For anyone who knows me, it’s about classic rock, timeless fashion, and fond memories of my younger years. To sum up in a single statement: Old school is the only school. And yes, I’m sure there is a resounding cheer from all the Gen Xers out there to hear such a battlecry, but please know that it comes with a giant caveat.

As much as I love my old school sentimentality, there are too many things in our world that have simply become far better through technology. The fact that I have my entire old school album collection conveniently accessible through a music streaming app, my favorite TV shows available on demand at anytime all with commercials, and the fact that food, clothing, and anything else I can think of can be purchased from anywhere through any device on a mere whim—yeah, new school adds up its coolness points pretty damn fast.

And like everything I just mentioned, all of that and so much more is all about me—and in the digital age, it should be…right? It should also be all about you, or your friends, and as we will discuss, your customers. That’s the new school way: personalized to the core for every individual regardless of wants, needs, desires, location, or device.

The old school idea of personalization is just that: old. Unless you’re running a general store at an Old Wild West historical site where you know all 40 of your customers, the concept of managing everything in one’s own brain or leather-bound notebook sounds downright absurd.

However, oddly enough, the technological missing links from that example are obvious, the sentiment is actually quite timeless. Retailers, restauranteurs, grocers, and more—they all used to know their customers. And yes, due to the numbers involved it was far easier to manage, but the point here is that every customer was known, and every customer mattered.

So here we are, the twenty-first century where digital connectivity and communication is everything—the perfect time with the perfect solutions to bring back old school customer relationships all paired with the latest in leading-edge technology. We can do away with manual and time consuming processes such as notes, spreadsheets, paper-based customer files, and literally get to know our customers again no matter how many there might be.

Enter the New School approach. For every customer, the vast majority has a mobile device. More so, they most likely also have additional devices including tablets, laptops, and/or desktops. This is literally the epitome of opportunity for every organization that is rooted in customer service to catapult heir business forward into an entirely new world of profitability and success.

We all know that people expect personalization. And, we all know that digital transformation is being driven by that expectation. Consequently, creating a digital environment by which customer desires are captured and acted on, is by default what customers want. Therefore, why would anyone not pursue this?

Taking the simplest of steps, such as launching a mobile app, can start a journey to success in literally days. Oh, and if you think that sounds impossible, I’m more than happy to show you our revolutionary pre-built, brand-able mobile app that can be configured and ready to launch in hours—but that’s a different conversation.

Perhaps it’s also capturing data at the Point of Sale (POS) through email, phone, and so much more, but all of this is doable and easy. The best part, the new school technology available has turned the corner from the complex to the easy, making it impossible to ignore.

Now, you can literally greet everyone by name, know their likes, dislikes, past purchases, their wish lists and more, from online, in-app, or in-store. And best of all, it’s genuine, heartfelt knowledge. Data is a tremendous new school gift that everyone needs to embrace. It brings us all closer, breaks down past barriers, and delivers an experience that was once thought long forgotten.

Perhaps this isn’t about disparaging old school, or even elevating new school ideals. Maybe it’s about generations of experience culminating in a new and exciting time where we all get to know each other just a little bit better. And, maybe we can do it while listening to classic rock? Sorry, that was just me making it about me once again. lol