See Why Your Business May Be More Like Macy's then You Think

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One of the things that frustrate us all is uncertainty and unpredictability. Even when we want to explore a new adventure and something new, we can't wait to find out what's next. This is the way most of us do it.

When we are regularly exposed to uncertainty, our anxiety increases, our stress increases, and we look for a way to prevent it from continuing. If you think about it in terms of your customers, that's not a good thing. If your customers are regularly presented with uncertainties and confusion, they too will become worried, frustrated, and eventually leave to find a place that doesn't cause it.

I call this "Random Actions of Perfection and Chaos." This is where your customer experience is unpredictable from day to day, from person to person, thus causing your customers to worry and eventually leave.

I was traveling to Southern California recently and had the "opportunity" to go to Macy's on Costa Mesa CA near Newport Beach. I'm usually afraid to walk into Macy's for a variety of reasons, and I'm sure many of you have experienced it. One of them is that there is no one to help you when you need guidance, so it's like shopping online, you're only in a store. After poking around for a while, decide (without questions) whether you like what you're looking for and then try to find a payment line to pay for. Sound familiar?

But this time he perfectly demonstrated the concept of "Random Actions of Perfection and Chaos". This visit was different. I went to the mall with my wife as she was looking for a "mother of the bride" dress for our daughters upcoming wedding. While she was shopping, I chose to wander around the mall as it is a very "high end" mall that caters to a very different class of customers. This mall had stores like Bloomingdales, Sax Fifth Avenue, Dior and all the fancy luxury stores you can think of... I've never heard of most of them before. I know I'm always in the wrong place when I pass stores with 20 bags filling an entire store and guards to greet you in front of the store door. It is clear that these stores carry a high price tag for their goods.

But while I was looking for a coffee shop to grab an Americano while I waited for my wife to finish (or look at) her shopping, I saw a Starbucks sign. Curiously, it was located on the top floor of Macy's... a strange place for me. So I took the escalator three floors up and got my coffee.

Since I've been at Macy's, I thought I'd check out the one thing I've bought from them in the last few years... Tommy Bahama clothes. It is one of the stores that carry their products and often discount some of their clothes. I love Tommy Bahama quality and fit, so I usually check them out if I'm at a Macy's store. As I was descending the escalator, I saw several employees stocking a (rare) shelf, so I went upstairs and asked if they could direct me to the men's section, specifically the Tommy Bahama section. One of the two ladies in particular was very friendly and seemed quite willing to help me. He explained that Macy's actually has 3 stores in this mall... a women's, men's and homewares store. All I could think of was how much it would have to cost for them to go into inventory. He said that the men's clothing store is not in this store and it's a bit down the street from the mall.

Here's where the "unusual for Macy's" thing happened. He offered to take me to the menswear store and told me to follow him to show me where the store was. What?!? A Macy's employee actually wants to help me in some way...which was totally unexpected in my past experience. This was strictly a "Random Perfection Law". I followed him around the mall and he told me about the different stores, the layout of the mall, why they did it this way, and gave me a lot of information during our walk. He was incredibly friendly throughout our walk, he didn't feel like my questions were throwing him out at all. As we approached the shop, I told him I could take care of the rest of the way and thanked him for taking the time to help me. He said it was okay and he was happy to do it.

I was in shock... where was I? Was I dreaming or did this happen all of a sudden? This was strictly a "Random Perfection Law". What I've had at Macy's in the past is something far outside the norm, which is often "a consistent act of chaos." It was an "extraordinary customer experience" and one I will never forget... After all, I'm taking the time to share it with you.

But herein lies the problem of "Random Acts of Excellence". He set the bar high for me... he showed me that a Macy's employee can deliver a truly great customer experience. I've managed to have a great customer experience from a company I know has always offered a "substandard" customer experience. I'm confused... is this really a "random move" or is this a new way of doing business?

Unfortunately, that's the problem with "random acts of perfection"... they are inconsistent. I had this wonderful experience one day and tomorrow I'm getting a "substandard act of chaos". This creates "customer confusion", which ultimately leads to the customer "deviating" and choosing other options.

You might think this is great, but someone stood up and acted differently, actually working against this organization. creates uncertainty and