You’ve no doubt heard (or can recall) Hans Christian Andersen’s story, “The Ugly Duckling.” If not, here’s a quick refresher: It’s about a baby swan who suffers abuse from his barnyard companions because of how he looks—he’s assumed to be a baby duckling, and an “ugly” one at that—until one day, to everyone’s surprise (including his), he matures into a swan, deemed to be the most beautiful bird of all.

The before and after, that all-important transformation, made all the difference in this bird’s life. Can you see how I might make a connection with that story to customer experience?

Think about it. The customer experience is bad with so many companies today. But imagine the surprise and delight customers would feel if, tomorrow, these companies suddenly appeared as transformed organizations, ready to treat employees and customers well, do right by both, and deliver the experience customers expect. That would be a hoot.

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