“We Thought We Were Delivering Luxury Experiences..."

“We thought we were delivering luxury experiences, and 45 minutes later, we are tearing up our playbook and starting over.”

I just wrapped up a conference in Miami Beach focused on the high-end luxury segment, and everyone in the room was a luxury specialist representing some of the most exclusive brands in the world. My session was dedicated to forecasting the future of luxury experience, what will delight luxury consumers, and how companies can alter their strategies to be at the front of these upcoming market shifts.

Ironically, most luxury companies believe that they are delivering exceptional experiences-- that is the “reality gap” we’ve talked about many times before. But when we actually score their strategies, audit their frameworks, and measure the right elements of customer delight, we realize that there are so many opportunities to step forward into the next generation of luxury experience!

One great starting point that every company can consider: Don’t mistake 5-star service for a great experience. Even the best service is tactical, expected and, for many today, considered table stakes. But great service alone will not create a memory – and if it doesn’t create a sustained memory, it’s not a great experience!