Moments of truth happen in every customer transaction. What happens when a weary traveler arrives at a hotel to find that she doesn’t actually have a reservation for that night? When a customer calls his bank about an error on his credit card statement? When a senior citizen needs help understanding changes to her government benefits?

Organizations spend a great deal of time and money trying to determine the optimal product mix, the right communication channels, the proper pricing or fee strategy, and, of course, the appropriate procedures for their employees to follow. But it’s your people who respond to these moments of truth and often determine what the consumer will do the next time they make a similar purchase decision, choose a financial services provider, or evaluate the quality of government services being provided.

I find that clients are often surprised when our analyses show that employees have such a powerful impact on future spending decisions and behavior. There is a big difference between having an offering that gets a customer in the door, and an experience that keeps her coming back. Proper measurement with in-depth analysis is critical for understanding not just what is important to customers (because it all is), but to understand what motivates their behavior.

Your competitors – both online and offline – can provide competitive products and pricing. Are you preparing and empowering your people to provide differentiated experiences that drive profitable loyalty? And are you measuring their success?