Tag Archief van: cx books

Out of office is out of office

Elke maand versturen wij onze CX Greetz. CX Greetz is de naam van mijn maandelijkse CX-nieuwsbrief, en die is gebaseerd op hoe ik mijn e-mails altijd afrond. Ik eindig met “happy greetz” in plaats van “met vriendelijke groet” of wat je daar ook zou kunnen schrijven. Terwijl we het naar mijn community van meer dan 2.200 geïnteresseerden sturen, krijgen we ook veel out-of-office-berichten.

Sommige doen me fronsen: “Ik ben nu niet op kantoor, als ik terugkom, worden alle e-mails verwijderd, dus stuur het alsjeblieft opnieuw op datum x”. Sommigen maken me aan het lachen: “Ik ben bezig met het kijken naar kerstfilms, zie je later”, en van sommigen krimp ik spontaan ineen: “Ik heb de komende drie weken vakantie, maar als je me echt wilt bereiken, stuur me dan alsjeblieft een sms’je.”

Nee. Nee. Nee. Natuurlijk komt dit heel behulpzaam en welwillend over, maar je helpt jezelf daar bepaald niet mee. Laten we zo’n situatie eens nader bekijken: een collega besluit dat hij je nodig heeft voor iets heel belangrijks. Hij sms’t je en vraagt ​​om je hulp en verwijst naar een e-mail die hij je heeft gestuurd.

Je zit lekker op het strand met je partner en misschien zelfs met je kinderen. Het is zonnig, je drinkt een cocktail en de sushi wordt binnen twintig minuten gebracht. Je telefoon maakt het sms-geluid: “Hallo, dit is werk!” Net nu het de bedoeling was dat je zou genieten van wat mentale en fysieke ontspanning.

Omdat je een sterk verantwoordelijkheidsgevoel hebt, open je je e-mail en lees je het bericht, die je collega heeft gestuurd. Je beantwoordt zijn vraag. En nu ben je toch bezig, dus je leest meteen ook alle andere e-mails. Je partner vraagt ​​wat je aan het doen bent en je moppert over collega’s die je blijkbaar niet kunnen missen. Je ziet van alles waar je toch nodig bent. Op de een of andere manier is de sfeer en energie veranderd.

Geloof me, vakantie is vakantie. Je moet duidelijk zijn: als je weg bent, ben je weg. Zorg ervoor dat collega’s kunnen beheren wat er moet worden beheerd. Pas wanneer je terug bent, ben je ook echt back in the office. Want zodra je begint te reageren op e-mails en sms-berichten, denken mensen dat je beschikbaar bent en heb je je eigen ellende gecreëerd.

Maak een duidelijke out of office, waarin je vermeldt met wie je contact kunt opnemen tijdens je afwezigheid, omdat je nu namelijk niet beschikbaar bent. Nu is het aan jou om je collega’s te vertrouwen om de tent te runnen als jij er niet bent. En natuurlijk om je voicemail en je WhatsApp-profieltekst te wijzigen.

Ik denk even terug aan mijn eigen ervaring, toen ik tijdens mijn eerste wandeletappe mijn laptop meenam. Terwijl ik een aantal klanten hielp en e-mails beantwoordde, dachten ze dat ik ook de vragen zou beantwoorden die uit die e-mail voortkwamen. Elke avond vond ik dat ik mijn laptop moest openen om e-mails te checken. En niet alleen dat, elke avond zat ik met werkgedachten die in mijn hoofd bleven hangen. Omdat ik WhatsApp ook in een zakelijke context gebruik, heb ik daarna mijn profieltekst gewijzigd in “Pelgrimspad aan het lopen -> datum X”. Als mensen me sms’ten, stuurde ik ze een verzoek om in plaats daarvan een e-mail te sturen en ik vermeldde dat mijn assistent het zou regelen, aangezien ik op pelgrimstocht was. En totaal niet verrassend; iedereen begreep het!

Wij mensen hebben mentale rust nodig. Tijd weg van kantoor zoals vakanties, of zoals ik heb gedaan, een pelgrimspad bewandelen. Dit zijn perfecte momenten voor een mentale reset. Om de ideale setting te creëren, moet je duidelijk zijn naar de buitenwereld. Creëer grenzen en zet zelf de toon. Vakantie is Vakantie. Niet eens een beetje werk, niet één e-mail.

Tijdens de latere etappes van mijn pelgrimstocht had ik mijn laptop niet bij me, maar ik heb mijn team ook op een betere manier geïnstrueerd. “Beheer alle e-mails en verzoeken van klanten zelf. Ik geloof in je en als ik terug ben, ben ik volledig uitgerust en energiek genoeg om al het werk weer gedaan te krijgen.” Dat was voor iedereen duidelijk. Mentale rust voor mij en door het vertrouwen van mij in hen hadden ze het gevoel dat het bedrijf in veilige handen was.

Geloof me. Duidelijkheid en ernaar handelen, maakt de weg vrij. Out of office is out of office.

 

Dit blog komt uit mijn nieuwste Engelstalige boek ‘CX is a pilgrimage – 50 strategies to spice up your leadership’. Het boek verschijnt eind september 2022.

 

*****

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 voor 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 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. 

/door

4 redenen waarom je de ‘The Power of Moments’ moet lezen

Soms lees je een boek dat inslaat als een bom. Een boek dat je aan het denken zet: aan deze woorden wil ik mezelf keer op keer herinneren. Dit boek zou ik af en toe moeten herlezen, nee, elk jaar! The Power of Moments van Dan en Chip Heath is zo’n boek. Het is heel waardevol voor zowel je professionele als persoonlijke leven. Om wat preciezer te zijn: dit boek is een must read voor elke CX-professional.

Vier elementen

The Power of Moments gaat over krachtige momenten: een betekenisvol moment bevat één van de volgende vier elementen:

  • Een moment van verheffing
  • Het laat mensen zelf inzichten krijgen
  • Het maakt je trots of
  • Je maakt een zinvolle verbinding

Natuurlijk kan een krachtig moment meer dan één van de bovenstaande elementen bevatten en zelfs alle vier.

Maar waarom zou jij dit boek moeten lezen? Ik denk dat het je op vier manieren kan helpen.

1. Voor klanten: creëer betekenisvolle momenten in je klantreis

Door mijlpalen in customer journeys te implementeren, maken organisaties échte connectie met hun (positief verraste) klanten. Dat is waar het allemaal om draait: betekenisvolle connecties maken met je klanten en waarde leveren. De beste manier om dit te doen, is door je collega’s dit boek ook te laten lezen en te brainstormen over waar jullie in de klantreis deze betekenisvolle momenten kunnen creëren. Het is een geweldige manier om jullie klantreizen te verbeteren en jullie kunnen zeker zijn van loyale klantambassadeurs. Hier ligt een serieuze taak voor elke CX-professional!

2. Voor transformatieprojecten: inzichten die jullie veranderingsproces ondersteunen

Als we onze manier van werken willen veranderen, bijvoorbeeld op het gebied van klantervaring, weten we allemaal dat we ons gedrag en onze cultuur niet in één dag kunnen veranderen. Dit kost tijd. Wat dit boek The Power of Moments duidelijk maakt, is dat je mensen niet in één keer kunt veranderen. Maar door betekenisvolle momenten te creëren in je transformatieprojecten, kun je mensen zeker aanzetten tot ander gedrag. Als je mensen zelf de proef op de som laat nemen, als ze trots zijn op hun werk of bijdrage aan het bedrijf. Neem de tijd om te laten zien dat je om hen geeft en aandacht voor hen hebt. Dit helpt je echt een ​​zinvolle verbinding te maken.

3. Voor je team: vier jullie teamsuccessen

Als er één manier is om teamgeest te creëren, dan is het door betekenisvolle momenten te creëren. Bedenk manieren om de successen van je team te vieren. Vergeet niet een teamlid in het zonnetje te zetten als hij of zij uitstekend werk heeft geleverd, of gewoon wanneer iemand jarig is. Dit betekent niet veel extra werk; neem gewoon de tijd om mensen echt op te merken, om een ​​goed gesprek te voeren. Kortom: door te laten zien dat je om hen geeft, creëer je veel goodwill.

4. Voor jezelf: uw persoonlijke relaties verbeteren

Het spreekt voor zich dat als je de tijd neemt om betekenisvolle momenten in je persoonlijke leven te creëren, je relaties met andere mensen zal verdiepen. Of creëer zelf zo’n moment, zoals ik deed met mijn pelgrimstocht voor mijn 50e verjaardag. Iedereen heeft zinvolle verbindingen nodig, dat is wat ons leven gedenkwaardig en waardevol maakt. Maar dit geldt ook buiten je persoonlijke ‘bubbel’: maak tijd vrij om mensen te begroeten, lach naar mensen die je passeert. Je kunt overal verbindingen leggen.

Als we allemaal ons best doen om betekenisvolle momenten te creëren, zouden we gelukkige en loyale klanten en medewerkers hebben. En niet alleen dat. Ik ben er zeker van  dat we dan van deze planeet voor iedereen een fijnere plek kunnen maken.

Lees je graag inspirerende artikelen en boeken over Customer Experience? Schrijf je dan in voor mijn maandelijkse CX Greetz, waarin ik veel CX-ervaringen, -inspiratie en -lessen met je deel.

 

*****

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 voor 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 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. 

/door

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.. ehm, 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 agenda’s. 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 wat Customer Experience Management is all about… https://thelifecoachschool.com/podcast/

CX Travel Guide met Nienke Bloem
Ja, deze podcast is een Nederlandse versie en net voor de zomervakantie hebben we de 10e editie opgenomen met Kees Klink. Hoe is CX georganiseerd bij PostNL? Alle afleveringen hebben iets speciaals, dus luisteren maar. Je krijgt een kijkje achter de schermen 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 succeeds 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 breaths. 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 voor 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 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. 

/door

Shifting gear 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 sees also 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 voor 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 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. 

 

/door

Niks niet feestelijk

Ik ga trouwen. Ja, het is me nogal wat. Voor sommigen is dit de mooiste dag van hun leven, maar wij zien het – en dat komt misschien door onze leeftijd en Nederlandse achtergrond – iets praktischer. Wij wonen niet samen, dus voor ons is het een dag van de liefde. Een moment waarop we alles voor elkaar goed regelen. En dat regelen, daar gaat deze blog over. Want het vergt heel wat geregel om dit voor elkaar te krijgen.

Het begon al bij de online verkenning. Gratis trouwen kan op maandagochtend. Wist je trouwens dat daar een behoorlijke wachtrij voor is? Negen maanden maar liefst. Als ik deze wachttijd zie denk ik meer aan de duur van een gemiddelde zwangerschap, maar misschien zijn deze twee aan elkaar gerelateerd. Dit noemen ze ‘eenvoudig trouwen’. Dit kan op maandag, dinsdag, woensdag en vrijdag. De donderdag heeft er denk ik iemand vrij. Haha. Sorry, ik draaf wat door. En dit kan alleen in de ochtend. Blijkbaar is goedkoop, gratis en eenvoudig trouwen ook iets wat je ’s morgens doet.

Natuurlijk kun je ook ‘gewoon’ trouwen. Dit is dan wel weer aan de prijs, maar dan mag je bijvoorbeeld in de oude raadszaal van het stadhuis trouwen. Een stuk sfeervoller dan op het moderne stadskantoor op Utrecht Centraal. Maar de locatie daargelaten, het gaat natuurlijk allemaal om de liefde.

En die liefde moet je wel echt voor elkaar voelen als je dit proces ingaat. Het begint met het registreren van je voorgenomen huwelijk. Dit is een nieuw woord voor ondertrouw. Persoonlijk vind ik dat erg jammer. Ondertrouw klinkt een stuk gezelliger, maar ja, al het leuke is er wel vanaf gegaan. Want je vult alles online in, het is een proces. Je voert jouw gegevens en die van alle getuigen in en hopsa: je drukt op verzenden. Na een paar dagen kwam de gemeente in de lucht. We moesten met zijn tweeën en alle legitimaties naar het stadskantoor komen, voor het finaliseren van ons voorgenomen huwelijk.

Nu ben ik er wel van om ergens ‘een momentje van te maken’. Dus we planden een vrije dag en togen samen romantisch richting het stadskantoor. Daar kregen we in de grote hal een nummertje uit een apparaat. We mochten naar afdeling C, de roltrap op en rechtsaf. We werden opgeroepen. Alle documenten werden nog een keertje gecontroleerd, we betaalden € 627 (je leest het goed, trouwen is niet goedkoop) en stonden na vijf minuten weer buiten. Niks niet feestelijk. Nog geen felicitatie. Gewoon een procedure. Ligt het aan mij, of is dit een gemiste kans? 15 mei kunnen ze het goedmaken.

 

Dit blog werd geschreven voor CustomerFirst en gepubliceerd op 15 april 2020

Geen blog meer missen? Schrijf je in voor mijn maandelijkse CX 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 voor 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 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. 

/door

Post-it Ninja

“De klantervaring verbeteren, daar zijn wij mee bezig.” Ik heb een gesprek met een CX-collega bij een overheidsinstelling. Bij een grote brown paper legt ze mij uit wat ik hierop zie. Een mooie klantreis, vol ups en downs in emoties en heel, maar dan ook héél veel post-its. Helaas niet van hele goede kwaliteit, want er liggen er ook heel wat op de grond. Maar daar gaat deze blog niet over.

Nu ben ik zelf ook een groot fan van de post-it. Superhandig bij al je klantreissessies, workshops, verbetersessies en wat niet nog meer. Maar ik heb me ook wel eens afgevraagd hoe anderen mij en mijn CX-collega’s zien. Of we nu customer journey manager, service designer of customer experience-expert als functietitel hebben.

Laten we eens in de schoenen van onze collega’s stappen. Wat zien zij en wat zullen ze denken? Zou het zoiets kunnen zijn van: ‘Hé, daar loopt ze weer. Altijd maar in de weer met die brown papers en allerlei gekleurde zelfklevende kleine papiertjes. Waar gaat die post-it ninja nu weer heen? En wat gebeurt er met die brown paper? Haalt ze die nu van de muur en gebeurt er iets mee? Of hangt deze klantreis straks als prachtige kantoorkunst aan de muur en is het een herinnering aan een prachtsessie?’

Ja, dat kan zomaar het beeld zijn. En als dat zo is, dan hebben we dat zelf veroorzaakt. Het is aan ons om te laten zien dat er echt iets mee gebeurt. Want waar zijn we anders mee bezig? Natuurlijk is één van onze rollen het klantbewustzijn van collega’s vergroten. Maar we zijn pas succesvol als de klant er iets van merkt. Ik weet echt wel dat we soms gezien worden als die post-it ninja’s. Als die luitjes met de grootste plannen en mooiste sessies, maar met te weinig impact. En daar zijn we zelf verantwoordelijk voor. Ook om dat te veranderen, want van dat imago moeten we echt af.

Wij zijn het aan onze CX-stand verplicht dat we klantimpact hebben. Dat we daar zijn waar de klant is. Dat wij die klantreis écht weten te verbeteren. Dat we leiders verleiden om mee te draaien in het contactcenter. Dat we soms met brute kracht de grote klantissues onder de aandacht brengen. Dat we af en toe heel subtiel door wat gesprekken te laten horen, iedereen laten beseffen dat het zo echt niet kan. Soms met post-its en veel vaker met de ‘voice of the customer’. Maar altijd met het eerlijke klantverhaal en veel doe-kracht. Wij als CX-professionals zijn verantwoordelijk voor onze eigen impact. Weg met kantoorkunst, hallo klantsucces. Van post-it ninja naar klantheld; laat dát ons streven zijn.

 

Dit blog werd geschreven voor CustomerFirst en gepubliceerd op 11 maart 2020

Geen blog meer missen? Schrijf je in voor mijn maandelijkse CX 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 voor 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 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. 

/door

Nine elements of successful CX Ambassador programs

The latest years I have seen many organizations that worked with CX Ambassadors. So many roles, and so many variations of domain of impact. For example, to implement customer improvements, or to be NPS ambassadors from all teams to make sure the metric and the thought behind it stays alive, or to build a culture of customer centric behavior, or to translate the brand values into daily work. As I have seen so many and some were a success and some just died a silent death (yes, that is a risk), I decided to deduct the nine elements of success.

1. Have common goals that link to the strategy of the organization

When people join an ambassador program, they want to understand how they contribute and what is the WHY of the program. It is the role from the CX team to give clarity on this element of belonging and contribution. Especially the strategy element is important, as people will be asked in their teams and their surroundings what their role as an ambassador is. Also make sure they can translate their work into the strategy and the goals of the Ambassador program. As a CX team you have to be able to answer the question: “When is our CX Ambassador program a success and how does it contribute to the success of the organization?” Because if you can’t, your ambassadors most definitely can’t either.

2. Make sure the ambassadors have time to act

It depends whether Ambassadors are chosen by management or whether they can volunteer to join your CX Ambassador program. One of the hurdles I often see, is that of time. People get their ambassador role on top of their daily work. Especially when working in the frontline, with operational roles, you need to be aware that chances are they promise a lot but are more likely to be scheduled to be doing their regular job. I have seen programs where people got 20 percent of their time to work in the ambassador program; make sure this is planned in the WFM and help your ambassadors to own this new role. Enable them to have conversations with their team members and management. But also, you have to have conversations with the leadership, to emphasize the importance of the Ambassador program and the time people need.

3. Choose ambassadors wisely

Who should be the ambassadors? A very interesting question. Should they be picked by management, is that the modus operandi in your organization? Or could you have a kind of an audition program, where employees get to do interviews and really show why they are a good match? I hope you get to have a say in the selection process and have a diverse group of ambassadors. Especially at the start, make sure you get colleagues that have belief in Customer Experience, that have the right energy, that are curious and that are at crucial positions in the company. Later in time, you can choose to also engage the opponents. Especially when you have the first results in, this will convince them, and it gives you the authority that you can engage all. And of course, make the Ambassador team a diverse one, both on background, gender, roles and global footprint (when applicable).

4. Give guidance and build a system of support and clear governance

Ambassadors need support to fulfill their role. Often their roles have an evangelist and activist element which has impact on the organizational status quo. This means they have to work on customer change and different behavior. That isn’t easy, so help your ambassadors with the resistance they will encounter. Create FAQ’s with the most asked questions and answers they might give. Help them with tools and interventions so they can really act on their role. It is also important that you help them telling the story, especially when the evangelist element is fundamental. Practice the change story together. Give them customer stories, video clips, customer verbatims, that they can use in their change roles. I often see communities with a shared platform, where all resources can be found. Make sure you are the activator and stimulator of this platform.

5. Share and reward success

Some ambassadors hit the jackpot and some won’t. It is very important to deep dive the elements that enhance success. What really works is to put the people in the spotlight that are nailing it. That are really creating customer impact, that raise metrics, that change the customer status quo. I have seen Awards for the CX Ambassador of the year, which is kind of formal. But I have also seen stories highlighted on the intranet and Yammer communities where CX heroes were celebrated. Make sure you put the spotlight on their success, but also on the journey towards success. Share the honest truth and give them the praise they deserve. And… if your ambassador program is a true success, give yourself the right platform and go for a CX award yourself or with the team. Whether at the Global Insights Exchange of the CXPA or the International CX Awards. This can give you the internal authority, praise of colleagues and often an internal leadership boost.

6. Get together in real life

This might be difficult in global programs, but it is of true importance that Ambassadors know each other. So they know their peers, so they can have conversations when stuck, or to build on capabilities. I often see Zoom calls, Skype meetings and yes, these are practical. But when you really want success, claim budget for real life get togethers. Enhance learning, networking and a real foundation of CX belief when you see each other. What I have also seen, is that when Ambassadors have to make a real effort to travel, they are even more connected to the program later. When you finish a person to person event, make sure you give the colleagues shiny certificates or other status symbols they can take to their offices. To show off and have a physical reminder of their ambassador status.

7. Involve leaders

Somehow, I have seen most CX Ambassador programs that only have team members from operational roles. Where are the leaders, where is the management? It can’t be that they are too busy… So, when you start and choose the ambassador team, make sure you have the option to also pick leaders. If that is not the case, make sure you engage leaders in a different way. Communicate regularly about the Ambassador program and mention their teams when they deliver results. But also have conversations when the Ambassadors fall short and they indicate they don’t get the time they need. These conversations might be tricky, but this is the only road to go. Especially when you feel some leaders don’t support the program. If I can give you one most important suggestion it is: include the CEO. Make sure he/she expresses the importance, shows up in a real life meetup, or in a Zoom. That he/she asks questions in meetings how the participation of the Ambassador program is going.

8. Have ‘who takes over’ conversations and an on-boarding program

People will leave teams, get new roles, get sick or might even leave the company. To have continuity, you need to think of this at the beginning. Especially when people are selected and start: be honest and ask what will happen when they eventually are not there. For whatever reason. Do they have somebody that can replace them, do they have a next in line idea? It is a good conversation to have, since this also shows your sincerity and serious approach to the Ambassador program. When they stop, give them a fond farewell, a big thank you. Also give the new ambassadors a warm welcome. Make sure you have a welcome/onboarding procedure. That is crystal clear on expectations. That helps you and the ambassador to start of in the best way.

9. When the vibe is down, stop or show stamina and refresh

The good thing at the start of a CX Ambassador program is that everybody is fully energized. Starting new things just has a good vibe. The lights are all green, the program has power, maybe even an own logo. You have somebody who is responsible for the selection, communication and the meetups. And then… after a year the vibe might be down. The participation is less. Other priorities might come up. What to do? This should already have been taken care of in the startup. To raise the ‘what if questions’ and the mitigating actions. But it will happen. This is the moment where you have two choices. Either you stop the program. With a real celebration of the success, a big thank you to all participants. Or this is the moment your endurance comes in. Where you show stamina. Continuity is key and you have to stick to the rhythm of communication. Make time in your agenda to prepare meetings, to tape video’s, to share stories. And when the vibe is really down: refresh. Give the program a boost with a new logo. With a new story line, maybe even a new face of the CX team.

When to start an CX Ambassador program

Ambassador programs are just tha bomb. Yes, I am an enthusiast and I have seen some great examples where the organization was engaged by the success of the program. You don’t start an Ambassador program when you just started the CX team. It is something to start when you have grown a little more mature. When the fundamentals are there: a CX team, a clear CX Strategy and of course the budget.

Your learnings

I am so curious for your learnings. I have two questions:

  1. What are fundamentals that you have encountered in your CX Ambassador program that really created success, that are your success factors?
  2. Please be in contact when you have a great Ambassador story. As I am writing the CX Travel Guide in English, I am looking for international stories and I would love to learn from yours and share your story.

So, please share your insights and comments and of course, feel free to like, love and share this post.

 

** Subscribe to her weekly CX 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 voor 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 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. 

 

/door

The story behind the blue dress

Maybe you know, maybe you don’t. But me wearing a blue dress when I perform and speak, has a start. I call it the birth of my personal brand. Let me share the story with you.

It was Sunday March 29th 2015. I was invited to my first Professional Speaker Association event, not only to learn, but also to speak. Imagine this: I had just quit my job 3 months earlier, was in the early days of my speaking career and the second bunch of people I spoke for, were all speakers. I was so terrified and excited at the same time, and worked vigorously to create a brilliant story. Where CX meets a speaker’s business. I did try outs, worked on my slides, and worked on my body, since I wanted to look my best. Ever.

Besides yoga I ran twice a week (I jogged to be honest). Two days before D-day, when I was running in the city of Utrecht, I sprained my calf. It hurt like crazy and the most awful part was, that I couldn’t walk. Should I cancel my PSA event? From a body’s point of view: yes. I couldn’t walk and had to keep my leg up, to give it rest. But there was no issue with my mouth and voice, so I decided to go anyway. And with crutches, I could make my way around the event.

There was just one issue. I had planned to wear a red dress, but I had blue crutches and that was not a beautiful match. So, I dug deep in my closet and found the perfect dress. A dress that matched my crutches. A blue dress. And I tailored my story more to the blue theme. I used the blue bear as a metaphor, the big blue bear that is an art work outside the Denver Convention Center. My metaphor for staying curious and yes, blue again. So, the day came, where I delivered my keynote speech. I was nervous, and yes it felt a little strange to not stand up and walk while speaking. I delivered my keynote on a barstool, but hey, I did it!

It went great and I got a big round of applause of all my new speaker friends. After my speech, a colleague of a speaker bureau came up to me and asked if I was interested in speaking for their agency. As the speaker in the blue dress.

That is where it all began. And since then, I almost always speak in a blue dress. As it has grown to be my personal brand. To be an authentic part of me doing what I love to do. Helping my customers to make the world more beautiful for their customers and employees. I get many questions about my blue dress thing and thought it would be handy to create a FAQ for you.

The FAQ of the blue dress

Do you have funny stories about you in your blue dress?

The best story of me and my blue dress, is one that happened at Schiphol Airport. I ordered a cappuccino when I was on my way to fly to London. The barista gave me my cappuccino and said; “that is one euro 60”. I looked up in amazement, because cappuccino’s in airports are normally triple that price. She saw my surprise and said: “Employee discount.” She thought I was an employee of KLM ?. So up to now I have saved at least three euro’s doing my blue dress thing.

How many blue dresses do you have?

It is more than four years ago and since then, my collection of blue dresses has grown. Every time I walk into a department store or boutique, my Blue-dress-radar starts immediately. I am always on the lookout for a new edition to add to my blue dress collection ?. In my closet, I have designers’ dresses, La-Dresses, a ball gown, sleeveless dresses, V-neck dresses, short and longer dresses. I just counted them for you, and I dare to share that I have 17 blue dresses in the colors cobalt/royal blue.

Do you have any other color dresses?

Yes I have other colors, but I must admit, my blue collection takes half of my closet. I treasure my royal blue ones, but I also have a collection of darker blue. And of course, other shades, some with flowers. But know that I almost never wear them when I deliver a presentation or when I teach a masterclass: those moments I’ll stick to my vivid blue ones. O well, I give you an idea what my wardrobe looks like.

Do you ever wear trousers?

Yes, I do. When I go to the gym I always wear trousers. That is twice a week. And that is enough for me… I have some jeans in my closet. But I rarely wear them. I love the simplicity of a dress. One piece, no hassle and I look feminine instantly.

Do you ever speak in another colored dress?

Especially when I speak abroad, I bring two dresses of different colors. The blue one and most often an orange or red one. The reason I do this, is because when the stage is all blue, me in my blue dress will fade away against the background. And I don’t want that. So sometimes I have to decide to let the personal brand go and choose for client delivery. A logical choice, because when you can’t see the speaker that well, I have not done a great job.

Did you ever go to Denver and see the blue bear for yourself?

Yes, I did. You have to know, that in 2015 when I started with the blue bear in my stories, I made a pledge to myself that I wanted to see that blue bear with my own eyes. In 2016 I went to a training of a speaker colleague to learn all about marketing and sales for speakers. In DENVER. Yiha! So, I got to meet the blue bear, the immense art work that is almost 13 meters high.

Do you also have a blue car, blue nails, blue everything?

No. I just wear a blue dress. That is my image, my personal brand. In my logo I have blue as a color, but that is about it. I don’t want to be a blue lady and identify with Smurfette, although I really think she is adorable. So, just a blue dress. Now you know everything about the origin of that!

 

** Subscribe to Nienke’s weekly CX 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 voor 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 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. 

 

/door

Coolblue-moe

“Nienke, zullen we het gewoon een keer niet over Coolblue hebben? Zijn er geen andere gave voorbeelden als het gaat over customer experience?” Een opmerking uit een recente Customer Experience Masterclass.

Het zou kunnen dat er Coolblue-moeheid is in de wereld van de klantbeleving. En ja, dat snap ik. Altijd maar die merkbelofte, dat ‘Alles voor een glimlach’. Altijd maar die Pieter Zwart, eindbaas to the max. Bijna irritant. Maar ik moet eerlijk zijn: ze zijn ook goed. Niet een beetje, maar in de categorie ‘Goed, Beter’ zijn zij de allerBeste.

Een voorbeeld uit de praktijk en zo zijn er waarschijnlijk vele. Mijn laptop crashte. Goed waardeloos, want weg levenslijn met de wereld. Er moest dus gelijk een vervanger komen. Maar welke? Voor sommigen is het uitzoeken van een nieuwe een genot. Maar ik ben meer van de categorie ‘harde vloek, shit, alles straks opnieuw installeren’ en ‘o o o wat ben ik blij dat ik alles in de cloud heb staan’. Want zo slim ben ik dan weer wel.

Dus wie bel je dan? Juist, Coolblue. Ik had even gekeken op de website, maar had toch een hulplijn nodig. Binnen no-time werd de telefoon beantwoord door Aron. In slechts een paar vragen leidde hij mij tot de juiste selectie. Een HDMI-aansluiting (echt, ze maken nog laptops zonder, hoe is het mogelijk?!), minimaal twee USBaansluitingen, een grafische kaart en een 13 inch-scherm. Dat was het en ik wilde het apparaat snel hebben. “Hoe snel?”, vroeg Aron. Hij stelde zijn vraag om 18.45 uur ’s avonds. Mijn laptop kon ik de volgende ochtend om 8.30 uur ophalen bij het postkantoor op de hoek. En zo geschiedde: ik typ deze column op mijn vanmorgen opgehaalde, nog glimmende laptop.

Ik ben verre van Coolblue-moe. Ik ben fan en wel om vijf redenen. Allereerst blinken ze uit in Vriendelijkheid; de tone of voice is alsof ik een goede vriend aan de telefoon heb. Nummer twee is Betrouwbaarheid – ik weet dat als ik iets aan ze vraag, dat ze er voor me zijn. De derde reden is Slimheid. Aron wist precies de juiste vragen te stellen. Dan komt Snelheid; hoe goed heb je je proces op orde, zodat je binnen 14 uur de laptop ter plaatse hebt? Helden. En als allerlaatste, nummero vijf: de Leukheid. Coolblue is een tof bedrijf met toffe mensen. Die glimlach hebben ze bij mij altijd te pakken.

Dus ja, misschien is het voorbeeld uitgekauwd. Wordt het tijd voor een nieuwe CX-ster aan het firmament. Daarom daag ik jullie allemaal uit om mij als klant net zo blij te maken als Coolblue dat elke keer doet. Eitje toch?

 

Dit blog werd geschreven voor CustomerFirst en gepubliceerd op 8 mei 2019

Geen blog meer missen? Schrijf je in voor mijn maandelijkse CX 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 voor 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 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. 

/door

The Why and How of my Customer Experience study trip

“How do you stay inspired, Nienke?”

“What companies do you want to visit and learn from their CX secrets?”

“Where do you get new material for your speeches and masterclasses?”

Three random questions I got from CX peers and personal friends. Very valid questions, because I am a teacher to others, inspire others, get them to act. But occasionally my material also needs to be refreshed.

The inspiration is out there in daily life. That’s what I often blog about, but I also have to stay ahead. Bring best practices to my business to help others. So that was the WHY behind my CX study trip.

In this YouTube video I explain the Why and How of the trip and give you the insights how you could organize it yourself ?. Because, let me be honest with you, it was pretty easy to organize. Just book time in your agenda, make sure you have the money (not cheap, and I will let you know afterwards if it was worth it) and just DO it.

If you want to follow me with my learnings, subscribe to my Youtube channel or join my weekly CX greetz list. I’ll send you a short informative and fun newsletter once a week to help you grow your CX leadership, subscribe here.

And…. this year I’ll start with an inspirational BANG. I am traveling to the USA to follow a course at the Disney Institute and continue my American CX adventure with a tour at Zappos behind the scenes and two interviews with executives. I am so looking forward to broaden my horizon. To see with my own eyes how these two brilliant examples organize Customer Experience.

 

*****

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 voor 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 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. 

/door