Tag Archive from: cx blogs

Nienke's five-star hotel experience - CX lessons learned

Seven lessons from this not-so-good customer experience...

This is an interesting topic: how can you personalize occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, and anniversaries? It all starts with understanding and empathizing with your customer. What are the expectations?

I had a good conversation with my friend Raymond Brunyanszki, the business owner of Camden Harbor Inn in the US. A Relais & Chateaux hotel and restaurant, where luxury and personal attention are central to keep guests coming back. He told me that they ask their customers for special days. They have found a way to systematize expectations and then translate them into solutions in business operations.

Here's what I'd recommend to the CX leader at the Waldorf Astoria:

  1. In the CX strategy, determine how important special moments and alignment with guest wishes actually are. In my opinion, it is extremely important in the luxury segment. Because good food or a nice wellness is only possible with personal attention. So clarity in strategy is key.
  2. When booking, ask guests if there are any special days or wishes. So that the staff knows this in advance. This way, they can anticipate these moments and organize some memorable experiences.
  3. Make sure the CRM system recognizes these special days. I'm a Hilton Honors member and they know my date of birth. So on the day itself, the system could have given a certain mention, that at least during check-out the employee would have seen that it was my birthday and congratulated me.
  4. Make sure you have a number of branded gifts and a manuscript ready, including what you need to do and when. This way, employees can easily grab a gift and a card from the shelf and present it to the customer. Branded, because if the customer shares a photo on social media, it is also great marketing for you as an organization.
  5. Train your staff to pick up on signals when special moments arise. Make them alert.
  6. Discuss special moments in the morning when starting up the teams on the shop floor. Do we have guests with special moments, who need extra attention today? If there is attention in the team and maybe even some game elements are added, it becomes a sport to exceed the expectations of the guests.
  7. What if you missed the mark? It happens. Don't just ask at check-out, "Did you have a pleasant stay?" Almost everyone says yes, and that's not how you get any valuable information. Instead, ask, "What could we have done better, what would have made your stay even more enjoyable?" That's genuine curiosity and really helps you learn where you can improve as an organization.

So plenty to learn from this. And... you might even see even more CX pro suggestions. Please share them!

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Nienke's five-star hotel experience

For my 50th birthday, I booked a room for two nights at the Waldorf Astoria in Rome. Because I wanted to treat myself, but also because I wanted to make my 50th birthday a special experience. It's a very big hotel, so I even upgraded myself to the Imperial Floor. Larger rooms, a special lounge with drinks and snacks, but also – I thought – more personal attention.

Was it a fancy hotel? YES.

Did it have a great spa? YES.

Did it have a beautiful outdoor pool with fluffy beach towels? YES.

Did it have an excellent breakfast? YES.

'Product wise' it was all very good.

But did the hotel have any personal attention regarding my 50th birthday? NO.

It was a disappointment. One of my friends from the Netherlands had arranged a bottle of prosecco, a box of chocolates and a personal note for me, which were delivered to my room on my last night as a 49-year-old. I also mentioned my birthday in the lounge (because I know most CRM systems fail). But on the morning of my 50th birthday, I didn't receive a single congratulatory message from the hotel. Not in my room, not at breakfast, not in the lounge, not at check-out. Nothing. Even though they should have known...

I began to wonder if five-star luxury hotels have become a commodity? I don't know, but I do know that if you're a luxury brand that promises a certain level of personalized service, this is a big mistake. I also shared this story on Linkedin, where many agreed that the hotel missed the mark. But some called it a possible culture gap. That is possible and maybe this is true for Italian birthdays, but the guests at the Waldorf (which I saw) were mostly Americans or English-speaking guests. And I know how important birthdays are to Americans! Even more so than for me as a Dutchman.

The interesting thing was that at check-out, the staff member asked if my stay had been pleasant. And that was true, so that's what I indicated. This is also where they fell short in asking for feedback. (Be sure to read the CX lens blog in which I share my suggestion for them!) And... I didn't receive a survey. The staff of the Waldorf can only read my experience on LinkedIn (or in this blog).

Why did I post on LinkedIn? Not because I wanted to fix this. Because if I had wanted to, I would have called the hotel, or sent a 'complaint'. No, it's more of a question for us as CX professionals. What do you do with these special days? Especially in the leisure industry. Was I expecting too much as a guest? I made this post to share, learn, and get the conversation going.

So, click on to read this case from the professional CX lens!

 

*****

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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4 reasons why you should read 'The Power of Moments'

Sometimes you read a book that hits like a bomb. A book that makes you think: I want to remind myself of these words over and over again. I would have to reread this book every now and then, no, every year! The Power of Moments by Dan and Chip Heath is one such book. It is very valuable for both your professional and personal life. To be more precise, this book is a must-read for any CX professional.

Four elements

The Power of Moments is about powerful moments: a meaningful moment contains one of the following four elements:

  • A moment of elevation
  • It allows people to gain insights for themselves
  • It makes you proud or
  • You make a meaningful connection

Of course, a powerful moment can contain more than one of the above elements and even all four.

But why should you read this book? I think it can help you in four ways.

1. For customers: create meaningful moments in your customer journey

By implementing milestones in customer journeys, organizations make a real connection with their (positively surprised) customers. That's what it's all about: making meaningful connections with your customers and delivering value. The best way to do this is to have your colleagues read this book as well and brainstorm about where in the customer journey you can create these meaningful moments. It's a great way to improve your customer journeys and you can be sure of loyal customer ambassadors. This is a serious task for any CX professional!

2. For transformation projects: insights that support your change process

If we want to change the way we work, for example in terms of customer experience, we all know that we can't change our behaviour and culture overnight. This takes time. What this book The Power of Moments makes clear is that you can't change people all at once. But by creating meaningful moments in your transformation projects, you can certainly encourage people to change their behavior. If you let people put it to the test themselves, if they are proud of their work or contribution to the company. Take the time to show that you care about them and are attentive to them. This really helps you make a meaningful connection.

3. For your team: celebrate your team successes

If there's one way to create team spirit, it's by creating meaningful moments. Think of ways to celebrate your team's successes. Don't forget to highlight a team member when he or she has done an excellent job, or simply when it's someone's birthday. This doesn't mean a lot of extra work; Just take the time to really notice people, to have a good conversation. In short: by showing that you care about them, you create a lot of goodwill.

4. For Yourself: Improving Your Personal Relationships

It goes without saying that if you take the time to create meaningful moments in your personal life, you will deepen relationships with other people. Or create such a moment yourself, as I did with my pilgrimage for my 50th birthday. Everyone needs meaningful connections, that's what makes our lives memorable and valuable. But this also applies outside of your personal 'bubble': make time to greet people, smile at people you pass. You can make connections anywhere.

If we all put in our best to create meaningful moments, we would have happy and loyal customers and employees. And not only that. I am sure that we will be able to make this planet a better place for everyone.

Do you like to read inspiring articles and books about Customer Experience? Then sign up for my monthly CX Greetz, in which I share many CX experiences, inspiration and lessons with 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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Group Ticket – CX Lessons Learned

When you book a large number of tickets as a customer, you are probably a B2B customer. But I wasn't in this case. Still, in such a case, you want to feel a little special. I'm booking 13 tickets! That must be a nice deal for the company, right? Better than 1 plane ticket, right?!
I felt nothing about this whole transaction. It was difficult, process-oriented and I even have ambiguity. Because, do I have the tickets or not! There is no portal where I can see if my booking was successful.

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

  1. Step into your customer's shoes.
    Try booking a group ticket yourself. See how long it takes to get a quote. Experience the wait time on the phone. Print out the quote and contract. See how ugly it looks. Find the differences between what is in the contract and in the e-mail.
  2. Shortlist simple improvements and have a dedicated team pick it up.
    Especially the contract and communication. Add the "warm customer feeling. Make me, the customer, feel that you are happy with this 13-ticket deal. And see where you can remove ambiguities and add clarity.
  3. Align with other processes that customers are familiar with.
    Align with the convenience of individual processes, especially when it comes to booking an individual ticket. Also align terms and conditions. Why do I have more flexibility as an individual as a customer who has booked 13 tickets? Align and design the future. Think about digital channels, especially if you have problems with wait times in your customer contact center.
  4. Share in the organization, when it comes to customer-centric change.
    I would share these kinds of examples in the organization. At the Group Tickets team, these contracts and practices are the norm. This is how people have been working for years. They have "The Curse of Knowledge. But if you are a customer, like me, who is completely new to this, you feel trapped in the internal jargon and processes. So sharing the need for change and continuing to question daily routines is necessary for shaping a successful future when it comes to changing culture.

This is really about process improvement, but from the customer's lens. So not just Business Process Redesign, but really stepping into my shoes (that 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 has a great course to learn this. I took the course myself and recommend it.

I hope that everything will be okay with the tickets and that my friends, daughter and mother will fly to Bologna on May 20th! Time to experience La Dolce Vita. And then the experience with the group ticket booking is probably completely forgotten.

Want to make sure you don't miss any more CX classes? Then sign up for my monthly CX Greetz, in which I share many CX experiences, inspiration and lessons with 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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Group ticket

I'm turning 50 this year. Then comes the question. How do you want to celebrate? This year I will walk 1000 kilometers to Rome and celebrate it on May 17 in St. Peter's Square with my husband. But there was also a little voice in my head that I really want to celebrate this with my friends. Something really crazy. Extravagant. So... I invited all my friends, my daughter and mother for a weekend in Italy. I rented a beautiful villa above Verona and also arranged good food, drinks and a bike ride through the rolling hills.

Now I didn't want to be a travel agent, so I asked all the ladies to pay for (and arrange) the ticket themselves. However, it soon became apparent that the prices differed quite a bit. One friend was shown 221 euros and the other 271. In order not to get crooked faces, I offered to arrange a group ticket.

So I went to the website on Saturday morning and there I went through a number of fields. Where do you want to go, at what time, with how many people, etcetera etcetera. When I pressed 'Enter' after the last field, I was promised that I would get a quote within a day.

You can already feel it. I didn't get anything. And I felt the fear that due to delays on this line, the tickets would only become more expensive. So I went to call, but I couldn't get through. So wait and see.

After four days, the offer came. And what a quote. Four choices, even though I had made it very clear what I wanted. 13 tickets and at very specific times to and from Bologna. Within 10 minutes I responded back with what I wanted and then I got some kind of contract.

One for which you really must have attended the Ticket Academy. I also suspect that this is still from an AS400 system, judging by the font. Anyway. Especially a lot of attention to the cancellation policy, conditions and dates. All in text. Four pages full.

It also tells me when I have to provide a passenger list. Now that's nice, that clarity. But what should be included in a passenger list? Just names, or also dates of birth? Or also identity card numbers? I searched online for what should be in this list, but it can't be found. What a lack of clarity...  Especially since it's so different from how I book an individual ticket. Just, nice and online, very clear and as it turns out. Also for a much better rate.

When agreeing, I run into a contradiction. The contract states that I have to sign and email it. But the accompanying e-mail states that the payment confirms the reservation. So you don't have to send an email. Oh well, just to be sure, I sign, scan and confirm. Better safe than sorry. And then I'm going to make the first payment. I have to mention "Tigre" plus the contract number when paying. But should I or shouldn't I add the 'A' that is in the letter? Or also the '1/1' that is behind it. Oh help. I have paid and hope for the best that this will go well.

So yes, I don't understand the added value of this group booking option. Maybe if you're an event agency and have this kind of software yourself. But I feel really lost as an individual. I'll soon have 13 tickets, but I'm dependent on an e-mail address, which you just have to hope will respond. And a department that I have not yet reached by phone.

Fortunately, it is KLM and I trust that this will all work out. It's the big blue bird after all. Which reminds me of the slogan of that other organization that I associate with blue. We can't make it any more fun, which one is easier. Well, they should take a look at that here too!

From this blog, I distilled some CX lessons. Curious? Read them here!

 

*****

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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Afleverexperience - learned CX lessons

Buying a new car should be a small celebration. This car was not just any car; in fact, it was a very expensive car. So as a customer, I also expected more than just a "normal delivery.

What can you learn from this as a Customer Experience Professional? For me, there are 4 key lessons to be learned.

  1. Communicate about the process
    I understood very well that the delivery of the car was under pressure because of supply problems. We all know about chip shortages, transportation problems and scarcity of materials. But once you know you can't deliver on the promised date, make sure you are honest and proactive. There should be guidelines within organizations, what to do and when. The vendor should have called me and kept me informed of the delivery date. Moreover, he should have made me feel that my car and I (as a customer) were important to him.
  2. Tune into expectations
    Whether you're in a premium business or a CX professional working in government. Your customers have certain expectations. Make sure you know those and at least meet them. If you're a real boss in CX, of course you try to exceed expectations ? This should be the starting point of your delivery. Train colleagues in expectations and make sure they understand how to meet them. If you are a premium company or brand, the bar is higher. With my new Volvo, I expected at least a bunch of flowers or a good bottle of wine. But the company was stuck in its own processes and lost sight of me (and my expectations) as a customer.
  3. No excuses
    The fact that during the whole delivery process the covid excuse was used more than 10 times, I kid you not, means that this has become a common excuse. It was their excuse to take it easy. When you hear excuses around you (whether it's Covid, management, or whatever), make sure all your red flags go up. Or, as Steven Covey would say, keep the saw sharp, within your organization. Stay focused on the desired customer experience. I'm sure the owner of the Volvo garage would not have wanted this delivery this way. But somehow, because of busyness and constraints, this worked paralyzing and they didn't go that extra mile. Be sure to walk the shop floor on a regular basis so that you hear these "red flags" for yourself or get them from the Voice of the Customer.
  4. Make it right
    If you make a mistake with your customer - like the Volvo garage did when delivering my car - make it right. You always have a second chance. As a former colleague of mine once said, "First time right, second time perfect." I like that. I called the salesman at the garage and told him about my disappointment at delivery. He was embarrassed, apologized over the phone and said he would make it up to me. The only thing is, we are now four weeks down the road and I still haven't heard anything. Make sure that when this happens in your organization, that you actually check that these promised actions are actually taken. That you make sure that people keep their promises.

Enough said about this experience. It is sad that they missed this opportunity and there is much to improve! Make sure you start fixing these elements in your organization. Next month I'll share another customer experience with you, including CX lessons you can learn. I hope to see you back then.

Want to make sure you don't miss any more CX lessons? Then sign up for my monthly CX Greetz, where I share lots of CX experiences, inspiration and lessons with 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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Afleverexperience

I bought a new car. Really. My very first brand new car. Worked myself together. After much deliberation, I tied the knot. There was going to be an electric car. A beautiful Volvo XC40. I had been looking forward to its delivery on January 5 for weeks.

Unfortunately, because of corona, nothing nice in terms of delivery was possible, I was told by phone. I took the train and waited behind the station for the salesman. It was raining hard. There my car arrived. Everything shot through my mind: what a cool car, what a car, what a good decision I had made. The salesman got out, I walked up to him and he handed me the key. My heart did a little dance.

Whether I wanted to just sign the form for delivery. Was it okay if I did that in the car, given the pouring rain? Sure, only he wasn't allowed to sit next to it. Corona, right! Sure. I signed, handed him the form and he wanted to walk away.

Ho, ho, do you want to explain a few things to me? Because suddenly I was in some kind of cockpit with a big screen and had no idea. Yes, you could. But he had to stay outside. Corona, huh!

He pointed to the screen. Let me explore some functions on the touch screen and five minutes later he got into his colleague's car and drove out of the parking lot.

There I was. For the first time in an electric car. Totally overwhelmed by all the bells and whistles. So first I spent half an hour exploring functionalities via the on-board computer. Suddenly I realized: this is not how I had imagined this episode. Of course, I wasn't expecting an exciting reveal with a big sheet (through corona and rain), but just handing over a key and then getting out! Maybe there was a present in the trunk; I must have overlooked it.

First, looking for the button to open the trunk. Through the rain, I quickly ran to the back of the car to find ... a charging cord and warning triangle.

Everything functional. Nothing fun.

Sure: by corona, little was allowed. But there was nothing at all festive about this episode. I put the car in Drive and drove out of the drafty parking lot.

What you can do with this? I have heard the slogan "because of corona, of course x and y can't" a little too much. Don't let corona be an excuse to make nothing of it to your customers. Make a celebration of what can be done. Appeal to your creativity and believe me; THAT is what your customers remember.

From this blog, I distilled some CX lessons. Curious? Read them here!

 

*****

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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12 non-CX ways to stay inspired as a CX leader

The last months I spoke to over twenty CX leaders and most of them were just...um, how to say it.... tired. They were tired of the back-to-back online team meetings. The lack of seeing team members in person.

So I asked them, "How do you stay inspired?" Most of them had no answer. They did not plan anything for inspiration in their agendas. Yes, they were longing for holidays, but that is not what holidays are for.

I think, staying inspired is part of your JOB! That's why I give you 12 non-CX ideas how to do that.

Books

Oh, The Places You'll Go - Dr. Seuss
A client gave me this book as a present. And I love it. It's packed with lots of insights and wit (and Dr. Seuss had plenty of both). With his lively illustrations, inimitable verse, and boundless optimism, Dr. Seuss reassures us that we're not alone in the maze of life - and that we'll reach where we need to be eventually! If you need a quick and wonderfully uplifting pick-me-up, this is your book!

Big Magic, Creative Living Beyond Fear - Elisabeth Gilbert
Everyone can unlock Big Magic. Big Magic is about drawing out your inner creative whenever you need. This book is a love letter to the artist inside everyone of us, written in Gilbert's conversational, no-frills, no-BS style. Whether your goal is to write a book, make a painting, or create music, Big Magic will help you accomplish it. Funny, honest, illuminating, and encouraging, it is a celebration of art on every level.

The 5 second rule - Mel Robbins
The 5 Second Rule promises to teach you how to become confident, break the habit of procrastination and self-doubt, beat fear and uncertainty, and be happier. As big of an ask as that might sound, Robbins more than delivers in this self-help book, which is built on the titular 5 second rule: the five seconds you should take every time you need to push yourself. You might enjoy her TEDx Talk on this subject as well!

Podcasts

Happier with Gretchen Rubin
She is the best-selling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before, wants you to embrace happiness-and she's got the tools and strategies to help you do it. This engaging podcast, which she cohosts with her younger sister, Elizabeth Craft, is full of practical advice on building habits for happiness into your daily life. Down-to-earth, insightful, and humorous, this podcast will have you on your way to a happier existence in no time: https://gretchenrubin.com/podcasts/

The Life School Podcast with Brooke Castillo
She is very American, but I love her way of thinking and speaking out loud. In this podcast she takes life's topics, opportunities and struggles and helps making sense of it all. For example, episode 375, where she challenges her listeners to do hard things. Just what Customer Experience Management is all about ... https://thelifecoachschool.com/podcast/

CX Travel Guide with Nienke Bloem
Yes, this podcast is a Dutch version and just before the summer vacations we recorded the 10th edition with Kees Klink. How is CX organized at PostNL? All episodes have something special, so listen up. You get a look behind the scenes in CX-land. https://kirkmancompany.com/podcasts/

Movies & documentaries

Forrest Gump
A golden oldie, but my all-time favorite movie. A story about a boy that would never succeed in life. But gets the support and belief by his surroundings and just goes out to life a full and big life. The theme song "Feather Theme song" composed by Alan Silvestri still gives me goose bumps. A feel-good movie, you just want to watch to stop having 'bad thoughts' and get out there and do what you have to do.

Inside Out
A 2015 American computer-animated film by Pixar. A great film to learn about emotions. The film is set in the mind of a young girl named Riley, where five personified emotions-Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust-try to lead her through life as she and her parents adjust to their new surroundings after moving from Minnesota to San Francisco.Maybe something to watch with your team or management colleagues. And to later ask "what emotions are our customers having at what moment in the customer journey?"

Seven days out
A documentary series on Netflix, where they film event seven days before they take place. From a Chanel fashion show to a dog show. Where I recommend you watch the episode Eleven Madison Park. As I always say "great customer experiences don't happen by accident," that is exactly what this business owner of the best restaurant of the world breathes. Watch is and be inspired, because it will question your vision on CX and will inspire you to spice it up.

Three things to go do

Museum
Yes. Go to a museum. Just as I did; you could see this in the video. Be inspired by great exhibitions, paintings, sculptures. By the way museums make you feel, the way they present stories. Buy artifacts in the museum shop and use these in your CX practice. Go with a leader or your team. Have a discussion later of what can be used in your CX practice or in your story telling. Don't forget to take pictures of what inspired you: always good to use in presentations later.

Library
Every city has a library. You know that great building full of books? In the city of Utrecht they just opened a new central library and it is just gorgeous. The atmosphere makes me feel calm instantly and I just like to take books out of shelves. Sometimes having a question in mind and having fate answer it. I once did a Random Book Club session with Marieke van Dam and was amazed what inspiration you can get out of ANY book. Yes, you can search for business, management or CX books. But also try soul searching, biology, or even children's books. So much fun to just spend an hour or two in your library. Or one in a different city ? I promise you, inspiration guaranteed!

Take a guided walking tour in any city
It is fabulous to go to a city and book a guided walking tour. I remember a walking tour I did in 2020 in Amsterdam. My tour guide was one of the best bakers of the Netherlands. He told me so much about the city, the buildings, but also his life. He even took me behind the scenes in the Waldorf Astoria and told me how to make the best croquets. What a fabulous experience! A guided tour always brings you new insights. And never forget to listen how guides share their stories. They know their facts, but the really good ones know how to deliver their stories and make them stick. They make sure you see the city through their eyes and you will remember elements of their stories, because they framed them. Just like a good CX Story should be. Like I can never pass the Vijzelgracht, without going for a croquet and saying hi! to Cees.

I went out on a 3-day inspiration adventure myself. I recorded a video in which I tell you about this inspiration adventure and in which I give you ideas how to stay inspired. My best suggestion is to plan inspiration time in your agenda. REALLY! Enjoy the ideas and let me know what worked for 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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Shifting gears when it comes to Speed in Customer Experience Management?

You might think, this is weird; what does speed have to do with CX?! Let me explain and start by sharing my personal story of last month in Italy. Most of you know that I am walking a pilgrimage. The Via Francigena is my path for the next year. 1,000 kilometers by foot. A challenge that I have to take bit by bit, day by day. It will take time, but as I continue walking, putting one foot in front of the other, believing I can, dealing with all kinds of hurdles; I will get there. I call this my Slow and at this moment Strategic fundamental track. To think of life's choices, find energy, challenge the fundamentals and grow stronger.

Besides my pilgrimage, I also had the chance to join the MilleMiglia in June. The 1,000 mile race from Brescia to Rome and back. Classic cars travel this journey in 4 days. They need a fast pace, a dedicated crew that helps if the cars break down and, of course, some encouragement along the way (that was me ?). Roads are blocked off and a whole group of Italian carabinieri guides the group of 350 exclusive cars towards the finish. I call this the Result Driven Innovation track.

Both tracks require travel and are 1,000 kilometers or miles. But both have a different purpose. Just like we should approach customer experience management!

Tracks with different purpose and speed

Most Customer Experience Managers struggle to deliver results. Which might even result in losing CX ground in reorganization plans, or a decrease in budgets. I am not talking of proving your ROI, but in showing the organization that CX is making THAT impact, that it is lined up for. For really improving the situation of the customer in a direct way.

That is also why these two speeds are needed. Because what I see is that many CX professionals are focusing on the What and the How, the strategic fundamentals. The What: customer promises, brand promises, guiding behavior, defining design principles. The How: the way design thinking is done, building an architecture of listening through insights, creating training and guiding the organization to a consistent customer centric way of working. Yes, these are both needed! But know that Walker also sees a disconnect when it comes to what organizations and the C-Suite expect of you and customer experience management.

CEO's want you to deliver competitive advantage and growth and profitability. Recognizing what CEOs value and what ultimately drives competitive advantage, CX professionals must do three things:

  1. Align efforts with the business outcomes CEOs want. CX professionals must connect the dots and show how CX initiatives result in concrete outcomes.
  2. Build an engaged customer-focused workforce by helping employees identify with the customer and have a voice in the customer experience.
  3. Lead innovation, coupling customary break fix activities with breakthrough initiatives.

Strategic Fundamental track

When I am looking at my theory on two speeds of Customer Experience Management, I suggest you build your CX practice around these two tracks:

  1. The Strategic Fundamental track
  2. The Result Driven innovation track

In the Strategic fundamental track, you are focusing on the long term. You define the What and the How and guide the organization towards the customer centric future. Guiding principles, storytelling, culture. Let me give you a couple of examples. In this track, you build your CX strategy (actually most of the elements out of the first discipline of the CX framework is in the strategic fundamental track). You define the future state of CX. You define the way you listen to customers and systematically engage the organization around the voice of the customer, also using metrics. You build business cases based on ROI and prove the value of CX. You define the principles of customer centric innovation, define how to prioritize best and build a customer centric culture program. You see? All elements in the What and the How, are guiding towards the customer centric transformation.

But this is not enough, you should also shift gear!

Result Driven innovation track

The Result Driven innovation track is where you show the organization that you really work on improving the lives of your customers and improve the customer experience. So, not just facilitating design thinking sprints, but also delivering prototypes, scaling up those experiments that have proven their worth. Working on closing the loops. Really calling back customers, fixing those customer issues that are broken and actually measuring the impact.

This my dear CX friend, is what most CX professionals are not doing (enough). We need to hammer on improving and delivering those results that are needed and once we do, we need to communicate our customer successes with the organization.

As Bruce Temkin so eloquently said "While CX teams need ongoing support from their executives, senior leaders are prone to doubt. CX leaders need to keep communicating the progress and success of CX efforts and demonstrate that resources are being well used and any risks are effectively managed". What I love about this quote, is that he brings two elements together. Communicating the progress and demonstrate that resources are well used.

By only focusing on the Strategic Fundamental track, chances are you don't have enough results to show. So, consider adding that second Result Driven innovation track to your CX portfolio. By adding specific CX projects, getting your hands dirty on these customer issues that need to be fixed.

Project #99

A great example is "Project #99" where Clint Payne CCXP won the title International Customer Experience Professional of the year in 2018. In Multichoice, a South African Telecom and Television provider, he identified 99 common customer complaints. Together with his team he created a bottom-up approach, where employees and leaders in the company were encouraged and helped to solve these often long time known issues. Feel free to read more on his approach and the campaign. What were the results? Escalated customer complaints dropped from 733 in November 2015 to 476 in Feb 2017, client churn dropped by 1.8% and self-service went up from 55% to 65%.

So, the three most important questions you have to ask yourself:

  1. Be honest to yourself, are you delivering enough direct customer results? (If no, or in doubt, continue with question number 2)
  2. What percentage of your activities is in the Strategic and what percentage is in the Result Driven track? (Are you happy with these numbers?)
  3. What can you do to improve your CX results that customers are facing and shift gear to the Result Driven track?

Enough food for the mind. In August 2021 I will continue my pilgrimage and the Strategic Fundamental track I am on. The MilleMiglia was this great adrenaline kick, and I will definitely be back in 2022 to support these fab cars and their drivers.

But for now: I am curious for your thoughts on my theory on the Two Speeds of Customer Experience Managent that are needed. Do you recognize the disconnect and the need for both speeds?

 

*****

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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Professional Deformation

We are on a campsite, in a cottage. And that's not just any campsite, but one that is hip and therefore sells out quickly. The booking took place in November last year, with the idea that I would be abroad for the entire month of June for wonderful speaking assignments and CX masterclasses. But yes... Suddenly, there was corona. And just like everyone else, I have been permanently in our beautiful Netherlands since mid-March.

The good news was that we had found a great holiday address. This campsite was recommended by many: maybe a bit big, but super cool. Close to the beach, against the dunes. Lots of play options for children with sand and water. The reviews were almost too positive. I have to be honest: I get skeptical. I first want to see with my own eyes whether the promises are kept. And what about the customer experience? I want to experience that myself.

So. Off we went. The first week of the construction holiday. The busiest week of the high season in 2020. I first had to see how this campsite was going to live up to that great customer experience.

We were received perfectly. Fast, friendly and clear. We arrived at the cottage, so beautiful that it exceeded our expectations. With good beds and a perfect location: between the dunes, with a private veranda and such a beautiful tent canvas as a canopy. We were stunned.

The first bottle of wine opened, the little one left for a playground with lots of sand and we were royally in relax mode. First go through the booklet, with map and tips, including activity planning.

In the days that followed, we had the best conversations with staff members of the campsite. They regularly drove by in electric carts. We were greeted cheerfully, we knew their names were Luuk, Gerard or Daan and small wishes were fulfilled. For example, I had forgotten my yoga mat and within half a day I had one in our house. Every morning we received a newspaper, accompanied by a cheerful 'Good morning!'. In such a case, I am no longer able to be just a 'guest'. Immediately, my professional deformation rears its head. How is this arranged? What processes and agreements are made with the staff? I couldn't contain my curiosity and asked Daan. He immediately explained their concept. How they, together with all the staff, colour in the last page of the brochure. The page that you can't describe, but that you have to experience.

How wow is that? Not only coming up with it, but also making it happen in the middle of the high season. With processes, agreements and above all: in concrete behaviour. They packed me as a customer. Spoiled with a very nice holiday customer experience. Chapeau campsite. Chapeau staff. We have already booked for 2021.

 

This blog was written for CustomerFirst and published on September 22, 2020

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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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