30 Customer Success Lessons From Top Business Leaders With Practical Tips
Customer Success is key to business growth.
No matter if you're a startup founder, a customer success manager, or a C-suite executive.
These words of wisdom will inspire you to level up your customer experience strategy and drive long-lasting success.
So here are 30 transformative ideas to put your customers at the heart of everything you do:
Delighting Customers
1. Warren Buffet, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
"Your customer is going to get to vote and talk. You want them out there as salesmen for you. In fact, customer delight is the main ingredient of success. You will succeed if you have delighted customers. Don't settle for satisfied."
Practical Tip: Set up a "Wow Moment" program.
Identify one key interaction in your customer journey and brainstorm ways to exceed expectations.
For example, send a personalized video message welcoming new customers.
2. Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric
"Again, your challenge is not just to improve. It is to break the service paradigm in your industry or market so that customers aren't just satisfied, they're so shocked that they tell strangers on the street how good you are."
Practical Tip: Launch a "Shock and Awe" initiative.
Choose one aspect of your service and brainstorm ways to make it exceptional.
For example, offer 24/7 support or set up a full refund policy without question.
3. Derek Sivers, Founder of CD Baby
"The single most important thing is to make people happy. If you are making people happy, as a side effect, they will be happy to open up their wallets and pay you."
Practical Tip: Run a "Happiness Check-In."
At the end of each customer interaction, ask, "On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you with our service today?"
For scores below 8, follow up to address concerns.
4. Stephen Cannon, Former President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA
"To reach hearts and minds, we had to leave satisfaction in the dust and strive to delight our customers by delivering the most extraordinary customer experience, bar none. And that has been the driving force behind everything we've done ever since. It is our No. 1 strategic priority!"
Practical Tip: Create a "Delight Metric" for your team.
Define what a "delightful" customer interaction is.
And track the percentage of interactions that meet this standard.
5. Larry Page, Co-founder of Google
"Always deliver more than expected."
Practical Tip: Set up a "Plus One" policy.
Train your team to always add one unexpected element to every customer interaction.
Creating a Customer-Centric Culture
6. Ken Lownie, Founder of Ken Lownie Consulting Partners
"Make sure every single employee in your company knows what value your customers seek and how he or she can impact it."
Practical Tip: Create a one-page "Customer Value Statement"
Outline your product's key benefits.
Share this with all employees and discuss how each role contributes to delivering these benefits.
7. Marc Benioff, Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Salesforce
"Once you know what you want and what is important for you to achieve, also define the values associated with it. What is important? That is something a lot of entrepreneurs pass by too quickly. For us, the important thing was No. 1, customer success. Nothing is more important to us than making sure every customer is successful in our service."
Practical Tip: Create a "Customer Success Manifesto" for your team.
List 3-5 core values that focus on customer success.
Share and discuss these in your next team meeting.
8. Sam Walton, Founder of Walmart
"There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the Chairman on down simply by spending his money somewhere else."
Practical Tip: Create a "Customer Advisory Board"
Invite 5-10 of your most engaged customers.
Meet quarterly to gather feedback and discuss product roadmap.
9. R.L. Adams, Entrepreneur and Author
"With so many obligations and responsibilities, if you're serious about your business, you have to focus on the core — your customers. Because, without them, you have no business at all."
Practical Tip: Start each team meeting with a "Customer Spotlight."
Share a recent customer success story or piece of feedback to keep the focus on customers.
10. Jerry Gregoire, former CIO of Dell
"We have entered the era of the customer. Today, providing customers with outstanding customer service is essential to building loyal customers and a long-lasting brand."
Practical Tip: Set up a "Customer Era Audit."
Review all customer touchpoints.
And identify areas where you're still operating with an outdated, company-centric mindset.
Real-World Impact: Zappos Delivers Exceptional Customer Service
To illustrate the power of these customer success principles in action, let's look at Zappos, the online shoe and clothing retailer:
Delighting Customers
Zappos offers free shipping both ways. This allows customers to order different sizes and return what doesn't fit at no cost.
Empowering Employees
Call center representatives have the freedom to take as much time as needed with each customer, without scripts or time limits.
Creating Emotional Connections
In one famous instance, a Zappos rep spent over 10 hours on a single call with a customer, demonstrating their commitment to personal service.
Prioritizing Customer Service
Zappos invested heavily in customer service rather than traditional marketing. This enabled satisfied customers to spread the word.
The Result:
Zappos grew from almost no sales in 1999 to over $1 billion in gross merchandise sales annually in just ten years.
In 2009, Amazon acquired Zappos for $1.2 billion, largely due to its reputation for exceptional customer service.
This shows how applying customer success principles can lead to massive business growth.
It also helps you create a powerful brand reputation.
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