Dare To Be Different

To improve your customers' experience, start by learning all you can about their current feelings toward your business. Some companies videotape clients interacting with sales or service personnel; others set up test facilities to see how customers react to different circumstances.

Analyze tapes or notes to find clues to what customers like and dislike about your business. First, identify negative experiences and eliminate them. For example, Carbone says, when a nursing home discovered visitors disliked the disinfectant odor in its lobby, it switched to an odorless cleaner, thus removing the negative stimulus.

But don't draw the line at simply listening to consumers, Carbone advises. They often don't know or can't express exactly what they want. Nor should you focus on benchmarking competitors. By definition, a copycat isn't creating a unique experience.

This article was originally published in the September 1999 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Dare To Be Different.