When it comes to customer experiences, one brand always saves the day!

Today is an important date in the world of e-commerce because on this date in 1994, Jeff Bezos launched Amazon. Initially created as an online bookseller, it has evolved into an online marketplace where almost anything can be found and purchased, sometimes earning the nickname "the disrupter of industries" according Entrepreneur magazine and, in the process over the years, also earning the nickname "The Everything Store" by The New York Times. This post serves as a birthday greeting to Amazon!

According to Wikipedia, "The company, originally named Cadabra, was founded in the converted garage of Bezos' house and was renamed to Amazon in November 1994. Bezos chose the Seattle area for its abundance of technical talent from Microsoft and the University of Washington, as well as its smaller population for sales tax purposes and the proximity to a major book distribution warehouse in Roseburg, Oregon. The Amazon website launched for public sales on July 16, 1995, and initially sourced its books directly from wholesalers and publishers. Amazon went public in May 1997. It began selling music and videos in 1998, and began international operations by acquiring online sellers of books in the United Kingdom and Germany. In 1999, it initiated the sale of a diverse range of products, including music, video games, consumer electronics, home improvement items, software, games, and toys."

Recently, I received an email from a well-known jewelry brand, a brand that has become even more widely known due to its latest brand spokesperson, Ariana Grande, who has become a mega-star due to the international success of WICKED, THE MOVIE (parts one and two). In the email, there were several nice jewelry items with links to the products on the brand's website. I visited the website to take a look and then decided to visit a local store to try several items on in person. 

Once I arrived at the local store, I saw two salespeople and two other customers - so the store was definitely not busy. Once one customer left, I asked the available salesperson for assistance because she did not approach me - and she did not welcome me to the store either. I showed her the items I was interested in trying on, and she checked inventory on her handheld device. She told me that there were no bracelets or necklaces in stock at her store. Note, I had checked the website prior to my in-store visit and learned that the store had the items in stock. While shaking my head, I asked to see some other items and showed the salesperson the email I had received, and again, she said the items were not in stock at her store. I thanked her and left.

What did I do upon returning home and booting up my computer? If you guessed "logged into Amazon," you'd be correct. I immediately logged into my Amazon account and searched for the desired item, the Gema Bracelet Mixed cuts, Multicolored, Rhodium plated from Swarovski - surprisingly at a lower price than from the store - and purchased it. I also learned that there were other items in the Gema Crystal Collection that had not been advertised by the brand, either in-store on online. 

As a result of this purchase from Amazon and not from Swarovski, I started to think about how completely different the two customer experience journeys were. According to customer experience expert and author Annette Franz, "A journey map is a visual story-capturing/storytelling exercise during which you paint the picture of the customer experience for a specific interaction by walking in the customers' shoes to capture their steps, needs, and perceptions of the interaction. Journey mapping is a creative process that allows you to understand – and then redesign – the customer experience. The output is not just a "pretty picture" once the map is developed, it is meant to be a catalyst for change."

Therefore, if this famous jewelry brand wishes to keep customers so that they purchase directly from them rather than sending customers elsewhere, it would behoove them to improve their customer journey mapping process.

To quote Zen Yinger, who shared her thoughts about Amazon on my blog during my Spring Leadership Series last year: "What sets Amazon apart is not just the convenience it offers, but the unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction...In essence, Amazon isn't just a company; it's a symbol of customer-centric leadership, innovation, inclusivity, adaptability, and responsibility. It represents the evolution of an industry leader that not only meets - but anticipates - the needs of a dynamic and interconnected world."

And lastly, let's return to a quote from Annette Franz that appeared here on my blog in 2016, "You need to ensure that you deliver a great experience at all stages of the customer lifecycle." Seems like there are a lot of take-away lessons for Swarovski from my recent experience, because according to Bill Gates, "Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."

SHARE THIS: We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It's our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better. ~Jeff Bezos #CustomerExperience #DebbieLaskeysBlog

Image Credits: Swarovski and Amazon.

Check out Annette's newest book, Employee Understanding:

https://cx-journey.com/employee-understanding

Read SPRING LEADERSHIP SERIES – Featuring Zen Yinger (June 2024):

https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2024/06/spring-leadership-series-featuring-zen.html

Read An Amazing Amazon Experience – But It Didn't Start That Way (January 2018):

https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2018/01/an-amazing-amazon-experience-but-it.html

Read Customer Service Is Not Something to Drive Around (June 2016):

https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2016/06/customer-service-is-not-something-to.html 

The UPS Store Cannot Do Everyth-ing

When it comes to outstanding customer experiences, what retail stores stand out? While Nordstrom probably appears in most people’s top five list, there is one retail store that wishes it could be included.

With all the television advertising that the UPS Store does to promote its “-ing” capabilities, such as, copying, faxing, printing, packing, shipping, shredding, moving (supplies), notarizing, etc., what about simple CARING for customers in a polite manner?

Check out a 2018 press release released by the corporate office based in San Diego, California:

“The new “Beyond Shipping” campaign was inspired by a nationwide research effort that revealed small business owners know The UPS Store takes care of shipping, but were surprised to discover the extensive range of business services the locally owned and operated locations offer. Lighthearted and humorous, the fully integrated campaign features fast-paced commercials and videos showcasing the breadth of existing services available at The UPS Store as every “ing” a small business owner might need.”

However, read about my recent experience at a UPS Store in a suburb of Los Angeles, and I guarantee that you’ll cringe with me.

I walked into the store with a pre-packaged and labeled box to be returned to Amazon. While I did not have to wait in line, I chose to wait for the employee, who was assisting another customer, so that I could get a receipt showing that the box had been scanned into the UPS system, aka, received. This scanning receipt would serve as proof to Amazon that I had dropped off the package - and I would be entitled to my refund for the item being returned.

After waiting several minutes, the employee took the box from me and said, “I don’t give paper receipts. They just go into landfills anyway. Consider the box scanned.” Then he dropped the box on the counter behind him and engaged the next customer.

I asked when he would scan the box to show me that the box was, indeed, entered into the UPS system, and he rudely said, “I’ll get to it later.”

Wow!

What happens if my box gets lost? UPS cannot and will not guarantee my refund from Amazon if the box gets lost without being scanned.

And who appointed this particular UPS employee as National Environment Czar to determine that no one gets printed receipts? I know for a fact that EVERY OTHER UPS STORE PRINTS RECEIPTS UPON REQUEST, because I have requested and received them.

This experience got me thinking...I wonder if the UPS Store’s corporate office approves each franchise’s business practices, because this one definitely has no idea how to interact with customers nor how to align with the corporate brand’s advertising messages.

On a final note: the irony is not lost on me that if this particular employee is such an environment lover, he should not work in a store that deals with paper and packages!


Image credit: The UPS Store.

How Well Does Your Brand Know Your Customers?

Over the last decade, thanks to social media, I have had the privilege to meet a variety of amazing marketing, leadership, and customer experience/customer service experts. One of these experts is Jerry Angrave in England. We recently had a discussion about customer experiences and their impact on the overall brand experience. Highlights of our conversation follow Jerry's introduction.

Jerry Angrave is Customer and Passenger Experience Director of Empathyce, a UK-based Customer Experience (CX) consulting and coaching company. His background is in CX roles in the corporate world. As a consultant, he has helped organisations around the world culturally, strategically and operationally in sectors including aviation, financial services, SaaS companies, and utilities. He is also a mentor and trainer for professional development of those in CX roles. In 2020, he wrote his first book, the Customer Journey Mapping Playbook. Connect on Twitter @JerryAngrave and on his website: www.empathyce.com.

QUESTION: In one of your Blog posts, you explained four ways to secure buy-in for Customer Experience from skeptical stakeholders. Can you share your secrets?
JERRY ANGRAVE: We have to help them see how CX can support what they do and contribute to their objectives. Create a starting point they are familiar with: themselves. Ask them to talk about experiences, good or bad, they’ve had with companies in their own lives. Explore what happened, how they felt, what they did or will (not) do next time and reflect on how that impacts the business. The penny will drop, I assure you.

(Post referenced: https://empathyce.com/securing-buy-in-for-customer-experience/)

QUESTION: There’s currently a lot of buzz surrounding the concept of customer journey mapping. You wrote a book on the topic. Can you boil it down to a quick explanation?
JERRY ANGRAVE: Journey mapping is the practice of not just creating a visual representation of what it’s like to be a customer, but of then doing something with it. It’s about organising the thinking about a customer journey into stages and then for each stage, recording what are they doing, thinking, and feeling. At this point, it’s nothing to do with your process maps, they get overlaid later. But armed with a journey map, validated by customers, it becomes apparent where the biggest, easiest wins are for both customers and the business based on the pain points and where you are creating emotions that erode value.

(Post referenced: https://empathyce.com/book-on-customer-journey-mapping/)

QUESTION: There is a direct correlation between the customer experience and the employee experience. Can you elaborate based on a post on your Blog whereby you wrote that customer journey mapping leads to employee engagement?
JERRY ANGRAVE: The act of having a journey mapping workshop brings people together in a way that rarely happens. They will be from right across the business, different functions who are often in conflict with each other and third parties who may not share quite the same values. But the common thread here is how they all collectively have an impact on the customer. They learn about their own business, the roles each person has, and are given permission to step back from the functional day-job to think about the customer. Done effectively, that ignites an excitement and belief abut the benefits of focusing on customers and the pride that will come and with it, therefore, deeper employee engagement.

(Post referenced: https://empathyce.com/using-journey-mapping-understand-measure-employee-engagement/)

QUESTION: Since March 2020, which brands have stood out by providing excellent customer service during the covid pandemic?
JERRY ANGRAVE: It’s tricky to call out any specific brand because so many have stepped up, refocused their business around people and done the right thing, whatever that may be for them. For others, it’s not been their best moment. So the ones that stand out are those who didn’t just keep doing what they were doing but recognised the position their customers were in and were brave enough to throw the operational manual out the window and, in some cases reinvent themselves. People will remember those companies who helped them through this as well as those who stayed wedded to their policies and procedures come what may. It’s not just the big corporations, the corner shop, the local gym, and café have all learned as they go and done some amazing things.

QUESTION: Have you had any exceptional customer experiences during the covid era?               JERRY ANGRAVE: I’d say early on when it wasn’t quite clear what was happening, yet a booking we had with AirBnB was changed and then refunded without question. The expectation was that it would be like dealing with one of the airlines who’ve not covered themselves in glory but it couldn’t have been easier. We felt they trusted us, it worked as they promised, and as a result, I have no doubt we’ll use them again.

QUESTION: Bill Gates has a famous quote, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” What does that quote mean to you?
JERRY ANGRAVE: At one level, it’s obvious, but at another, it’s about being brave, being bold enough to take time to empathise with those who are most frustrated by what you do. It holds the leadership team to account...if they are not prepared to speak directly to an unhappy customer, then the future of that company will be limited.

 
My gratitude to Jerry for appearing on my Blog and sharing his inspiring international insights about customer experience marketing.

Image Credit: Image by Patrick Tomasso via Unsplash app.


In first question, Jerry's post, Securing buy-in for Customer Experience, listed four ways. Here they are:
1. Get them to tell their own stories
2. Spend time getting to know them
3. Talk to other peers and colleagues as well as senior stakeholders
4. Make the business case, even informally

To learn more about the benefits of customer journey mapping, read this post:
https://www.garyfox.co/benefits-customer-journey-mapping/

For an interesting commentary, read this post:
Journey/Experience Mapping Isn't Just for Customers
https://www.brcommunity.com/articles.php?id=b878

Tips to Focus on Your Customers During #COVID19

The best part of social media, and especially my favorite platforms Twitter and Instagram, is the people I meet from all over the world and the information they share. Recently, I met Augie Ray on Twitter, and due to our shared passion for customer experience marketing, I invited him to appear on my Blog to share his expertise. Highlights of our conversation follow a brief introduction.

Augie Ray is Vice President, Analyst at Gartner. He publishes research and offers guidance on topics relating to customer experience (CX), including CX strategy and governance, the ROI of CX, voice of customer programs, and the role of personas and journey mapping as tools to improve customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy.  Augie has also led the Gartner for Marketer’s research response to COVID-19. Prior to Gartner, Augie was Director of CX action at American Express and led social media at two Fortune 500 companies.

QUESTION: How do you clarify the difference between "customer experience" and "customer experience management?"
AUGIE RAY: I see CX and CXM as different sides of the same coin. CX is the customers' side, and it's their perceptions and feelings accumulated from all of the experiences they have with a brand. The definition of CXM comes from the brand’s side of the relationship, and it is the practice of anticipating, planning, and reacting to customer interactions to meet their expectations and improve customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy. That last part is essential: customer experience management is about what we do strengthen customer relationships and deliver strong retention, frequency, cost to serve, referrals, and other business benefits.

QUESTION: Which social platform is the best tool for creating a quality customer experience, and why?
AUGIE RAY: This is a trick question. All CX should begin with an understanding of a customer’s needs and expectations. As a result, there is no single answer. A given audience and persona may need, want, or value experiences on Facebook while another may desire brand interactions on TikTok. Or, a given persona may not value having social media engagement with brands in the first place.

As a CX advisor, I recommend listening to what customers want and evaluating their feedback for drivers of satisfaction and dissatisfaction before deciding on a channel for CX. In other words, the question shouldn't be which social platform is best for CX (with the implicit assumption that one must be best). Instead ask, "What are customers' needs and drags on their loyalty, and are social platforms equipped to help your brand deliver on expectations?"

QUESTION: Have you had any exceptional customer experiences during the current COVID-19 era? Please elaborate.
AUGIE RAY: The number of disappointing customer experiences I've had during the COVID-19 era is much greater than the exceptional ones, but there is a local restaurant whose pivot to curbside pickup has been outstanding and is a wonderful model for other restaurants.

While other restaurants simply shifted their full menu to take-out or delivery, Buckley's (https://www.buckleysmilwaukee.com) gave some real thought to providing the best experience under the circumstances. It limited the menu to focus on things the staff could best produce that would travel well. The restaurant updated its website with prominent information about its COVID-19 offerings. And, the thing I really like is that the food comes with instructions for reheating and assembling.

Other restaurants' food comes lukewarm, soggy, and in need of reheating, which only diminishes the experience that much more. Buckley's food takes a tad bit more work to complete the process but is warm, fresh, and tasty. (And the handwritten thank you note in each order is a nice touch, as well.) While some restaurants merely shifted to the take-out or delivery services they already had, Buckley's reconsidered how customers can best enjoy their food despite the challenges.

The funny thing is that I wasn't that big of a fan of the place before COVID-19, but they've become my go-to neighborhood restaurant during our stay-at-home period, and it's changed my perception of the place. I suspect I'm not alone, as the lines of cars waiting for curbside pickup demonstrate.

QUESTION: On your blog, you wrote, "In an increasingly social, mobile, and real-time world, brands are created not by the messages they broadcast but by the experiences they offer — ones that create empathy, build trust, earn loyalty, spur Word-of-Mouth, encourage collaboration, and provide ever greater value to customers in innovative ways." How would you propose that brands improve their messaging for the post-COVID-19 era?
One thing brands must do during COVID-19 is to avoid relying only on messaging but to lead with actions. It's one thing to say you're empathetic but another thing entirely to be empathetic. It's faded a bit now, but in the first month of the COVID-19 crisis, brands filled the airwaves with lookalike ads competing to convey how deeply each brand cared about employees and customers. They all felt alike, and thus, did little to differentiate the brands.

Also, people got sick of those ads quite quickly because they didn't need brands to express their care for employees and customers but to actually care. Don't just say you're grateful to your frontline workers; show them your appreciation by adequately compensating them and providing the necessary protection. Don't just buy an ad to tell customers you support them; consider the challenges customers face and proactively offer solutions. Before you spend one dollar on messaging during the pandemic, make sure your actions speak louder than your words.

In addition, I try to avoid talking about “post-COVID” with my clients. We’re not likely to be post-COVID for 12 to 18 months and possibly longer. There’s a long road ahead, and I urge brands to focus on the lengthy and difficult period of uncertainty we face throughout 2020 and into 2021 rather than trying to predict and plan for a “post-COVID” world quite yet. Most brands face far too many difficulties in the immediate future to start jumping to conclusions of what 2022 might be like, in my opinion.

QUESTION: What are your three favorite brands, and why?
AUGIE RAY: I'm a big fan of Disney, particularly the quality of its content and the experience at its resorts. I joke that one of the reasons I'm a CX professional today was that my first Walt Disney World experiences were so remarkable, I had no choice but to read about the culture, practices, and leadership that could deliver those experiences.

I think Best Buy has done a remarkable job of navigating the challenges of the digital and brick-and-mortar experience. They're an example of how the online and offline channels can work together and feel like extensions of each other rather than the sort of awkward online/offline divide I see from so many other retailers.

And, I respect USAA a great deal. I had the pleasure to work for USAA and got to see how the brand prioritizes the member from the inside out. My employment experience with USAA continues to inspire me for how customer-centricity can be made such a big and important part of a company's culture.

My gratitude and appreciation to Augie for appearing on my Blog and for sharing his inspiring insights.

Image Credit: Augie Ray outside Buckley's.

Ignore Unhappy Customers at Your Own Peril

I read a Gartner Research article* recently that began, "Many marketing leaders today are responsible for customer experience and customer retention in addition to traditional marketing activities oriented to awareness, consideration, and acquisition. As a result, they're not only asking what makes customers buy products in the first place, but also why customers leave."

This quote has stuck with me since I recently had the third and final customer experience at a major home improvement retail chain (you would recognize the name instantly), and as a result, I have left this particular retailer for good. The sad thing is, no one at that retail chain - not senior leadership, not the marketing team, and not the customer service department - cares that it lost a repeat long-term customer. Here's what happened.

Last December, I purchased a new refrigerator/freezer, washing machine, and dryer. When these three items were delivered to my home, the freezer was missing two shelves, which, if the only problem, would have been a minor matter. I returned to the local store and requested two replacement shelves. A salesperson took two shelves from the floor model and gave them to me. Strike One.

The next day, I smelled something odd in my laundry room. Apparently, there was a gas leak as a result of the incorrect installation of the dryer, so I had to call Southern California Gas. The installer had not put a seal between the valve and the hose, so the So Cal Gas repairman had to visit my home and install one immediately. Strike Two.

This summer, I returned to the home improvement store to purchase a gazebo for my backyard. When the 750-pound box was delivered, the deliveryman used a forklift to attempt to put the large box in my garage, but he scraped my driveway with the forklift. Had he said there could have been damage to the driveway from the forklift, I would have instructed him to place the large box in front of my house, but I did not get the chance. Now, because I want to repair the driveway as soon as possible, I have to hire a contractor to visit my home and repair the driveway. Strike Three.

I looked up the email address for Customer Service on the retailer's website and sent a detailed email. Within a day, I received a response that said, "(Store name) will be happy to help you." The email continued by saying that I needed to speak to the store manager where I purchased the items. I was told that I could not speak to anyone in the corporate customer service department. Strike Four.

A week after my email, I spoke with the local store manager on the phone. He again stated that he wanted to make things right, but when I explained that I resolved both the missing shelves issue and the gas leak issue back in December, and the only remaining issue was the damaged driveway, he said that he would have to file a claim with the delivery company. He explained that the store hired a company to deliver items, so the store was not responsible for any issues resulting from the delivery company. Strike Five.

I said that I did not want to wait for a claim to be filed, an investigator to visit my house to personally assess the damage, and then wait for a decision if a repair would be approved. Guess what happened? The manager hung up the phone on me. Strike Six. If you're a baseball fan, you know that there are too many strikes in this story.

On their own, these instances were disappointing. But taken together, they represent a lack of understanding of customer service and even worse, a total disregard for customers. At any point during my interactions - email, phone, in-person visits - anyone who represented this retail store could have taken ownership for my series of bad experiences and attempted to make things right.

They could have offered:
*A $250 gift certificate
*A free BBQ since it's summertime
*A $250 gift certificate to be used in the garden center

I am reminded of Bill Gates' timeless quote about the value of unhappy customers, and even if nothing had been offered to me, I would have remained a customer if someone from the store had simply acknowledged my concerns and agreed that changes had to be made so that these actions were not repeated for other customers.

Since no one did anything, I have no choice. I'm no longer a customer of this home improvement store - but will now only go to the competitor (whose name you'd also immediately recognize). What would you have done if you had been in my shoes?


*Here's the article that inspired this post:
"Why Customers Leave - and What to Do" by Frances Russell of Gartner Research
https://blogs.gartner.com/frances-russell/2019/07/09/why-customers-leave-and-what-to-do

Image Credit: Quote from Bill Gates.

How Inviting Are Your Brand's Surveys?

Most brands conduct market research and send surveys to customers, fans, and other stakeholders on a regular basis. There is a simple reason why. We all want a pulse on our products and services. Are we hitting the right target audiences? Do they like what we offer? Do they want to make either minor or major changes? Do they want us to introduce sub-brands? There is something, though, that most brands forget when they distribute survey requests: How do you inform someone that they don't qualify after you already asked?

In today's online and social world, most survey requests are distributed by email or text and contain a link to the actual survey. This is because it's very easy to create a survey using a free or competitively priced online tool, such as, SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, SurveyPlanet, etc.

The initial request may even offer something of value to the recipient which makes taking the survey attractive. There may be a guarantee of something of value, or in most cases, there is the possibility of winning a gift card, an Apple product, etc.

The offer of something of value may entice a recipient to spend the time taking the survey, but the likelihood of completing the survey depends on the number of questions, the level of detail, and the amount of time necessary. The likelihood of having a survey of five or fewer questions completed is much higher than a survey of 20 questions and multiple screens.

Anyhow, most brands don't spend the time to consider what happens when a possible survey taker does not qualify to take the survey. This recipient of the "ask" email or text receives the ask and responds with a click to the actual survey. He/she is then asked to answer one qualifier. That question could be "What is your occupation?" or "What is your age?" or "Where do you live?"

If the recipient does not answer the qualifier question correctly, then he/she does not fit into the demographic group that is desired for the survey. So, what happens at this point? Most brands may have a screen that says, "Thank you, but you're not part of the demographic we want to answer our survey." Or, even worse, since the initial ask may have indicated, "Your Opinion Matters," apparently that is not the truth - and your brand may lose a customer or annoy the stakeholder.

This situation presents an amazing opportunity for the brand to talk directly to a customer, fan, or stakeholder BECAUSE YOU ALREADY HAVE SOMEONE'S ATTENTION:
1. The brand could introduce a new product or service
2. The brand could share a testimonial
3. The brand could share an interview with the President/CEO
4. The brand launch a new loyalty program
5. The brand could promote a partnership with a community nonprofit

So, remember, surveys should be considered another element of your overall customer experience, and important touchpoint in your customer journey. What did your brand do with its last survey? Chime in and share.

Image Credit: Touchpoints Research.

Does Your Brand Walk in Your Customer's Shoes?

Call me a little old-fashioned because I may be one of the last remaining people on the planet who still use a printer, and specifically, a color printer. The reason is simple: sometimes, I encounter documents that I want to keep or re-read at a later date. But to do that, I need a printer. For those of you who may be concerned, I support the environment and always use recycled paper. Recently, I had an in-store experience at office superstore Staples that was not worthy of clicking the brand’s “easy button.”

I wanted to purchase new ink cartridges for my printer, and I needed four: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Unfortunately, the store only had the individual cartridges for my printer. Normally, the four cartridges come in one single package at a lower price than each individual cartridge. Each cartridge costs about $20 for a total of $80. But when the four cartridges are sold as a set, the cost is somewhere between $60 to $70. So, there was a difference of $10 to $20, that I was now going to have to pay.

At the check-out counter, I explained the price difference to the salesperson and mentioned that there were no sets on display. So, I asked if Staples could match the price of the set and charge me the lower price – instead of charging me the total of four individual cartridges.

The salesperson adamantly shook his head and told me that my request could not be honored. He did not even attempt to find a manager or ask any other employees. He made the decision immediately.

So, since I had items to print and didn’t really have time to waste, my hands were tied. I purchased the four individual ink cartridges and left the store, but as I walked to my car, I wondered about the amount of customer service training provided at this particular Staples store. Was the Staples mantra of every customer interaction being easy, or a click of the Staples “easy button,” merely words? Do the stores only carry limited products to force customers to spend more? Would the salesperson have treated members of Staples’ leadership team the same way if they had been customers and secret shoppers? And finally, did the salesperson realize that he was providing a lousy customer experience?

Had I been the salesperson and not been able to match the lower price item, I would have responded in one of the following ways:

• “I’m really sorry that we don’t have the set you want to purchase in stock. How about if I order it online for you and expedite shipping to you at no cost?”
• “I’m so sorry that we don’t have the exact item you want in our store. I’d like to make your next visit a better one, so here’s a ten-dollar gift card with no expiration date.”
• “I’m so sorry, but I’m unable to price match. But here’s a free ream of paper for you.”

If you had been the salesperson, what would you have done to avoid alienating me – and making sure I go to Office Depot the next time I need ink cartridges or any other office supplies?

Finally, a reminder from Shep Hyken (@Hyken on Twitter), “When I refer to amazing customer service, I’m not suggesting that every interaction you and your company has with a customer has to be an “over the top” experience. The key is that they are always at least a little better than average. (Always is not easy). ”


Image Credit: Jenn David Design (www.jenndavid.com).

Why Your Brand Needs a University and Other Tips for an Amazing #BrandExperience

I may be unique in my choice of favorite social media platforms, but I've met a myriad of amazing and inspiring people through my Tweets, conversations, and chats on Twitter. Recently, I met Dennis Snow, a fellow advocate for creating positive and memorable customer experiences. Since we've both worked for "the company that started with a mouse," as Walt Disney used to describe The Walt Disney Company (Dennis at Walt Disney World, and me at Disneyland Paris in France), I invited Dennis to appear on my blog to share some of his insights about customer service and customer experience marketing. 

At the end of an interaction between a brand and a customer/fan/guest/client/media rep/stakeholder, a positive and memorable experience results in an amazing brand experience. Tips to create an amazing brand experience and highlights of my conversation with Dennis follow a brief introduction.

Dennis Snow is a business author, speaker, and consultant who helps organizations deliver a world-class customer experience. He is the author of two best-selling business books, "Lessons from the Mouse: A Guide for Applying Disney World’s Secrets of Success to Your Organization and Career" (DC Press), and “Unleashing Excellence: The Complete Guide to Ultimate Customer Service” (Wiley). Visit Dennis' website at www.snowassociates.com, read his blog at https://snowassociates.com/blog, connect on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennissnow), and follow on Twitter @DennisSnow.

QUESTION: You've spent a great deal of time teaching others about the secrets of customer service from "the company that started with a mouse." What are three of your favorite lessons that all brands can learn from Disney about customer service?
DENNIS SNOW: Here are my three:
1. Walt Disney World cast members (employees) are relentlessly reminded that, “We’re not selling rides, we’re selling an experience.” Most companies’ products (including rides and shows) are commodities, and consumers have countless choices for where to spend their money and time. An outstanding experience, however, is very rare and encompasses every touchpoint of the customer’s interaction with an organization.
2. “Everything speaks.” From the appearance of the facilities to the tone of voice of the employees, every detail impacts the customer’s perception of an organization’s brand. In fact, the number one compliment Walt Disney World receives is how clean the place is. There’s a good reason for that. It is the responsibility of EVERY cast member (employee) to pick up any stray piece of trash they see on the ground. With 66,000 cast members focused on keeping things looking good, it’s no wonder that cleanliness of the place is the number one compliment.
3. “Little wows add up.” While grand gestures are wonderful, and customers appreciate them, the magic is in the little wows. Walt Disney World encourages its cast members to consistently exhibit simple but effective niceties, such as, offering to take a photo of the family, smiling, asking where guests are from, interacting with children, making recommendations, etc. Taken individually, these behaviors seem like no big deal. But over the course of an entire Disney vacation (or even one day), those little niceties add up to a very big deal.

TWEET THIS: While grand gestures are wonderful, and customers appreciate them, the magic is in the little wows. ~@DennisSnow #CustomerExperience #BrandExperience #BizTip

QUESTION: You were a part of the Disney University team, during which time you taught the Disney corporate philosophy and business practices to cast members and members of the leadership team. How can other orgs create and maintain a University for their brands?
DENNIS SNOW: The Disney University came about because Walt Disney himself understood the vital role that employees (cast members) would play in the Disneyland experience. Since 1955, the Disney University has been the first step of any cast member’s career. There, they learn about the Disney culture, as well as what will be expected of them. And throughout a Disney career, the Disney University provides ongoing learning opportunities that reinforce the organization's culture. I’m regularly asked, “How long is the training at Walt Disney World?” The answer is that begins when you join the company and continues for as long as you work there.

Creating and maintaining a corporate University requires commitment from the top level of an organization as well as an iron-clad belief in the importance of ongoing training. Even in tough financial times, the best organizations don’t cut back on training. They see it as an investment, not an expense. And that takes commitment from those at the top.

QUESTION: One of the ways that you teach about creating a culture of excellence is to "Ensure that your organization's backstage environment never impacts the onstage customer experience." Can you please explain for those who've never visited a Disney theme park?
DENNIS SNOW: A good way to think about the onstage/backstage philosophy is to imagine a high-end retail store or luxury hotel. Everything about the environment communicates elegance and quality. In that scenario, imagine an employee accidentally leaving a supply room door open, with full view of dirty mops, cleaning products, employee schedules, etc. Backstage just came onstage, causing a disconnect between the image the organization worked so hard to create, and the reality of the what the customer sees.

You can imagine the logistics involved in running a place like Walt Disney World. There are delivery trucks, cast member break areas and cafeterias, management offices, warehouses, storage areas, and thousands of other elements required to run a place that is twice the size of Manhattan. But remember, Walt Disney World is supposed to be a magical place. So, all of those operational elements are located behind the scenes (backstage). Here’s a graphic example of the importance of the onstage/backstage philosophy: Imagine a child at Walt Disney World seeing Cinderella on break smoking a cigarette...the result might be years of therapy!

QUESTION: What is a customer-focused culture?
DENNIS SNOW: A customer-focused culture is one in which everything is designed with the “lens of the customer” in mind. Too many organizations design their processes and procedures for their convenience, not the customer’s convenience. A customer-focused culture asks, “What do we want the customer experience to be?” and then designs all processes and procedures to deliver that ideal experience.

TWEET THIS: A customer-focused culture is one in which everything is designed with the “lens of the customer” in mind. ~@DennisSnow #CustomerExperience #BrandExperience #BizTip

QUESTION: A favorite question among cast members at Disneyland in California, the Magic Kingdom in Florida, and other Disney parks around the world is, "What time does the 3 o'clock parade begin?" Can you explain what the question really means in Disney-speak and how it cuts to the core of Disney's customer experience?
DENNIS SNOW: “What time is the 3 o’clock parade” is the classic example of a legitimate question masquerading as a silly question. Since the Magic Kingdom parade route is nearly a mile long, the question the guest is really asking is, “What time does the 3 o’clock parade get here?” In this case, "HERE" means a specific spot along the route. Disney cast members are trained to recognize that guests are out of their comfort zones and likely overwhelmed. So, of course they may not know how to phrase certain questions or may not even know what questions to ask. It’s the job of the cast member to understand what the guest really needs.

In the late 1970's, I worked at the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction in the Magic Kingdom in Florida. I was required to wear a Captain Nemo costume. I was approached by countless guests who asked, “Do you work here?” Rather than respond, “No, my mother just dresses me this way,” I understood that what they were really asking was, “Can you help me?” The bottom line is to look at things from the customer’s perspective.

Dennis Snow the Disney Cast Member

QUESTION: Your pinned Tweet on Twitter says, "No matter what business you're in, every employee at every level has numerous chances to wow customers. You just have to be on the lookout for chances to amaze." Can you elaborate on this?
DENNIS SNOW: This goes back to what I said earlier about little wows adding up. It’s so easy for employees to fall into robotic mode and to simply process customers through a series of transactions. However, by being present in the moment, it becomes clear that there are multiple opportunities every day for creating moments of wow. And it doesn’t have to take any additional time or cost anything. It’s simply a matter of being present and caring about the customer’s experience.

TWEET THIS: This photo of Walt Disney at Disneyland (probably in the late 1950’s) is my all-time favorite Disney photo. The message it communicates is timeless: effective leaders walk the talk. #WaltDisneyWorld #Disneyland #CustomerExperience #WalkTheTalk #EmployeeCommunications

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My gratitude and appreciation to Dennis for sharing his customer experience marketing insights. What will you use from this post to improve your brand's customer experience? Please chime in.

To read about a memorable customer experience story from a visit to Walt Disney World, check out my blog post featuring Kevin Leifer (@KevinLeifer on Twitter) – it’s truly an unforgettable story. Click here.

Image Credits: Dennis Snow (Walt Disney and Dennis Snow photos). Debbie Laskey (Disneyland Paris cast member guidebook photo).