notice.

• If you tie the dealer – if you both have 20, for example – that's a “push” and you get your bet back. No one loses.
• Of course, if you draw one card too many and “bust” by going over 21, your wager is swept away on the spot.
• However, in that same hand – if the dealer ALSO busts, they don't reach back into the chip rack, refund your bet apologetically, and offer you a free drink. You already lost.

The house's advantage is that they get to go last.

This is why the companies that invented themselves as digital companies (the A-to-Z companies) have such a leg up. They were conceived based on the way people think and behave in today's digital world. They got to go last.

But service organizations founded 15 or more years ago (let alone 50 years ago) are now faced with having to compete in the digital arena – to somehow emulate an “Amazon-like” experience. Being a “traditional” organization can feel like a massive disadvantage – and no matter how much these companies have tried to evolve, it seems nearly impossible to keep up.

However, thanks to a convergence of technology, creativity, and a deeper understanding of customer digital psychology, the opportunity to transform to a seamless, effortless, economically efficient DCS operation is available to virtually every company. It is in many ways the ultimate do-over. Your organization needs to recognize that now is the time to take the steps necessary to reinvent the way you serve your customers.

In a 6 × 3 and A-to-Z world, customers are on screen with friends, family and colleagues all day. They prefer this digital lifestyle because it gives them control (convenience and agency). If your company isn't positioned in a way that feels “in sync” with this behavioral evolution of digital-first customers, it is easier than ever for them to switch to another competitor.

Transitioning to DCS positions you in a way that is more consistent with how people live in today's world. This will help you meet and exceed the “expectation” for how service is supposed to feel – an expectation set by digitally native companies like Amazon and Zappos (which, of course are now the same company!).

The Dichotomy of Expectations

For all the talk over the past few years about the continual rise in customer expectations, one thing that's become increasingly apparent is the sloppiness of the term itself. A quick count shows we've already used the words “customer expectations” 12 times so far to this point in this book (including twice in just THIS paragraph!), but it feels like those two words should have an (*) next to them. What we've been observing is that at a psychological level there are two sets of customer expectations that most people experience (simultaneously!) just as they are initiating a service interaction – and they are polar opposites.

• Customers expect digital service experiences to be excellent. They have a standard that they think is reasonable, and they don't think they should have to settle for less than that.
• Customers also expect that their service interaction will be a big hassle. They anticipate that their standard will not be met.

They expect service interactions to be increasingly digital, customized, and personalized. And why shouldn't they? Most people believe companies have all the information about them somewhere in their “systems” – what they've purchased, how much they've spent, how long they've been buying from the company, their overall satisfaction with the company through whatever feedback they've ever provided in surveys – so there's an expectation that every interaction should be “all about me.” However, we also know – based on qualitative customer research from focus groups and interviews – that when a problem arises and there's a need to reach out to customer service, they are often disappointed:

This leads to this potentially dizzying dissonance:

Change the Experience, Shift the Mindset

You need to engineer the experiences your customers are having in a way that makes them feel “digitally effortless.”

Consider the following: How differently would customers feel if you were creating a service interaction that put them totally in charge – because it was happening on their screen – but you still offered the opportunity to connect with an agent at any time they feel the need, but without ever having to dial a phone number ever again? How would that impact their “confidence equity” over time?

Digital transformation in service is the key to long-term customer loyalty. Loyalty is the key to your long-term success – and it mostly comes from how customers feel about us. And by understanding the psychology of digital interactions more clearly – focusing a little more attention and communication on how customers feel – think about how your company could position its service experience in a way that makes customers feel better about doing business with you.

To the degree that your influence can reach – this is the mindset shift you need to be part of engineering in your organization:

As an organization, we now have the opportunity to influence the way customers feel about doing business with us in ways that were never available before – the technology now exists – and it's not only way better for customers but it's far more efficient than what we've been doing.

Positioning “Digital CX” as a Differentiator

To digital-first customers, your website is your “virtual presence.” It is your brand, but it plays out on your customer's screen. This is the arena where differentiation takes place. In the mall called The Cloud, it is your storefront. But the opportunity to truly differentiate lies not just within the visual elements of design and graphics, but also based on the digital experience your customers are having every day with your company.

Customer service expert Shep Hyken says creating a digital experience that makes things as easy and convenient as possible is a differentiator that makes economic sense, “You don't have to sacrifice profit to create additional convenience, customers are willing to pay more – it's become normal. He says that 62 percent of customers are willing to pay more for better service and 69 percent are willing to pay more for greater convenience. Price is kind of important, but if you can make my life easier, save me time and a big hassle, that used to be a luxury – but today that's considered standard equipment.”

Jacqueline M. Ridley is a customer alignment strategist whose firm Break Tradition has worked with dozens of companies to help them better understand the psychological impact of the customer experience. She says it is not enough to emphasize what is different or better about your company at a logical level, you must also understand the differences at an emotional level: “When a customer makes a purchase, something drove them to your company, but are they walking away feeling like they want to tell people about the experience? Is the experience fulfilling a psychological need of some kind?”

She goes on to say that since customers have unlimited access to information about your company and your competitors – including feedback and reviews from peers – creating a differentiated experience is crucial:

Customers are savvy, they've done their research, they know there are other companies that do the same things. They want to feel like they're “part of the family” and they want to know they're being heard and that someone is listening. That is the kind of experience that makes one company different from another. But when customers have a problem that seems hard to solve or creates a lot of negative mental energy, it's like letting someone down in an intimate relationship. That takes a psychological toll.

To customers, what's different about a DCS experience is that it's easy. It's effortless. It is the ultimate in convenience because whatever I need is right there on my screen.