Identifying and Eliminating Friction for Your Customers and Employees  Shep Hyken interviews John Boccuzzi Jr., president of ISG Research and author of The Art of Seducing Your Customers. He talks about how companies can ensure satisfaction and long-term growth by removing friction and continuously improving the customer and employee experience.  Top Takeaways:    If friction in business processes cannot immediately be fully eliminated, the goal is to minimize it over time. Companies should continually seek to identify and eliminate friction points within their operations to improve employee and customer experiences.    A positive employee experience contributes to positive customer experiences. If the employees are not having a great experience at work, it will reflect in the level of service they provide to customers. Investing in creating positive employee experiences directly influences the quality of service provided to the customers. A happy and satisfied workforce leads to a better customer service experience.    Businesses must design customer experiences that not only retain existing clients but also attract new customers. Creating a balance between customer retention and acquisition is essential for sustained growth and success.    Executives and company leaders should immerse themselves in their company's customer and employee experiences to gain valuable insights. Be a customer of your own business. Take time to experience firsthand the challenges and opportunities your customers and employees face daily within the business.    Companies must consider the balance between cost optimization and delivering exceptional experiences. Prioritizing customer and employee experiences over cost savings can lead to long-term success and sustainable growth.    Plus, Shep and John discuss the S.E.D.U.C.E. framework and how it can be applied to businesses of all sizes. Tune in!  Quote:   "Connect intentions with expectations. Businesses need to ensure that what they aim to deliver matches what the customers and employees experience to ensure consistency in the service."  About:    John Boccuzzi, Jr. is President of ISG Research. Before ISG, John was at Edible Arrangements and, before that, CEO of Kenosia, a data and analytics software company that was ranked #1 for customer experience four years in a row by Consumer Goods Magazine. His TEDx talk “I was Seduced by Exceptional Customer Service” was ranked the most popular video to learn Customer Experience lessons from by Omoto in 2018.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices