It probably started with the
Sears Roebuck catalog. A farmer hundreds
of miles from the nearest store could order a new pair of long johns and never
leave the farm. Today the internet has
transformed the concept into one with a new label—cocooning. NetFlix sends me DVD’s, I can download albums
with ITunes, Office Depot brings me office supplies and now my grocery let’s me
order groceries on-line and then delivers them to my back door, putting the
cold stuff in the small fridge in the garage for a fee if I’m out of town.
Some might see cocooning as the
start of a new “customer as hermit” movement.
But, perhaps it has less to do with isolation and more to do with
independence and freedom. It clearly
puts pressure on stores to make the buying experience so wonderful that
customers will drive there in their cars, find a parking spot, search store
aisles, wait in line for check-out, and be cross-examined if something must be
returned.
What are you doing to make your
service as easy as Amazon.com or Zappos.com?
What can you do to make cocooning with your organization a memorable
experience?
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