Delivering good customer service is no longer a viable competitive advantage—today’s buyers and consumers have come to expect it. Although we all know that “great service” tends to be referenced in many company value propositions, it really does little to help a business stand out. Market leaders are now focusing on the customer experience, and those who have figured out a way to create an engaged customer experience are quickly discovering that it can become an effective competitive advantage.

The customer experience is defined as the interaction between an organization and a customer over the duration of their relationship. It extends beyond the required touchpoints that occur during the delivery of a service or product transaction. The focus to provide a solid customer experience is the result of competitive pressures from new business entrants, “me-too” products, and price concessions. Promotions or techniques that were once used to gain market share, increase client loyalty, and build better relationships simply aren’t enough anymore. Marketing executives recognize that the customer experience is the number one competitive strategy in today’s industry, and it now outperforms price and product brand.

According to a recent Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends survey, nearly 91% of enterprise respondents consider the development of a flawless customer experience across all communication channels to be important or very important to a campaign.