That is correct, read the title again. Okay, now we can proceed.

Customers are the fuel to your entire venture (or at least the majority when you factor in smart investment strategies). Without a genuine focus on customers you business may likely stall or even shutter.

Customer Service and User Experience should be two of major driving forces of every business venture. If you are going into business you need customers to survive. If you want more than basic survival, your customer service must be responsive, transparent and honest. If you want your customers to stay with you as loyal and repeat customers you need to create engaging and meaningful experiences. There are specific reasons your existing customers come back to you. There are specific and perhaps different reasons new customers are drawn to your products or services.

This is not to say that customers, especially loyal customers, are extremely sensitve to price increases, business model changes or brand reworkings. Customers are flexible and will stick with you if they see continued value in what your products or services add to them individually. However, if you disengage from your customers by over prioritizing something else you may quickly see your business because less stable or at least feel that there is more risk in the market than prior to shifting your focus.

Customer Service & User Experience - Checklist

• Respect all of your customers equally
• Resist cost-cutting that impacts customer service or experience directly or indirectly
• Understand investors only get true long term value in positive growth that comes from additional engaged customers
• Create actionable steps to ensure as you grow your business, customers are not forgotten