I am listening this morning to Jim Press, the President and Vice Chairman of the Chrysler Corporation. He is talking about its proposed merger with the Italian auto-giant FIAT. Based on his language I can only conclude that no matter what infusions of cash, no matter if the merger with FIAT takes, Chrysler as a corporation with fail.
Here's why.
Press talked repeatedly about customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is a term from 50 years ago and in today's world, it is no longer enough. The new "floor" in what you should deliver to your customers should be ebullience, excitement, energy. If your customers are merely satisfied, when it comes time to buy a new product, they will likely include others on their shopping list.
Ask someone how a date went, if they answer, "I was satisfied," chances are it was a pretty lame experience.
My point here is simple. Products and services today must do more than satisfy or they are merely utilities or commodities. The products (and the people) we love do more than satisfy, they turn us into exponents. We embrace them and start relationships with them. Not from companies that merely satisfy.
The Stones knew how to do more than satisfy--they pleased and tugged and enraptured. A recent Chrysler commercial up here in Canuckistan has two-bit voiceovers telling us about how they're different, and better, and changing, and it makes me throw up my supper in my mouth a little every time I hear it.
ReplyDelete