This is Part II … jump back if you missed Part I.

Moving up from good customer service to exceptional is the hard part, which is why it can still help you differentiate from your competitors. One key is creating a company-wide ethos that values empathy for your customers’ wants and needs. In “Immutable Laws of Marketing,” authors Al Ries and Jack Trout say it this way:

“Brilliant marketers have the ability to think like a prospect thinks. They put themselves in the shoes of their customers. They don’t impose their own view of the world on the situation.”

To do this, to think like your customers and imbue real empathy, consider a diligent and multifaceted approach:

 First and Always – Empower Employees to Deliver Outstanding Service: Your employees probably aren’t saving lives like the staff at the Taj Mumbai did. However, if you can give your employees the autonomy and resources to go above and beyond for customers and cultivate this deeply ingrained expectation, you’ll build a foundation for extreme customer loyalty. Empowered employees are more likely to deliver exceptional service, resolve issues efficiently and create positive customer experiences.

In “The Human Element,” authors Loran Nordgren and David Schonthal discuss focusing on reducing “Frictions” for customers and believe promotional base tactics—common loyalty points and discount programs—rarely build lasting loyalty and advocacy. Ok, what works better? Reducing frictions like poor customer interactions, e.g., having to repeat problems to multiple service reps before getting any resolution. We’ve all had those frustrating phone calls. According to Nordgren and Schonthal, “The question shouldn’t be: how do we delight the customer? The question should instead be: how do we make the interaction easy for the customer?

Foster a Sense of Community: Create platforms and initiatives that encourage customer interaction and build a sense of belonging. AG1 (formerly Athletic Greens) surveys customers regularly and after I – and likely thousands of others – asked them to stop including the superfluous plastic scoops in every bag, they did. The company asked, listened and acted, and I felt pride knowing that I had a (small) say in steering the brand and keeping wasted plastic out of landfills. Customers who feel heard, receiving not only a product in return for their money (and data), but also respect as an important voice in the process are much more likely to tell their friends about their experience. As I have. Other means to build a thriving community around your brand include investing time and attention in online forums, social media groups, and exclusive customer events to facilitate connections.

Personalize the Customer Journey: To prove that you are listening to customers, leverage data and analytics to personalize every touchpoint in the customer journey. Be diligent and consistent with carefully segmented audiences, tailored communications, customized recommendations, and personalized offers to demonstrate that you value each customer as an individual. While AI can make scaling these “personal” communications faster, one misstep can ruin months/years of work building trust and connections, so deploy new tech with caution.

Implement Innovative Loyalty Programs: If you can get creative, loyalty programs that reward and recognize your most devoted customers can work. Extra benefits, personalized rewards, and opportunities for early access to new products or services further give customers a sense of community belonging, added value, and exclusivity.

Particularly for startup founders, a base of devoted customers has the potential to become a very powerful extension of your marketing efforts, organically amplifying your brand message and driving sustainable growth.

Happy Customers are Royalty

In “Good To Great,” Jim Collins introduces Isaiah Berlin’s fable “The Hedgehog and the Fox,” which expands on an ancient Greek line, “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” Collins explains that the good-to-great companies took their unique understanding or value and distilled it into “a simple, crystalline concept that guided all their efforts,” and applied a “severe standard of excellence.” Like the hedgehog, they focused on One Big Thing and did it very well.

Not every company can do it, but it’s hard to argue against making very happy customers your One Big Thing. Just ask Jeff Bezos.

Leading with an honest customer-centric culture narrows your focus, helps reduce random and less effective marketing, and can even make those mission-critical decisions in the C-Suite a little easier. Or, at least bring them a little more clarity.

 If your company can ingrain an expectation of extreme customer loyalty across your organization, you’ll likely be better positioned to fend off all those other foxes trying to steal your business and lure hard-earned customers away.