You can get upset, say how unpatriotic and downright un-American it is, but it doesn’t change the facts.

And after all, facts are stubborn things.

While most entrepreneurs are busy complaining about how fickle their customers are, here’s what Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, said in his recent shareholder letter:

“One thing I LOVE about customers is that they are divinely discontent.”

Notice, he doesn’t just tolerate the fact that customers are “divinely discontent,” he LOVES it.

He continues…

“Their expectations are never static – they go up. It’s human nature. People have a voracious appetite for a better way, and yesterday’s ‘wow’ quickly becomes today’s ‘ordinary’.

…I sense that the same customer empowerment phenomenon is happening broadly across everything we do at Amazon and most other industries as well. You cannot rest on your laurels in this world. Customers won’t have it.”

He doesn’t complain. He knows it won’t do any good.

He knows Amazon MUST keep improving.
Keep innovating.
Keep empowering their customers.

I’m not casting the first stone. I’ve been guilty of complaining about customers’ never ending demands and their continuously evolving expectations.

And what good have those complaints done me? Nada!

Instead of complaining, what if I, what if you, invested that time and energy into finding ways to exceed our customers – and as Jeff would say – ever evolving expectations?

I have no empirical evidence, but I’d be willing to bet we’d both be better off.

Accept the fact that customers are going to constantly expect more – and often for less money – and start empowering your customers.

Serve them better than you served them yesterday. Give more than you gave yesterday.

If you won’t, someone else – like Amazon – will.

-wayne

PS – You can read Jeff’s entire shareholder letter (which is well worth a read) here:

https://blog.aboutamazon.com/c…/2017-letter-to-shareholders/