Tag Archive of: customer experience

9 reasons you should give the International Customer Experience Awards a GO

There is so much going on when it comes to customer experience. I see brilliant initiatives, professionals, strategies, projects and transformations going on at my clients and I read all your stories on LinkedIn. It makes me smile and as a CX colleague, it makes me proud. We are all on our way to deliver great customer experiences to our clients, or have the urge to do so in a better way. In contact centers, social media teams, HR, employee experience and of course customer experience teams.

Did you know that you can get international recognition for what you are doing? I think you should try and win an International Customer Experience Award!

Why enter the awards? I give you 9 reasons why you have to give it a GO

Your entry:

1. You reflect on what is your success and your strategy behind it

2. You really get to the point and feel your pride on your journey

On the day itself:

3. You get to present your success strategy in front of international CX professionals

4. You battle with peers and learn from their entries

After the awards:

5. You get a huge applause from your peers if you win

6. Get international recognition for all your efforts and CX brilliance

7. As a winner: share the pride within your organization and celebrate success

8. As a winner: use it in your marketing that you excel in your category

9. Get a benchmark feedback report how the judges ranked you (BONUS)

You see, there are so many reasons and maybe you can even add some mor... Even if you don't win, you'll experience a fantastic event and you'll learn a lot from your peers of course!

With all the categories you can win (19 in total), there must be a category for you, your department or your company. First I thought I didn't have to list them, but I have talked about it with many of you and the categories are not known enough for the first edition of the International CX. SO here we go:

All 19 categories in which you can WIN an award

  1. Customer-Centric Culture – That is sustained across the entire organisation with all employees, systems, processes and that puts the customer at the heart of everything that is done
  2. Best Customer Experience Strategy – A customer experience strategy that demonstrated a tangible shift in direction and that lead to positive business results
  3. Business Change or Transformation – A Significant Customer Experience focus that led to sustainable change or transformation of the organization
  4. Customer Insight & Feedback – An active programme to listen to customers (multi-channel), to create feedback opportunities, & effectively use customer insights to make high impact changes to products, services, processes and the overall customer experience
  5. Customer Complaints – focuses on how businesses manage consumer complaints
  6. Best Measurement in Customer Experience – That demonstrates the use of key CX metrics to bring a greater customer focus to tracking, analysing and effectively measuring initiatives
  7. Best Multi/Omni-Channel Customer Experience – A customer focus on delivering a consistent and persistent customer experience across all channels when interacting with your company
  8. Most Effective Customer Experience in Social Media – Demonstrate the effective use of individual or mixed social media channels to build active relationships that fully engage customers â€" Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+
  9. Contact Centre – A contact center transformation project demonstrating great customer experience and making it easier for customers to do business with you
  10. Client Relationship Management – Designed and implemented new and effective techniques to enhance the customer experience through better customer relationship management (CRM)
  11. Best Use of Mobile – Using phone, tablet and other mobility devices to deliver an exceptional customer experience
  12. Digital Transformation – The profound transformation of business and organizational activities. A focus on processes, competencies and models to significantly enhance customer and employee experiences that fully use changes and opportunities available in a mix of digital technologies
  13. Best Digital Strategy – That implemented an effective digital strategy that lead to positive customer engagement and improved business results
  14. Diversity & inclusion – That has diversity and inclusion at the heart of its business, providing outstanding support and opportunities to everyone equally
  15. Employer of the Year – Engaged and highly Motivated Employees, High Staff Retention Rates, Human Resource Initiatives, Personnel Development Initiatives
  16. Employee Empowerment – A Strategy designed to enhance the employee experience, demonstrate corporate wellbeing and linking employee engagement and empowerment to the heart of the business
  17. Customer Experience Professional – Who has identified & responded to an opportunity resulting in influencing the organization to shift and significantly impact the overall customer experience
  18. Customer Experience Team – A team that has identified & responded to an opportunity resulting in significant impact on customer experience and the organization
  19. Customer Experience Leadership – A leader whose influence, communication, passion and focus has significantly impacted the adoption of a more customer focused culture and transformation empowering their organization or community

I really hope I have motivated you to GO for it. To aim high and imagine yourself the 15th of November on stage in Amsterdam, winning an International Customer Experience Award. Click here for more info on the awards and how to enter. Or if you have questions, please leave them as a comment and I will answer them. Hope to meet you in November!

 

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*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. 

 

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F#ck the FAQ

That's not language for a lady, is it? No, that's right. Sorry in advance. But sometimes it slips my mind. Does the steam come out of my ears, when I'm looking for the answer on a website. If I get lost in the Frequently Asked Questions again.

FAQ is a widely accepted term in the world of customer experience. Now I understand that, because V.G.V. – as in Frequently Asked Questions – sounds a bit strange. It is also too similar to the TGV and let's face it, few customers experience their digital search on websites as that of a high-speed train. More of an old-fashioned bumble between tjilitjap on the heath and flapperdieflap by the sea.

So off I went. Travelling in the FAQ. Just a quick answer to a question I had: how I could convert my subscription. I didn't understand the information I was given. Also, I had the feeling that this answer was not about my question and problem. Of course, I searched further, clicked furiously and after a few minutes – yes, I'm impatient sometimes and I'm not the only customer – I decided to call. Maybe this was the shortcut I needed, because I couldn't figure it out on my own. It felt like an admission of weakness. Of course, I would have preferred to find the answer myself. The company also didn't want me to call. Not only did they try to hide their phone number (but I'm a master magician, HA!), the employee also made this clear on the phone. In no time she found the answer and she didn't understand why I hadn't gotten there myself while clicking. It could also have been done in the My environment, she told me.

If you lose me in your own FAQ, it's not my fault, is it? Too often I see that the flow is set up from an internal perspective. Or that there are words in it that I don't use as a customer. Or that I want something that is not allowed online. Like canceling a subscription. This is only possible during office hours and by phone. That FAQ remains a mystery to me. If I pronounce it the Dutch way, we also say EF, EE, KIOE. But then there should be dots in between, right? Which, by the way, few companies do. For me, it's just the FAQ. If you look at it phonetically, it looks suspiciously like F#CK. Unfortunately, I can't make anything else out of it.

 

This blog was written for CustomerFirst and published on 30 May 2018

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*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. 

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The happy jerk

"Good morning ma'am, would you like to fly to the Netherlands with us?" A big smile on his face betrays that he is having fun. His female colleague behind him, looks with a straight face at a point somewhere 20 centimeters above my head and ignores my "Good morning this morning. As I look for my seat - 2F - I see a third flight attendant who is especially busy organizing luggage. Because as travelers, we have little knowledge of that, says her facial expression.

Before takeoff, we get the explanation of the safety procedure. Smiling, I see the happy jerk two rows in front of me. He performs his routine, with great energy and eye contact with the various passengers. From seat belts to life jackets, they can't get him out of his good mood today. Behind him, the flight purser is repeating her routine. She sighs, but this grumpy chestnut is clearly not in the mood.

We fly away and soon it is time for snacks and drinks. On this airline, you pay for your food and drinks and suddenly I realize that my wallet is in the luggage rack above my head. Still, I want a noodle soup (guilty pleasure, I admit). The happy jerk takes the order, says this is also one of his favorites, and instructs the grumpy chestnut to make a "noodle soup for the pretty lady on 2F. I then confess that my wallet is still above me. "No problem ma'am, that can happen to the best of us," he says enthusiastically. The gruff chestnut sighs audibly and turns to the kitchenette to make my noodle soup. My backpack comes out, he makes another joke that pink is also his favorite color and all the rows are laughing along meanwhile.

What fun this man has in his work, truly amazing. I'm sure this is the second flight of his working day and he got out of bed more than early. Just like the grumpy chestnut, by the way, who really doesn't feel like it by now. She has forgotten about the noodle soup, and when I ask for it she just barely snarls back.

Two months and four flights with other airlines later, I still remember that one flight, with the puffing purser and the contagious energy of the cheerful steward. That happy jerk who made everyone and therefore me feel good. Thank you and I hope to fly with you again soon.

 

This blog was written for CustomerFirst and published on March 28, 2018

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*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. 

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The 4 elements of a brand promise

More and more, I come to the conclusion that this is the missing link in many businesses and a must have when it comes to customer experience. The need for clear promises to customers. To see if this is an issue in your company, please try to answer these questions:

  • How does your company or brand stand out in comparison with your competitors? What is really distinguishing your company when it comes to the offering to your customers?
  • What do you promise your customers when they do business with you? What can they really expect from the product?
  • What kind of service promises do you make to customers? What do you want your customers to experience in which channels?

To deliver great customer experiences, you have to begin with the end in mind

What do you want your customers to experience? Were you able to answer at least 2 of the questions above? No? Now it is time to pay attention. I like to use airlines and cruises as examples. Let's start with airlines.

Two complete opposites when it comes to flying. RyanAir and Emirates. When diving deeper into Ryanair, they have the brand promise "Low fares, made simple". Everything they do is translated from this branding principle. The blue and yellow returns everywhere, on their website, banners, even in their planes. As a customer, you know what to expect. The low cost airline in Europe.

When looking at Emirates, they have the brand promise "Comfort and attention to detail you can rely on whenever you travel." A whole different ball game from a branding perspective and you know what you can expect. Attention to detail, from the greeting in the plane, to the chauffeur service when you fly business class. They focus on a different customer, a different segment as does Ryanair.

Let's also look at the cruise examples

I have picked three. Carnival is the cruise company I traveled with in 2016. They promise you "Fun for all and all for fun". Knowing this, it makes it much easier to translate it into actions. Into moments in the customer journey where fun can be delivered. Also where there are possibilities for up and cross sell.

In the cruise business, there are more and another distinguishing brands. One of them is Disney Cruises. As soon as I write it down, you will know. This is all about Mickey and Minnie. As I have been browsing the web, it is still not crystal clear what their brand promise is, but it all comes down to "Creating happiness through magical experiences".Focusing on families, on entertaining people who love the character experience.

Taking it down a different road is the Monsters of Rock cruise. Yes, a cruise that travels only once a year, fully booked with hard rock fans. No family vacation, but a real niche in the cruising industry. Customers that love hard rock and heavy partying are taking this cruise. So a clear branding, which also easily translates in entertainment, food and beverages. Take a look at their website and browse the FAQ. Their brand identity, has been translated in the way the questions are asked. As would their customers. I love question #9. Not "What kind of food is on board?". No, it is all aligned with their Hard Rock image "Am I going to starve on board?".

The key in all these examples, is that it's about choosing. Who are we to our customers?

Brand promise, customer promises; what is the difference?

Some companies have a brand promise, like Carnival Cruises. Another example I like is KLM. They don't have a brand promise, but they have customer promises. When looking on their website, you'll find WHY to fly with KLM. They promise: 1. Direct flights around the globe, 2. Favorable flight schedules, 3. No charge, 4. Weather in your way? We got your back, 5. 24 hours to cancel, 6. Fly more, benefit more.

See the photo for a clip of the website. Where I especially like the promise "Typo? No charge". It's a very specific promise, where they explain, "Booked flights on klm.com and discovered a spelling mistake in the name on your ticket? We don't charge you for being human. Just contact us via social media to correct your name. Please make sure to have it corrected at least 24 hours before check-in of your first flight starts."

What I like about this customer promise, is that it addresses a fear that customers have. It reassures customers and takes care of them.

Now it comes back to you. What kind of promises do you make to your customers, or do you want to make to your customers? A promise on the highest level: a brand promise? Or rather customer promises that focus on elements in the customer journey?

What are crucial elements when it comes to choosing brand and/or customer promises?

There's no easy answer here. But let's try. When reading the blog of Bruce Jones (Disney Institute), I am attracted to the four elements he claims a brand promise must have from a customers perspective. The four things customers are looking for in a brand promise to be:

  • Important - Customers have expectations regarding the fair exchange of value. In exchange for their money and time, they rightfully expect something meaningful in return. The brand promise must convey what matters most to your customers.
  • Credible - Customers must believe that what you're promising is possible and deliverable. It has never been good policy to "over-promise" and "under-deliver."
  • Exclusive - No organization can be successful at trying to be everything for everybody. Find your niche, and carve out a unique space to "own" in the mind of your customer.
  • Differentiating - The brand promise must truly set you apart from your competitors and be based on legitimate differentiators.

I am curious. Do you dare to set yourself and your business apart from other businesses and stand out with an Important, Credible, Exclusive and Differentiating brand promise? Please let me know where you struggle in your company to stand out with your brand promise and maybe I can help you out. Let's help each other in creating these Great Customer Experiences.

 

*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. 

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Unfortunately, I'm out of sales

Twice recently I have been called by an unlisted number. Often these are sales calls, I know. If I check my history, it's from a newspaper or a credit card company. The phone rings again and when I see the secret number, I hesitate. Maybe something has happened to my parents or daughter. Hospital, flashes through my mind. So I pick up.

"With Nienke Bloem."

"A very GOOD morning. This is Carola from the credit card company. Am I speaking with Mr. Flower?"

"No," I say slightly surprised. Does she not hear that I am a woman?

"Oh, maybe I should have you then," she continued the conversation.

"Yes, I am the owner of the credit card. And speaking of which, all the years I've been a customer, I've been registered as Mr. Flower. Can you change that for me?"

"Unfortunately, I am from Sales. Then you must have my colleagues from Customer Service."

The call goes the wrong way, so I ask if she might be able to connect me then. "This annoys me, also since you keep addressing me in your newsletters with 'Dear Mr. Flower.'"

"No, transfer is not possible. You have to call yourself to get that straightened out. But while I have you on the phone, how did you arrange your travel insurance?"

A sigh escapes and I say, "That's fine, do you have the phone number of your colleagues for me? Then I'll make the call myself."

"No I haven't, but you can find the number on our website."

"Good, I'm going to hang up now to look at the website."

"Have a nice day, Mrs. Flower!" and she ends the call.

Sigh... Deep sigh. Unfortunately, I have since called her colleagues twice and tweeted about it. I am and always will be "Mr. Flower" to this company.

What bothers me most about this conversation is the phrase "Unfortunately, I am from Sales." What is it, that the silo you reside in is also the excuse for not helping me as a customer? That you call me to sell something, that's fine. But then also make sure you give your employees the opportunity to solve other issues. Do they use "unfortunately, I'm from another department" in your organization as well? Then you know what to do to prevent this kind of (unnecessary!) irritation among your customers. Otherwise, I might just write another piece about it.

 

This blog was written for CustomerFirst and published on February 28, 2018

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*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. 

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Begin with the end in mind

"All for fun and fun for all." Does this appeal to you or would you rather go on a heavy metal cruise? Would you like to go on holidays with a cruise company who is really clear on what to expect? Let me take you on a cruise and learn about Customer Experience in the meantime.

The slogan "All for fun and fun for all" appealed to me and my 17-year-old daughter when we wanted to take our first cruise ever in 2016. We had some ideas that cruising was for older people, senior fellow humans, to be honest. But when I dived deeper into the world of cruises, I found out there is much more to it. From Disney cruises to heavy metal cruises, from classy to fun and party cruises. That's what we wanted, a fun cruise, on a boat in the sun where at least we could pay a visit to the Bahamas.

The booking of the cruise, the information I received, the boarding (which was the moment I dreaded the most in the customer journey), the cabin, the logistics on the cruise ship, the trips on the islands, the employees... This cruise was a best practice when it comes to customer experience. Not only as a guest, I enjoyed it to the max. But also as a customer experience professional I couldn't stop smiling. Cruising the Caribbean and experiencing a brilliant CX journey. It couldn't be better.

So, let's cruise this CX best practice. What was so brilliant? When I look at a simple (but very effective) strategy, the transformational CX model comes to mind. Companies that want to become customer centric, work on the 3 strategies of the model with determination and fun, will make customers happier, earn their loyalty, their spending and end up with raving fans.

The three strategies of the transformational CX model

  1. Brand Delivery in the Customer Journey
  2. Voice of the Customer
  3. Employee Ambassadorship

Transformational CX Model

Let's take a look at Carnival Cruises and their promise "All for fun and fun for all". For me, this is the start of all good customer experiences. No, let me correct myself, for great customer experiences. As a company or as a brand, you probably have a purpose, a mission, even a vision. But what do you want your customers to experience? Elements that are crucial here, are customer promises, or maybe even a brand promise like the one from Carnival Cruises. Because when you know what you want your customers to experience, you can start reverse engineering.

Begin with the end in mind

This is what I mean: begin with the end in mind. What do you want your customers to say, to feel, to tell their friends and family when they did business with you? If you know these words, these feelings; you know what's needed in the customer journey to deliver these experiences daily. Where can you make a difference, what are moments for up and cross sell, what are great moments to listen, what's needed from the employees?

So, begin with the end in mind when it comes to customer experience. At Carnival Cruises they go for Fun. They offered fun from their booking emails to their cabin experience in the towel folding. They had upsell packages at the moment of boarding "Faster to the fun". I could board earlier than other guests, if I paid some extra dollars. What a smart way to use the brand promise, make me happy as a customer (because who likes waiting?) and increase revenue at the same time.

Now it's me who's curious. What are companies that are spot on when it comes to customer experience? That begin with the end in mind and shine in daily delivery? Share your best practices in companies with outstanding customer promises, so we can all learn and dive deeper into the magic behind these great customer experiences.

 

Do you want to receive regular updates? Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz and don't miss anything! **

 

*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. 

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Wanted: the Marie Kondo of customer communications

How are the New Year's resolutions? Eat healthier, exercise more, drink less or – very hip – clean up rigorously? That's what Marie Kondo is all about in her book 'Tidy Up!'. Decluttering is what the Japanese preach, because a tidy house is a tidy head. The most important question when cleaning up and throwing away is that you ask yourself with all the stuff: does this make me happy?

For me, cleaning up my workplace is the starting point. I start with the pile of insurance papers, which disappear into folders. In this, my eye falls on a cover letter from my disability insurance. The name of the product 'UNIM Renewed 0510 AOV' is mentioned three times: in the subject line, the opening sentence and in the reading description of the policy.

I took out this important income insurance two years ago and apparently it was a UNIM Renewed 0510 AOV. The letter doesn't say much, but I do wonder if the UNIM Obsolete AOV policy also exists. And what does UNIM stand for? To stay with Marie Kondo: does this make me happy? No. What an unclear letter, full of jargon too. As a customer, I can't do anything with it. You would think that several communication experts and lawyers would have looked at the letter and found it to be correct. I save the policy and the letter goes with a big wave to the waste paper.

I also clean up the digital clutter in my mailbox. In it, an encounter with my spam box, which contains a shocking 567 unread messages. I scan the list of emails and they are mainly newsletters recommending products or services. In all honesty, this is also a tragic sight. Most e-mails don't even start with my name and the question 'Does this make me happy?' cannot be answered in the affirmative. I select all e-mails and with one push on the big red cross, everything disappears into the digital trash. Look, that cleans up nicely, this does make me happy.

The question that remains with me: Where is the Marie Kondo of customer communication? The man/woman who makes it fun. That image in letters brings large chunks of text next to it. Which embellishes terms and conditions. This ensures that newsletters are only sent if they make the customer happy. Yay, Marie Kondo from customer communications, we need you!


This blog was written for CustomerFirst and published on January 31, 2018

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*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. 

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15 Remedies to prevent your customers feeling blue

It is that time of year. Especially in the Northern hemisphere, where it is the heart of winter. It is dark when you wake up and also when you return home from your office, the sun has set – if the sun has even shown her face at all during the day... Since most of the days it is raining, snowing or just so cloudy that you want to fly to the sun. Immediately.

This is what your customers are experiencing too. So this is the perfect time to step it up a little bit. Give your customers some extra love and attention. Because you don't have to let your customers feel even bluer than they already do. This blog gives you 15 suggestions, simple but so effective:

  1. Send a birthday card to a customer who celebrates his or her birthday. Congratulate and tell them how happy you are with their relationship with your customer.
  2. Buy a 25 American Dollar Kiva card of (kiva.org) and send it to a customer and share a message that you would like to pay it forward.
  3. Open the door for a customer in your store. Welcome them with a genuine HELLO.
  4. Look into complaints and pick one out that needs extra love and attention. Solve the problem sooner than you have promised and add your TLC to give the customer a good feeling.
  5. Invite a customer for a really good cup of coffee in your favorite coffee bar. Ask them for genuine feedback and listen intently.
  6. Give a customer something extra. If you work in a coffee bar, add a snack. If you work in telecom, some extra mobile data. Try to find something that you can give, which makes your customer happy.
  7. Welcome a new customer with a video you have made especially for them. A genuine welcome with a big smile.
  8. Drive down the country, buy a big bunch of flowers and visit a customer. Thank them for being a customer and have a cup of coffee together.
  9. Dive a little deeper into the lives of your customers. Find a customer with an anniversary, buy a personal gift online and send it to them.
  10. On a rainy day, bring an extra umbrella along and offer this to a customer that comes into your store soaking wet. With compliments of you and the company of course.
  11. Give a compliment to your customer. Easy, but so effective.
  12. Especially in business to business, find out about the interests of the customer and find one or more articles that are in line with these interests. Send the article(s) with some happy greetz.
  13. Go to the logistics department, bring some small gifts along and add them to customers packages that are sent out today.
  14. Find blogs that are written by your customers and leave nice comments.
  15. A more indirect suggestion, but with great effect: Buy a cake for customer service colleagues and tell them how much you appreciate them. If you want to take it up a notch, join them and listen in to customer calls.

So plenty of ideas here. But I would love it if you add to this list, the more ideas the better. Because in these gloomy January days, our customers can use some of your Tender Love and Care.

Do you want to share this message? We have made a printable version that you can download. Print it and hang it where you colleagues can see it. To spread the kindness. Thank you!

 

*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. 

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Say my name, say my name

Yes, I just love Destiny's Child and Beyoncé in particular.

"Say my name, say my name
If no one is around you
Say baby I love you
If you ain't runnin' game
Say my name, say my name
You actin' kinda shady
Ain't callin' me baby"

Man or woman?

Yesterday I received an email addressed "Dear Mister Flower" from a credit card company. You probably know I am not a man, but a woman. It could have been a mistake, but this has been going on for a year and a half and I have tried to change it into "Dear Mrs. Bloem" but up until now, I have been unsuccessful. Receiving this email every month, do you think I am a fan of this brand?

Person or number?

"Do you have your customer number for me?" Just yesterday, this question was asked by my Hosting provider, where we already talked about my domain name. So yes, too often this question is asked by Call Center staff, even if they already see your name in their computer screen or have all the info they need. Just because this is the routine and "the way we do things around here". Please stop this. There are so many ways to use my name, to make the conversation personal. To connect and use my name is the easiest one.

When you use my name right

"A person's name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language." - Dale Carnegie.

 

 

Exactly what Starbucks understood and why they ask your name and just write it on the cup. As simple as that. Is their coffee the best? No. Do you feel good when you receive their coffee and your name is called? Yes. With a lovely cup (especially around Xmas) and your name written on it.

"Goodmorning Mrs. Bloem." I just sat in my comfortable seat 16a in the Airbus 380 on my way to Dubai with Emirates. Did the stewardess just say my name? Yes she did. She had a list in her hands with all seats and names and welcomed us, one by one. Asking me if I was comfortable and wishing me a good flight "Mrs. Bloem".

Quick fix or scalable solution?

I know it isn't easy to personalize and use customer names systematically, in emails, letters, phone, live and chat conversations. But it can be done. When your CRM is not 100% clean and up to date with names (and believe me, this is almost always the case), think of quick fixes. I have 3 ideas right here and now:

  1. Stop asking for a client number if it isn't necessary.
  2. Listen to the customer when they say their name, write it down or learn to memorize and use the name once or twice in the conversation
  3. Especially when it comes to Social media, there are many ways to use your customers name. Use the name in a reply, it makes it more personal. Or make a short video, where you address me by name. Not often used, but a real winner.

What if you want to personalize in a more scalable way, like Emirates did? These are often larger projects, but really need focus if you want to win the battle around your customer. I have 5 questions you can work around:

  • It is time to check your CRM. How clean is your data?
  • How is the CRM discipline in your company in registering customer info?
  • What are moments in the customer journey where you can use the data you have?
  • Where can you use my name in a way that makes me happy?
  • What needs to be done by whom in what channel to personalize?

Hello #ReadYourNameHere

What are your suggestions when it comes to personalization and stop "actin' kinda shady"? To start saying my name and making me feel good and recognized and swing it out like Beyoncé? What are examples in your company where you do the right thing, and what is your magical suggestion? Please share, so we can all learn. And thank you #ReadYourNameHere for reading this blog and sharing your thoughts!

Happy greetz

 

*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. 

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CX Framework Series #6: Customer Centric Culture

How to align all employees with the customer experience strategy

It is very important to realise that Customer Experience and having a customer centric mindset is often a cultural process within organizations. For that reason, a majority of leaders expressed that the existing culture within the company forms a barrier that has to be taken down before they can start managing daily operations with the customer in mind.

 

There are different approaches for looking at ways in which the customer can be at the centre of the organization, and two vivid examples really spring to mind. Steve Jobs always started with the customer experience and worked back towards the technology. Secondly, Richard Branson who, in contrast to the previous example, only looks from an 'employees-first' point of view. His view is that when you treat your employees well, they will love their jobs and bring that same good feeling to the customers who, in their turn, have a positive feeling about the organization and are willing to do more business with you.

Employee engagement as driving factor for customer happiness

Not every organization needs to have the exact same mindset as Richard Branson to achieve happy customers, but you need to have happy employees to really make a difference. HR has an important role in becoming customer centric in all phases of the HR Cycle.

It starts before your onboarding process. During the recruitment process, recruiters need to focus more on talent or attitude and not so much on skills. Skills can (and should!) be learned and taught when your hire is settling into their job. Also, your recruiters need to recruit with purpose and really look for a good fit with the organization. And keep in mind: with every pair of hands you get a brain for free.

When you hire an employee, inspire them to pursue continuous development, participate in training sessions, courses and study. In that way you give them the power to develop what they really want. You can also make this competitive or place development in a game-setting in order to make it more fun and an enjoyable challenge to keep on developing.

Best practices in improving employee engagement

It is very important to drive cultural change within the organization as a whole. This is a continuous process that might be difficult to implement or keep alive, but it is worth it and employees will adopt some or all of the best practices. After all, they are designed to give employees a happier workplace.

In the masterclass we had fun in an assignment to create a Museum of Cultural Change, where all participants shared Best practices.

Amongst them were:

  • Storytelling: share customer stories in (Board) meetings
  • Awards: give employees whose work resulted in great customer experiences an award and make them feel special
  • King/Queen for a week: hang a huge crown over the workplace of a very customer minded employee. Everyone in the organization will notice this and congratulate them
  • Random acts of kindness: give employees a budget so they can surprise random customers with a gift
  • Compliment shower: print all the compliments of customers who gave a 9 or 10 in the NPS survey, make confetti of the prints and unleash a real compliment shower over your employees at the end of a town hall meeting
  • Invite the customer to the work place: just like bringing a family member to work, invite a customer over and even let them attend a meeting. See what happens in the organization and how people react
  • Give the customer a chair in the meeting. Make a visual representation of your customer and assign him/her to a seat in the Board rooms. In this way, the customer is always visible.

Ways in which to reward employees in their customer centric behaviour


Photo: https://www.slideshare.net/KaiCrow/asknicely-more-valuable-customers-with-nps

The first thing that may come to mind when thinking about rewarding employees for their efforts in customer excellence, may be to give them a bonus when their NPS has reached a certain level. This approach is brilliant, but be aware of possible gaming. You could also reward those who are positively named in customer surveys, give recognition to people behind the scenes and empower peers to celebrate each other's work. Or make it easier for your employees to balance their work/life, offer benefits that reduce stress levels and treat the people who deal with tough customer experiences with the utmost respect.

There are lots of ways to encourage your employees to work on a more customer centric manner, you only have to be creative and persist in the execution! It won't be easy, since we all know Culture eats Strategy for breakfast. But this is where success is made and where the most fun can be had.

Want to grow your Customer Experience competences?

These are only some of the highlights Milou took away from attending the Customer Experience Masterclass. Would you like to know more? Join our next CX Masterclass in February or June 2018, click here for more information or here for reserving your place

Customer Experience Framework and complete list of blog posts in this series

This post is part of a wider series about all the 6 CX disciplines that represent the CXPA Framework around which the CCXP exam is structured and that we cover in the CX Masterclass.

Find here the complete list of the other posts in this series:

  1. CX Strategy
  2. Customer Understanding
  3. Design, Improvement and Innovation
  4. Measurement
  5. Governance
  6. Culture (this one)

About this series

The foundations for these blogposts are written by Milou van Kerkhof following the June 2017 CX Masterclass given by Nienke Bloem and Rosaria Cirillo. Milou attended this as a newcomer in Customer Experience. These blogposts have been slightly edited and reflect only the highlights of the content of each module.

 

*****

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. 

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. 

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. 

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