WaterRemarks -- September 2022
News and views from customer experience advisory firm Watermark Consulting
A Message From Watermark Founder Jon Picoult
For the past decade, Southwest Airlines has been ranked either #1 or #2 in J.D. Power’s annual survey of U.S. airline passenger satisfaction. During the same period, the airline’s stock (with the highly appropriate ticker “LUV”) has outperformed the Dow Jones U.S. Airlines Index by an over 2-to-1 margin.

The "secret sauce" behind the airline's enduring success was on display this summer when the carrier announced a big change to its ticketing policies.

That change, and the lessons every business can learn from it, are the focus of this month's lead story.

Best regards,

Jon Picoult
Founder & Principal
Watermark Consulting
Southwest's Customer Experience Coup
With its latest customer experience improvement, Southwest Airlines has once again shaken up the airline industry -- providing yet another master class in CX differentiation, and a lesson for any business that seeks to stand out from the crowd. [4 minute read]
WSJ Features Jon Picoult's New Book As A Top Summer Reading Pick
Watermark founder Jon Picoult's new book -- "FROM IMPRESSED TO OBSESSED: 12 Principles For Turning Customers And Employees Into Lifelong Fans" -- was among those featured in this recent Wall Street Journal article about top summer reads. [6 minute read]
Hiring A Customer Service Speaker? Consider This First.
National Customer Service Week is less than a month away (October 3-7). If you're looking to energize your service team during that week (or any other), think twice before hiring a conventional "customer service" speaker. Read on to learn why. [2 minute read]
The Memory Science Behind A Great Customer Experience
Great companies recognize that they're not just in the business of shaping customers' experiences -- they're also in the business of shaping customers' memories. That's among the topics Jon Picoult covered in this interview on the "Build Your Network" podcast. Click on the clip above to hear an excerpt, or use the button below to access the full interview. [31 minute show]
Calendar flipping
ICYMI: Last Month's Edition Of WaterRemarks
Did you miss out on last month's edition of WaterRemarks? No worries, here's a link to access the newsletter and its lead story: "Tesla's Trillion Dollar Customer Experience."
THE LAST WORD
"Every second matters with customers waiting."

-- Natarajan Venkatakrishnan, Starbucks' SVP of Partner & Customer Solutions, explaining why the firm is obsessing over even the smallest operational details (like how many trips baristas must make across the café floor to prepare a particular drink) -- all as part of its renewed effort to elevate both employee and customer satisfaction.

Watermark helps companies impress customers, inspire employees and improve brand loyalty. Contact us to learn more.