Group Ticket – Lessons Learned in CX

When you book a large number of tickets as a customer, you’re probably a B2B customer. But in this case, I wasn’t. Still, in a situation like that, you want to feel a little special. I’m booking 13 tickets! That has to be a great deal for the company, right? Better than one plane ticket, right?!
I felt nothing throughout this entire transaction. It was difficult, process-oriented, and I’m even left with some confusion. Because, do I have the tickets or not?! There’s no portal where I can see if my booking went through.

When I look at this process through my CX lens, I have four ideas on how to improve it:

1. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes.
   Try booking a group ticket yourself. See how long it takes to receive a quote. Experience the wait time on the phone. Try printing out the quote and the contract. See how unprofessional it looks. Look for the differences between what’s in the contract and what’s in the email.
2. Make a shortlist of simple improvements and have a dedicated team tackle them.
   Focus especially on the contract and communication. Add that “warm customer experience.” Make me, the customer, feel like you’re happy with this deal for 13 tickets. And see where you can clear up any ambiguities and add clarity.
3. Align with other processes that customers are familiar with.
   Tailor the experience to the convenience of individual processes, especially when it comes to booking a single ticket. Also align the terms and conditions. Why do I, as an individual, have more flexibility than a customer who has booked 13 tickets? Align and design the future. Consider digital channels, especially if you’re experiencing issues with wait times in your customer contact center.
4. Share these examples within the organization when it comes to customer-focused change.
   I would share examples like these throughout the organization. For the Groepstickets team, these contracts and work methods are the norm. That’s how people have been working for years. They suffer from “The Curse of Knowledge.” But if you’re a customer, like me, who’s completely new to this, you feel trapped by the internal jargon and processes. So, communicating the need for change and continuing to ask questions about daily routines is essential for shaping a successful future when it comes to changing the culture.

This is really about process improvement, but from the customer’s perspective. So it’s not just Business Process Redesign—it’s really about stepping into my shoes (those of your ideal customer) and helping me. Customer journey mapping is the perfect way to do this. Did you know that my colleague Barbara van Duin offers a great course on this topic? I’ve taken the course myself and highly recommend it.

I hope everything works out with the tickets and that my friends, daughter, and mother will fly to Bologna on May 20! Time to experience La Dolce Vita. And by then, I’m sure the hassle of booking the group tickets will be completely forgotten.

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*****

Nienke Bloem is often referred to as the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She is a global CX thought leader, educator, and keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She runs a speaking practice, a CX game company, and a training business; she lives and breathes Customer Experience and is the author of two books on CX.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for the CCXP, and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and achieve immediate results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she has been hosting a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helping leaders enhance their leadership skills and deliver an engaging CX story, including a solid CX strategy. In addition, she is a modern-day pilgrim and has drawn parallels between her journey and leading customer-centric transformations. 

With over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the language of business. Her keynote speeches and training programs on customer experience are inspiring and practical. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA, and her mission is to make customer experience work and help you achieve business results.