To Gain Customer—and Employee—Loyalty, Go Beyond Good Enough

To Gain Customer—and Employee—Loyalty, Go Beyond Good Enough

From HBR IdeaCast by Harvard Business Review

April 14, 2026 · 30 min · Episode 1074

About this episode

Marcus Buckingham discusses the importance of creating extreme positive experiences for customers and employees to foster loyalty.

Companies that spend their energy on incremental improvements to products, services, and even employee experience might just be spinning their wheels. Author Marcus Buckingham argues that data show that the only way to truly make an impact on performance is to make sure customers don't just like - but love - whatever you are selling them. He shares why extreme positive experiences are so important, companies that are getting it right, and how even the most basic products can inspire love and connection--with the right strategy. Buckingham is author of the HBR article "What Companies Can Learn from Their Biggest Fans" and the book Design Love In: How to Unleash the Most Powerful Force in Business.

People in this episode

Guest: Marcus Buckingham

Topics covered

  • customer loyalty
  • employee experience
  • product improvement
  • positive experiences
  • business strategy

Keywords

  • customer loyalty
  • employee experience
  • incremental improvements
  • business strategy
  • positive experiences

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Harvard Business Review

Books & works: What Companies Can Learn from Their Biggest Fans, Design Love In: How to Unleash the Most Powerful Force in Business

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