Tag Archief van: cx inspiration

The 3 learnings for YOU from the best CX team of 2019

Look at this photo. Isn’t it a brilliant moment of fame? These are the winners of the International CX Award 2019 for Best Customer Experience Team: the CX team of KCB Bank. This bank is located in Kenya and their CX team nailed it when it comes to CX. What can you learn from them? I will share my insights, as I was one of the judges of this category and the host of the Awards.

1. Name of your CX team

When you are in the profession of Customer Experience Management, you want to differ from other teams within your company. You are responsible for the customer and the change within the company into customer centric behavior. You are there to elevate these KPI’s that matter. It could be NPS or CSAT, but that is what you are there for. So, what is your team name? The CX Team of KCB, named themselves Team Possibilitarians. To propel the customer experience agenda, they have made the KCB Customer Experience Team a fun place to be, as they believed that offering delightful customer experiences can only be natural and seamless in a fun, but yet an official setting. Smart!

2. Business rationale

Customer Experience Management is a business profession. That means – as CX professionals – we are there for a business reason. To deliver business value: to customers and therefore to the company. To create a competitive advantage, to help innovation, to boost a customer centric culture. That is also what CEO’s expect of the CX profession. Within KCB, the team is led by Job Njiru. The banking industry in Kenya, faced homogeneity and a dynamic environment created by Customers. The CX team had to look for clear paths to help remaining the market leader in a very competitive market. Customers demanded personalized and differentiated experiences. They required products initiated by their requests and the products to meet their expectation of reliability, speed, efficiency, low cost and convenience. KCB thought of a plan to ensure that their customer needs are met. In 2018 a Customer Experience Division was created within the bank as an independent division, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, “to eat, think, dream and sleep as the customer”. To align that, they created a business metric that really measures CX support across all staff, named Rate My Support (RMS). The team has grown in score and helped building a customer centric culture across the business, helped meeting customer service level agreements by reducing TAT on complaint resolution from 72 hrs in 2017 to 24 hrs in 2019, improving NPS by 5 points up, making them the market leaders in the Kenyan banking industry. So, the question is: what is your business rationale and how can you show your success?

3. The CX Story for change

How do you engage the organization? Do others understand what you are doing with your team? Do they know what to do and how? What I love about the CX team of KCB Bank, is that for 2019, they decided to focus on the 4E’s of customer experience which for them are Emotion, Expectation, Effort and Execution. This has helped building customer trust, enhancing customer understanding and building a community of believers who advocate KCB globally. What is your acronym? Your list of 4E’s (or other elements) that creates engagement and that are memorable elements?

Congratulations to all members of the CX #TeamPossibilitarians of KCB Bank with your win. It was a fierce competition in this category within the awards, but you so much deserve it. And for all readers of this blog: will you also compete in this year’s International CX Awards? It will help you within your company as an authority and it will give you the praise you deserve.  I certainly hope to meet you and challenge you to compete on the Elite Podium of CX!

 

** 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

20 Goede Klantvoornemens voor 2020

Ok, het is eind januari als je deze column leest. Alleen schrijf ik het, nu we nét het jaar zijn begonnen. En traditioneel denken we dan collectief na over onze goede voornemens.

Ik zou geen CX-expert zijn, als ik die voornemens niet aan klanten zou koppelen. Daarom geef ik je een mooi overzicht van 20 Goede Klantvoornemens. Hopelijk zijn ze in jouw organisatie al volkomen normaal. Laten we dat eens checken.

  1. Wij gebruiken geen kleine lettertjes, die we eigenlijk niet goed kunnen uitleggen.
  2. No-reply e-mailadressen doen we niet aan. Want het is toch raar dat wij als organisatie wel tegen een klant mogen praten, maar dat deze niets mag terugzeggen.
  3. Onze enquêtes zijn kort en krachtig en zien er tof uit.
  4. Vult een klant een enquête in, dan doen we er ook iets mee. We verbeteren onze dienstverlening en koppelen terug wat we hebben gedaan.
  5. Wij reageren op reviews die de klant achterlaat.
  6. Wij vinden de klant leuk en dat ervaart deze in al ons klantcontact.
  7. Als we beloven een klant terug te bellen, dan doen we dat ook.
  8. Natuurlijk hoeft de klant zijn of haar verhaal nooit te herhalen, wij gebruiken ons CRM-systeem zodanig dat alle collega’s weten wat er besproken is.
  9. Komt onze klant er digitaal niet uit, dan bieden we een alternatief.
  10. Wij bedanken de klant, omdat deze al jarenlang klant is. Als nieuwe klanten een leuk aanbod krijgen, dan krijgen onze gewaardeerde klanten dat aanbod natuurlijk ook.
  11. Wij verstoppen ons telefoonnummer niet op onze website.
  12. Ons management draait regelmatig mee aan de ‘voorkant’, zodat ook zij van onze klanten mogen genieten.
  13. We sturen onze klanten misschien dit jaar wel een kaartje. Met hun verjaardag, of gewoon omdat we dat leuk vinden.
  14. Bij ons staat een klant nooit lang in de wacht, ook niet als we de Belastingdienst zijn.
  15. Wij gebruiken geen irritante wachtmuziek.
  16. Gaat er iets mis, dan zeggen we welgemeend ‘sorry’ en lossen we het op.
  17. Wij geven nooit een andere organisatie de schuld als iets misgaat, maar nemen zelf de regie.
  18. Onze brieven zijn in begrijpelijke taal geschreven.
  19. Wij vragen nooit om negens en tienen voor onze dienstverlening, maar zijn oprecht nieuwsgierig naar iedere klantervaring.
  20. Natuurlijk is ons contactcenter ook ’s avonds en/of in het weekend open, als onze klant daar behoefte aan heeft.

Staan er punten in deze lijst die je nog niet voor klanten doet? Besluit dan om het vanaf vandaag anders te gaan doen. Aan de slag. Happy 2020!

 

Dit blog werd geschreven voor CustomerFirst en gepubliceerd op 29 januari 2020

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/door

The need of a development plan (and what it has to do with tulips)

Last year around this time, I got to visit two of the greatest names when it comes to Customer Experience. Disney and Zappos. I traveled to California to learn all about CX magic at Disney Institute. In Las Vegas I got a tour at Zappos where I interviewed leaders at their fun property. Many of the learnings I shared in my blogs and I even published an e-zine on my insights at Zappos. But why did I do that? Why did I choose these two companies as my Go-To-Learning-Place for 2019? It’s all about development. Let me share my vision with you in this blog.

Buy my flowers!

But first I want to share with you that tulips are my favorite flowers. Nice to know, right? Or not? But hang on, it has to do with the story ?. The picture you see is taken at the local flower market in Utrecht. Every Saturday you can buy all kinds of flowers and plants on this market. It is a very bright and happy place to visit, even when it rains. The colors, the smells, the people and especially the salesmen and women behind their flower stands make me smile. They get it when it comes to selling their goods. They look at you, recommend their flowers and try to lure you into their domain.

What could happen – and they understand sales really well, so it probably will happen – is that they seduce you to buy some flowers. Not just the flowers you planned to buy. But more and different ones. Which will cost you more money than you had planned to spend and they will take up more room in your house. Colorful, yes! But maybe not what you went out for.

Stick to the plan

The same might happen with development. You go out there, see all kinds of education and inspiration, but what to decide? When you go online you might get lost in a maze of development options. To learn new skills, get inspiration, be a better entrepreneur, learn all CX, be a better you. I know many people that get seduced to follow webinars, free events and buy education as a result. Sometimes for the good. Often maybe not for what they planned to do. Is that bad? No, but think of all the time and money that is wasted. So when I go out to get tulips, I get tulips. And maybe one extra bunch of flowers to give away. But I stick to my plan.

The big picture

That is where my big picture in development comes in. Every year I determine in what area I want to develop myself. Two examples to show you how I do it. In 2018 I wanted to learn more about comedy, about being funny on stage or when delivering my Masterclass. To learn what my trade was, when it came to this art. I went to a standup comedy weekend in Brighton with Jill Edwards, had a day course with Jeremy Nichols and watched tons of comedians. On stage as well as on Netflix. A big learning experience that resulted in finding out that I am more of an improv comedian, than a standup comedian. But it was such a good learning ride.

Personal and business development

2019 was all about learning more on CX. Really deep diving into my own profession and learning from the best. The reason I went to Disney and Zappos. And why I hosted the International CX awards and why I was a judge. Because we were also writing our book about CX, I needed to focus on my profession. An extra touch was that both Disney and Zappos focus on change from a cultural lens. Very handy with regard to our Employee Experience Game and the Masterclass CX Culture I am developing. This investment in me was not only an inspirational one, but also a business smart decision!

The plan for 2020

This year will be all about growing my facilitation and audience interaction skills. I want to find my own interaction games (I already have some fun ones, but I think I can be better). Not only in a small setting like our CX Masterclass with 16 participants, but also with audiences of thousands. I like people in my audience to be really involved. So, I have work to do. I will visit the Global Speaker Summit in Namibia in February to learn from the world’s greatest speakers and I will join the annual PSA Australia event in Adelaide to get some Down Under magic. In April I have booked myself a seat in a two-day Masterclass to be a better Master of Ceremony (dagvoorzitter for the Dutchies). I don’t fancy becoming an all-round MC, but at customer events, I love the role. Because I can add some Nienke Bloem and CX magic to the day.

Your theme for this year

So, what to learn from all this? The big picture. My question to you is, what is your theme for the year? Do you like my way of bringing focus to personal development? Or do you have other ways, that I can learn from? Please share, because there are far more ways when it comes to development, and there is no good or bad. Oh well, actually there is a bad one. That is doing nothing. Staying still. Not investing in yourself. So, when you are at the flower market, I hope you’ll be seduced to buy some flowers. I will get myself some tulips.

 

** 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

De kraan lekt

Daar had ik er weer eentje te pakken. Zo’n bevestigingsbrief van een dienst die ik afnam. In de corporate terminologie zou ik dit een procesbrief noemen – zo’n brief die het systeem uit zichzelf uitpoept, omdat een klant iets heeft besteld, gewijzigd of opgezegd.

Natuurlijk is het van belang dat deze brieven er geautomatiseerd uitkomen. Want het is niet meer helemaal van nu, dat er een ruimte vol typistes zit. Die dit soort brieven op maat typen, op basis van elk klantding dat voorbijkomt. Maar waarom zijn deze systeembrieven toch zo niet van nu? Zo afstandelijk? En waarom gebruiken ze referenties, waar ik met mijn pet niet bij kan? Wie heeft die bedacht? K-532-Zleven. Of 54352-trxxx. Het zal wel te maken hebben met mijn klantnummer, adres of geboortedatum. Of is het een vergelijkbaar ingewikkeld en ingenieus systeem als de kentekens van auto’s? Iemand verzon een reeks, die raakte op en dus werd er een nieuwe reeks geïntroduceerd. Zoiets.

Maar ik dwaal af. Zelf ben ik verantwoordelijk geweest voor klantcommunicatie. Ik weet hoe moeilijk het is om deze procesbrieven te wijzigen. Het is gewoon een enorme rotklus. Zo’n klus waar eigenlijk niemand zijn vingers aan wil branden. Want het behelst nogal wat. Het start met de vraag: gebruiken we ‘je’ of ‘jij’ en eindigt met ‘welke brief wordt wanneer verstuurd’ en ‘waar gaat een mogelijk antwoord heen’? En welke woorden moet je gebruiken? Woorden die de klant wel moet kunnen begrijpen. B1, Jip en Janneke. Ach, ach, keuzes, keuzes…

Echt, niemand staat te springen om deze klus op het gebied van klantcommunicatie uit te voeren. En toch… als de kraan lekt moet je die maken (of laten maken) en daarna dweilen. Dáárover wil ik mijn punt maken. Over dat dweilen. Dat gaat het beste als de kraan gerepareerd is. Anders wordt het zo’n zooitje. Dus dat er vanaf vandaag alleen maar brieven en e-mails uitgaan die de juiste boodschap brengen aan de juiste ontvanger, in de juiste taal en op het juiste moment. En dan? Dan is het tijd om te gaan dweilen: je gaat de procescommunicatie aanpakken. Dat megaproject. Trek daar maar twee jaar voor uit. Minimaal zou ik zeggen.

Het meest nare is dat je hier weinig eervolle vermeldingen voor krijgt. Want zodra je klaar bent, is de eerste brief alweer verouderd. Of heeft het bedrijf een nieuwe naam. Of een nieuwe tone-of-voice. Of een nieuw logo. Of een nieuwe directeur. Want tja, al die brieven moeten wel de juiste handtekening hebben… Je zou er moedeloos van worden.

 

Dit blog werd geschreven voor CustomerFirst en gepubliceerd op 13 november 2019.

Geen blog meer missen? Schrijf je dan 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

De definitie van Customer Experience

Customer Experience: je leest en hoort er veel over. Maar wat is het nu precies? Wat is de definitie? De definitie van Customer Experience die ik altijd gebruik is:

De perceptie die een klant heeft van alle interacties met jou als bedrijf tijdens de hele klantreis, in alle klantkanalen.

Graag leg ik dit wat uitgebreider aan je uit. Stel je voor, we hebben het over jouw bedrijf. En de organisatie waarvoor je werkt is een hotel. Maar het kan net zo goed een verzekeringsmaatschappij, een autodealer of zelfs een groot B-to-B-bedrijf zijn. Het type bedrijf is niet belangrijk: de klantervaring en de basis ervan blijven hetzelfde. Laten we eens kijken. Voor nu richten we ons op het hotelvoorbeeld en stappen we in de schoenen van de klant.

Perceptie

In dit voorbeeld ben ik een klant en ik ben dus op zoek naar een hotel. Ik wil een kamer boeken. Dus wat ik doe is jullie website bekijken, misschien lees ik enkele beoordelingen op onafhankelijke websites, of ik heb misschien een e-mail ontvangen van jullie afdeling reserveringen met antwoorden op enkele vragen die ik eerder heb verzonden. Al mijn ervaringen tezamen vormen mijn perceptie. En perceptie is belangrijk als het gaat om klantervaring: álles is perceptie. Customer Experience is dus niet wat jullie als bedrijf denken of hoe jullie graag op jullie klanten zouden willen overkomen. Nee, het gaat erom wat de klant zelf echt denkt en ervaart.

Alle interacties

Het tweede woord dat echt belangrijk is in de definitie van Customer Experience zijn interacties. Alle interacties om wat preciezer te zijn. En met alle interacties bedoel ik – in onze hotelcasus – alle interacties die deze klant heeft tijdens het boeken (website, beoordelingen en een e-mail). Maar misschien later – nadat de boeking is gemaakt – komt deze klant jouw hotel binnen. Zij of hij (maar voor nu maken we haar even een zij) wordt begroet door de receptioniste, of misschien praat ze bij het zwembad met de badmeester. Haar ervaring wordt bepaald door álle interacties in de hele klantreis en in álle kanalen, zowel online als offline. Dat is waar Customer Experience om draait.

Alle kanalen

Dit klinkt misschien best eenvoudig, maar het kost veel inspanning en toewijding om consistent te zijn in alle interacties en kanalen. Heb je een geweldige website, maar zijn jouw beoordelingen dat niet: dan heb je een probleem. Is de receptioniste echt hoffelijk en gastvrij, maar gedraagt de badmeester bij het zwembad ​​zich als een eikel: dan heb je alweer een probleem. Kun je eenvoudig via jullie website boeken, maar word je bij telefonisch reserveren van het kastje naar de muur gestuurd? Dan is dat vanuit klantbeleving gezien een regelrechte ramp.

Je hele organisatie moet dus consistent zijn in haar klantbenadering, tijdens alle interacties en binnen alle kanalen. Natuurlijk kun je ook consequent slecht presteren, maar iedere organisatie wil haar belofte waarmaken. Of nog beter: wil iets extra’s leveren om top-of-mind te worden en blijven bij klanten; wil zich onderscheiden van de concurrentie.

Bij Customer Experience draait alles dus om de klant. Over zijn of haar perceptie van interactie met jullie als organisatie. Ik heb deze Engelstalige video opgenomen waar ik met behulp van LEGO eenvoudig laat zien wat Customer Experience is.

 

Wil je meer weten over Customer Experience? Het is mijn missie om van de wereld een betere plek voor klanten te maken. Je kunt je abonneren op mijn YouTube-kanaal waar ik regelmatig informatieve en interessante video’s upload over Customer Experience. Plus: je kunt je inschrijven voor mijn maandelijkse CX Greetz waarin ik inspiratie en interessante weetjes geef over hoe je deze waardevolle klantervaringen kunt creëren. Help me met mijn missie: to make Customer Experience WORK!

 

 

*****

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

Reality check for marketeers

… why you are getting it all wrong when it comes to the visual revolution

We are in the age of the visual revolution. Sorry? What? Yes, visuals are the bomb. Not just a little bit, but all over the place. Where Instagram is growing like crazy, YouTube is the second largest search engine and even LinkedIn is growing when it comes to images and video.

A real big chance for everybody. Not only telling how good your products and services are, but also showing it with images. Because images speak louder than words; right?

Let’s dive a little deeper where it tends to get ugly when it comes to visuals.

Let’s go on a cruise

This April I went on a cruise. In 2016 we cruised with Carnival Cruises, which was a big eye opener and fun and brilliant customer experience (on which I blogged). So in 2019 we wanted to push it a little, go on a longer cruise and see more islands. We changed to Celebrity Cruises, because their ships were newer, the destinations fitted and the whole look and feel of the website, matched with what I was longing for.

This is where it all went wrong. Please take a look on their website: I am curious what you see and what impression you get? Well I got the impression of modern luxury (which is also what they promise, as one of the guest relations officers told me) and the website shows guests like me.

The Stereotype Exercise

Now, let’s do a small exercise that I learned at Disney Institute. The Stereotype exercise. When you think of cruising and the typical customer. What things come to mind? Before I type any further, you could pick up pen and paper, but you can also keep reading. I will join you in your mind.

When I stereotype cruising and their guests, I think of an older population, a little grey-haired to be honest. Pensioners, who love jewelry and play bridge. They are grandparents, children moved out of the home. Who want to experience luxury and comfort and want to dine with captain Stubing (little joke).

Our experience in 2016 was really different. Carnival is known for their fun and they attract a young crowd. That is also what their website shows when it comes to visuals. Now let’s switch back to Celebrity. When I glance at their visuals on the website or their Instagram, I see people like me. Young, okay, this is debatable ?, but between 40 and 55. Young, right?! A young crowd who enjoys life, who likes to explore and have new adventures. This is what they market, this is what they sell on their website.

Different expectations

So imagine entering the boarding area in Fort Lauderdale, where the first impression was… An old peoples home. The stereotype we just imagined. Yes, we saw canes, walking racks and wheelchairs. That is not any issue, but I booked this holiday with a different expectation. Praise the lord there were younger people aboard, but they were scarce. And that was a real pity for my daughter of twenty, who I brought along. Yes, we had a great holiday, but thinking back of the Carnival Cruise and the fun we had with most of the guests; I wish we booked with them.

During the cruise, we shared tables with many people and for example had a chat with a couple (in their 70s) who were on their tenth cruise with Celebrity. Yes, they admitted Celebrity is known for a little older crowd. That is what they liked and why they came back. Again and again. And we had many more chats like that.

Disappointment

The fourth day of the cruise, I decided to have a conversation with guest relations. Because it somehow itched that the cruise was marketed in a way, which wasn’t delivered. I explained my disappointment and the lady behind the desk spoke these words “Yes, we have an older population on board. If you would have liked a younger cruise, you should have booked Royal Caribbean.” What?! Really?!

While I am writing this, I feel the same emotions again. Those of frustration and disappointment. You sell me a cruise with a certain expectation, I book online, I have to let you know who I travel with (a twenty-year-old), you give no advice and then a little twat behind the desk tells me this. My oh my.

Where did it go wrong from an organizational customer experience point of view?

Honor your clients

I think the marketeers of Celebrity Cruises are all pretty young and hip. Chances are they hire other hip website builders, travelers and influencers to create visuals and tell stories. Probably the board wants to rejuvenate their passengers. Marketing most certainly works with personas, but I don’t think the older traveler is in there. They aim for young, as shows their website and Instagram.

Now comes the truth and nothing but the truth. Be happy with your clients. Give them the credits they deserve. Because these older guests are filling your pockets. Make sure you show reality in your visuals. Not just polishing it up with models and stock photo’s you use now. Show your real customers in your visuals. Give them the place they deserve on your website, Instagram and Facebook.

Because what happened with me, is not an N=1 (just one traveler) situation. We had a conversation with over ten other young guests, and they had the same experience as we had. They were also not coming back on Celebrity. At least not in the next twenty years ?, as at that age we fit their age group in a better way.

My dear marketeers, when you show pictures that are too far from the truth, you are the reason why customers get disappointed. Guest relations can’t fix it down the line. They can only fix it with some extra’s, but you are two steps behind.

Be real

Does this only happen in the travel industry? NO. This is the hard truth in many areas of visual marketing. For example, have a look at websites of golf courses. The pictures are beautiful. The sun is rising. Greens look so green. Bunkers are all raked meticulously. And the most surprising thing; almost never do you see any people golfing. It could be a very young and slim couple, but most often these golf courses are photographed at moments of total ‘nobodyness’.

Reality is different. Most golf courses host many flights of golfers. There are PEOPLE on a golf course. Not models, but people like me, my mom and dad. Normal people.

Of course, you want to look your best on a website. You want to show things on a sunny day. Literally and metaphorically. But don’t overdo it. Make sure it looks great, but also real. Because if you don’t: reality will hit and create disappointment down the line.

So, my plea is: do the reality check. Take a look at your website and other social channels where you use visuals like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Are you telling the truth, or should you take it down a notch? Me and my fellow customers would appreciate the real story. Thank you.

 

Don’t want to miss any of my blogs? Then subscribe to my 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

What I learned at Disney Institute: my three major insights of graduating the course ‘Disney’s Approach to Quality Service’

Disney – we all know the brand, and I have visited their theme parks several times. Both in Paris as well as in Orlando. But how do they consistently deliver their Disney Magic? This year I decided to invest in myself and learn more and follow one of Disney Insitute’s courses. A separate company, dedicated to spreading Disney’s knowledge through training and advice.

I followed a One-Day course at Anaheim, the Disneyland location. The very first location of all Disney parks, where Walt Disney himself had his vision and where he put it in practice.

The whole day was well organized, starting very early with breakfast at 7:30 AM. From the moment I entered the training room, the Disney touch was there, including plenty of Mickey shaped confetti on the table. There was a workbook for all participants and a refillable Disney water bottle.

This program was focused on how to consistently deliver quality service to your clients, based on your own brand. This is exactly how I envisage my A.C.E. Strategy that I speak and write about:

Authentic experiences from your unique brand perspective, consistently delivered during the customer journey, by Employee Ambassadors who understand and can deliver the service to customers.

It was fabulous to see how Disney puts that into practice and together with 47 other participants, I learned all about this at Disney Institute. Besides the theoretical part, we also went into the park itself (although short) to see and experience the theory ourselves (also known as a Customer Safari).

I have written about ten pages full of insights, quotes and memorable stories. As you are probably not waiting for all of my notes, here are the three major insights I got from the course:

1. Purpose over Task

At Disney everybody is educated by the spirit of Walt Disney and learns about the common purpose of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts: “We create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people of all ages, everywhere”  in short “Creating Happiness for Others”

It was interesting to learn the origin of this purpose, with a big role of new person to me: Van France, Founder and Professor Emeritus of Disney Universities. What was even more interesting, was that in the Disney Philosophy, every employee has the freedom to create happiness for guests. That means that in a service moment, where the guidelines are clear for a specific task, there is room to make an exception. The employee may decide to follow his/her gut and go for happiness instead. To be “off task” and “on purpose”.

They gave an example about a girl called Alice who visited the park. The Disney employee asked why she was sad, as she had a birthday pin on. So she told them that yes, it was her birthday, but all her friends had to cancel, because of illness and other appointments. But she decided to go to Disney anyway. The employee did all she could to create a special moment in a restaurant, where characters of Alice in Wonderland (see the alignment ?) were present and celebrated with her. Because, in Disney there are always friends and a birthday should always be celebrated.

Should the member of staff do this all the time? No. But was it appropriate at this moment and she had every reason to be “off task” (which was providing service at an attraction) and “on purpose” to go out of her way and arrange a perfect birthday celebration for Alice. Of course, Alice still visits Disney often, made new friends, and is an ambassador forever.

So the lesson here is: What is the purpose of your company and which are situations where your employees go the extra mile? Do you have such brilliant stories within your company; those everlasting customer stories that make you feel proud and cause a smile on everybody’s face?

2. Prioritize Quality Standards

When I am visiting companies, I am always interested in what they want to deliver to their customers. Often, we are creating a customer compass or a customer charter. With three to five (up to seven, but that is exceptional) customer promises or brand values that are specific for the brand and that align all employees towards the same customer experiences.

In Disney they have four Quality Standards, also known as “The Four Keys”. Courtesy, Safety, Show and Efficiency. A very interesting assignment during the course, was to prioritize these four keys. Because, in the way Disney teaches their employees, they need to know what is important to make consistent decisions. So each of these standards is equally important (don’t ever say the fourth is least important… ?), but there is a logical Disney order. And that is

  1. Safety
  2. Courtesy
  3. Show
  4. Efficiency

This sounds so logical to apply a prioritization, but I have never done it this way. So from now on, prioritization will be added as an option to the Nienke Bloem CX toolkit.

3. Seriously organize your service recovery

Things can go wrong. Even at Disney things go wrong, but they make it their task to recover what needs to be recovered. I like the description: “Service Recovery is an event that occurs when the customer’s expectations are not met.”

For Disney it is important to pursue the relationship with the customer, which has great impact on their view of service recovery, or as I see it named in companies’ “Complaints” procedures. At Disney they don’t want to just resolve the issue, but they want to reconciliate the relationship.

Because guests are likely to care just as much – if not more – about how they are treated following the service failure as they care about the outcome of a service recovery itself.

So what Disney has done is to put processes and systems in place on service recovery. Of course they also have the outer loop and are continuously improving their operations and systems, but as they pursue the same consistency in service recovery as in their daily service, they have thought about everything.

On this topic we had a guest speaker who told so many compelling service recovery stories, that really proved that Disney has this under control. And she closed off with the following: “Things can go wrong, they might not be our fault, but they are our problem.”

The ownership of service issues, of things that went wrong, that is where Disney steps up and makes the difference.

My question for you, is how are service recovery processes organized in your company? Do you have the same drive for service recovery and do people take ownership? Is the How(the way) just as important or maybe even more so than the What (the solution)? If you can answer: “Yes!”, hurray for you, as you joined Disney in customer obsession. If you have to answer: “No”, you’ve got work to do!

These were my three major insights and I will take them along and incorporate them in my consulting, writing, presenting and teaching practices. So, you can expect more on Disney and my findings in the common months.

Disney rocks! They want to differentiate themselves from the market. They are a premium brand and strive for consistent delivery of their four quality standards every day. I want to challenge you to go the Disney way. Is there one of these three insights, that spark your imagination and make you ambitious enough to step up the customer experience in your company? Reach out to me or please share in the comments which of the three insights it is for you, so I also learn which appeals the most.

 

Don’t want to miss any of my blogs? Then subscribe to my 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 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

25 ways to stay inspired as a Customer Experience professional

The thing I hear often is that fellow Customer Experience Professionals work hard. They are focused on realizing their customer centric transformation, improving NPS and CES (or other customer metrics, but that is another blog post ?) and engaging the organization. You might also recognize  that as you are working hard, it can make you feel alone.

Yes, you are the only person responsible for CX within your company (or together with your team). You are the expert and your non CX-colleagues expect you to inspire them when it comes to customers. So how do you stay inspired? You probably have your own “Go-To-Inspirational-Places” and in this blog I’ll share mine: 25 suggestions to find CX inspirations, stories, news, facts and figures.

CX People to follow on Twitter

I decided to copy their Twitter biography’s. Nice and to the point.

  1. Colin Shaw: Customer Experience Thought Leader | Recognized by LinkedIn as World’s Top Business Influencer | CEO, Beyond Philosophy CX Consultancy | Author | Podcast Host
  2. Rik Vera: International Keynote Speaker. Agitator. Connector. Experimenter. Networkifier (if it wasn’t a word, it is now). Writer.
  3. Blake Morgan:  #CustomerExperience #futurist, author, speaker, @HarvardBiz, @Forbes columnist, podcast host, mama. Married to @JacobM. Visit me.

CX on Youtube, I promise you this will be growing the next years

  1. ShepTV by Shep Hyken. You are welcomed by the Cab Story. A classic when it comes to customer experience. He is the big name in the USA when it comes to customer experience and customer service.
  2. Steven van Belleghem. My Belgian inspirator when it comes to customers the day after tomorrow and the writer of the book When digital becomes human. The channel is about customer centricity in a digital world. Updates on the latest trends in digital marketing, customer service, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…), conversation management, robotics, etc.
  3. BrandLove by Chantel Botha. I have not met her in person yet, but she is an inspiration on CX from South Africa. Love the video’s on Journey Mapping, so start following her Youtube Channel

CX Podcasts

  1. Rockstar CX by James Dodkins. For me a newcomer in CX, but he really rocks it! Has his own weekly Rockstar CX podcast and with all the big names when it comes to customer experience.
  2. Online Marketing Made Easy. The podcast of Amy Porterfield which I listen weekly. Not really CX, but all about Online Marketing. Over how to use online tools, build lists, motivate yourself as an entrepreneur. An inspirational woman with a voice I love to listen to.
  3. Forrester’s what it means. For me Forrester is together with Temkin Group the place where I go for research information. And Forrester has a brilliant podcast, so start listening NOW. If you want to start anywhere, start with the episode of December 20thwhere they talk on ROI and financial modeling. Very relevant topic!

CX Blogs

  1. Experience Matters. The blog by Bruce Temkin and his colleagues. I love the combination of vision and facts. Go to this blog site and register for their newsletter to stay inspired. Many of their visuals are free to use (but always with a reference, of course!)
  2. My Customer. Brilliant reads, much more often than once a week, on everything related to customers. Journeys, sales, loyalty. The WHOLE deal. Get a broader view and be inspired.
  3. Take their breath away. Where Chip Bell and John Patterson write on how customer service really makes the difference when it comes to customer experience. Read their post of December 11thwhere they suggest you create a great service exit. Spot on.

CX Books with best practices

13.  Ritz Carlton and the New Gold Standard by Joseph Michelli, 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. It is a golden oldie, but still very relevant. Go read.

  1. Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh. Yes this one is mentioned all the time, but if somehow you missed it. Please read it. And I am visiting Zappos in January, so I need to reread it myself.
  2. The Starbucks Experience by Joseph Michelli, Five principles for turning ordinary into extraordinary and of course the Starbucks story.

CX Books you have to read

  1. Would you do that to your mother by Jeanne Bliss introduces the Make Mom Proud standard. I love her writing, easy to understand situations and solutions. A very entertaining read.
  2. Customer What? by Ian Golding. I could have mentioned him among the people to follow and twitter and the blogs, but I think his books needs to be mentioned here. Practical and a good guide when it comes to CX.
  3. The subtle art of not giving a f#ck by Mark Manson. It has NOTHING to do with CX, but is has EVERYTHING to do with CX. How can you be a happier CX leader, a better person? How to not lose your energy on people or tasks that are not important for you. I laughed and got many Aha’s.

CX Events to visit

  1. International CX Awards. The second edition will be on November 21st in Amsterdam. Register if you want to send in a case and compete against other CX professionals/teams/initiatives or join as a judge. It was a blast in 2018, so be warned for 2019 ?
  2. CXPA Meetings. Brilliant peer sharing of CX professionals all over the world. Be welcome in Amsterdam, the next is on January 17th in Amsterdam and the European Insight Exchange will take place on March 13th and 14th in Dublin.
  3. Customer Experience Event. The yearly event by N3wstrategy. The event is all Dutch and a brilliant day to be inspired and meet your local CX peers. This year on March 21st in Rotterdam.

One CX Course I recommend

  1. CX Masterclass This two day masterclass is tha bomb! is what our participants say. Delivered in the Netherlands by Jaap Wilms and me (in English) and in Belgium (in Dutch) with Els Dhaeze. We prepare you for the CCXP exam and help you in becoming an even better CX leader. There are four dates in 2019 and the first option of March 7thand 8th has only a few spaces left.

People to follow or connect on Linkedin

(yes, all four are women I love to read from and work with)

  1. Evelien van Damme and Karolien van der Ouderaa: these ladies are active, fun and experts when it comes to Customer Experience. Both senior consultants with Kirkman Company and taking the lead in Customer Experience transformations. Keep an eye on their cactuses.
  2. Kathy van de Laar: as partner of EarlyBirdge she blogs and shares posts of colleagues to bridge the gap between you and your customer. She was the first CCXP in the Netherlands and a fabulous inspiration
  3. Babs Asselbergs: she writes shorts blogs on customer experience, opens your eyes and wants to give you a different perspective. She is co-founder of BlommaBerg and the Customer Expeirence Game and I think she is a consistent contributor on Linkedin.

So now you know how I stay inspired. Next to these sources, I also get a lot of inspiration in daily life. Where I let businesses surprise me with their brilliant and more often awful customer experiences as a customer. My o my, how many lessons can be learned from that?

And…. this year I 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. So, I have two calls to action for you.

  1. If you want to follow me and my CX escapades: make sure you get my weekly CX Greetz by Nienke Bloem. Just register here.
  2. Share your source, of your own blog/vlog/profile. Where do you get your inspiration? Please share and add your source, so we can all learn and stay inspired to make customer experience work.

 

*****

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