Jason Bradshaw learned the importance of customer experience at age 14. Jason started his own computer retail business with the goal of making enough money to subsidize buying his own computer. He soon found his business expanding into office and hardware supplies. While he couldn’t always compete on price, Jason knew he could keep customers coming back by providing an excellent experience.

In college, he learned success was really about providing an excellent employee experience. When he lost his telemarketing job for a cleaning service because the company went out of business, he started his own cleaning service. Finding good telemarketers was difficult, so he treated his telemarketers (and the rest of the staff) well so they would continue working with him. With his focus firmly on employee experience, his customers became loyal and his business flourished.

Now Jason is the Chief Customer and Marketing Officer (CCMO) at Volkswagen in Australia, a keynote speaker, and author. His new book It’s All About CEX compiles his customer and employee experience (CEX) philosophy he developed over the years while working in the telecommunications, retail, and finance industries.

Be one percent better than everyone else

At the heart of his philosophy, Jason believes the key to a great customer experience is a great employee experience. Employees are the ambassadors and evangelists for a company’s product and services. If the employees are having a great experience with the company, their positive behavior will translate into a better experience for customers. That way an employee’s bad day doesn’t become a customer’s last day with the company.

How much better do you have to be to have a great employee or customer experience? 10 percent better, 20 percent better, or a 100 percent better? Jason believes if we each aim to do just one percent better we can make a great experience for everyone: employees and customers. One percent better is an attainable goal we can all reach. So what does one percent look like?

You only need to look at Disney for a great example of a one-percent-better customer experience. Disney had already improved the queuing experience for rides. They had posted wait times at regular intervals, managed the expectations of guests, and made the wait experience a journey rather than a nightmare. When you saw a sign it was 30 minutes or less until the ride, you could count on it being 30 minutes or less.

Then Disney noticed people were on their mobile devices while waiting in line. The wait experience had changed. So Disney decided figured out how to make it one percent better for people on devices. They created an app that entertained the guests while waiting in line. They didn’t have to do this, but that small attention to detail in all that they do is what keeps people coming back.

If you want to learn more about making a great customer and employee experience, contact BigSpeak Speakers Bureau today to book Jason Bradshaw.

Kyle Crocco is the Content Marketing Coordinator at BigSpeak Speakers Bureau, a graduate of UC Santa Barbara, and the lead singer of Duh Professors. He regularly publishes business book reviews and thought pieces on Medium, Business 2 Community, and Born 2 Invest.