2

It's Really Not That Complicated

Build Better Cars. Imagine That

In August 2012 the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) declared that customer satisfaction with major automakers had reached its highest level in almost 20 years. After years of dissatisfaction with the car companies, what had turned things around so dramatically?

David VanAmburg, managing director of ACSI, revealed the shocking and amazing reason for the improvement in customer satisfaction. “The automakers are paying more attention to improving the quality of the vehicles themselves,” VanAmburg said. “This might be a little more real, a little more sustainable.”

Wow. Imagine that. Customers become more satisfied when the manufacturers make better cars.

Let that sink in. In this age of businesses searching like mad for ways to win customers by being unique, unequalled, singular, unusual, awesome, astonishing, surprising, stunning, startling, and amazing, the car companies did something truly inside the box.

They made better cars. And it worked.

It's not necessarily easy, but it's not complicated.

Questions to Consider
  • How can we improve the quality of our core product or service?
  • What are three specific action steps that we can take beginning tomorrow morning to make that happen?
  • Who is accountable for making that happen?

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