SUPPORTING GREAT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES
H eart &SOLE 10 USEFUL CUSTOMER FACTS
Facts to make you think twice about the importance of the customer. >>> page 4
GOING THE EXTRA MILE
Why this is essential to future success. >>> page 2
LEARNING FROM DISNEY
REINVIGORATING THE FUN FACTOR
10 things you can learn from the Disney Brand. >>> page 10
How the element of fun is vital for business success. >>> page 14
www.t h e c u s t o m e r s s h o e s . c o m
ISSUE 01
heart & sole Going the Extra Mile
thought for the issue: IN D E X p2
G oing t h e E x t ra M i l e
p4
10 Usef u l Cu s to m e r R e l ate d Fa c t s
p6
M ichela n g e l o Wa s J u s t D o i n g a J o b
p8
Build Te a mwo r k [ E n e rgi s e r ]
GOING THE EX TR A MILE
p10 Lear nin g f ro m D i s n e y p12 The B en e f i t s o f t h e E x t ra M i l e p14 R einvig o rat i n g t h e Fu n Fa c to r p16 On The S h e l f p18 Steps fo r Th o u g ht [Q u i z ] p20 The Powe r o f t h e D i s n e y B ra n d p22 7 R easo n s We ' re a S o l e Fi t p24 Only th e We a re r K n ows. . . p25 I nner S o l e p26 G et I n To u c h
H E A R T & SOLE is p u b l i s h e d quar ter ly by Th e Cu s tomer's Shoes Ltd w w w. t h e customersshoes.com Is s u e # 1 Al l r i g ht s reser ved © 2011
2 issue 01
Cher yl Gregor y - MD & Editor Coming from a D esign background in the Fashio n a n d Tex tile I ndustr y, where the whole pur pose of th e d e s i gn i s to " wow" the Customer into buying a par ticular co l l e c t i o n or brand name, I k now that life is a stage and cre at i v i t y i s key to getting attention! Just like the fashion in d u s t r y, t h e arena of customer exper ience is ver y competitive a n d t h e saying "life is theatre" is more impor tant now th a n i t e ve r was. The way we handle our customer exper ience s ( w h e t h e r as a floor cleaner or a company executive) depe n d s o n ever yone within the organisation mak ing steps to g e t h e r to make the difference. How our organisations will s u cce e d into 2012, and beyond, depends heavily on how we p o r t ray ourselves to our "audience" – the customer. For all of us, “ walk ing that ex tra mile” is essenti a l to f u t u re success. I t is the only way to guarantee paying b a c k d i v i dends far exceeding your cur rent expec tations. I n t h i s i s s u e we’ve provided many ideas that will help you co n s i d e r j u s t how easy it is to go the ex tra mile, but I’d also l i k e to gi ve you an example of my own…
Going the Extra Mile
R e ce nt l y, I o f fe red to make a wedding d re s s fo r my h a irdresser. She wanted s o m e t h i n g a c u t above the rest, and said s h e wo u l d p ay me handsomely in retur n. I s p e nt m a ny h ours designing and using a l l my i n s p i rat i on to make something that wa s ex t ra s p e c i al. When finished it looked s t u n n i n g a n d I imagined how as a cus to m e r s h e wo u ld feel when she wore it… a n d h ow s h e would feel when I submitted t h e b i l l. An e s s e nt i a l p r inciple of success in all wa l k s o f l i fe, a nd in all careers, is a will i n gn e s s to "G o The Ex tra M ile"; this means gi v i n g a b e t te r ser vice than that for which o n e is p a i d, a n d doing so with a w i l l i n g h e a r t a nd a positive mental atti t u d e ( rat h e r t h an begrudgingly). S earch w h e re ve r yo u c an for a single sound argu m e nt a g a i n s t t his pr inciple and you won' t b e a b l e to f i n d one, nor will you find a s i n g l e ex a m p l e of endur ing success, which wa s n o t a c h i e ved in par t by its use! S o w i t h t h i s i n mind, I made the d e c i s i o n n o t to charge anything at a ll and to at t a c h a l i t t l e taffeta bag inside the d re s s co nt a i n i n g t wo tiny horseshoes and a n o te a s k i n g my hairdresser to pass on my gi f t o f ‘g o o d-will ’ in some way to some o n e e l s e. Th i s may not sound like good b u s i n e s s p ra c t i ce… but when my haird re s s e r d i s cove red I would not charge her, s h e wa s ove r j oyed! She told all her col l e a g u e s, rave d about me on her social netwo r k s i te s a n d in tur n, for warded several o t h e r p o te nt i a l clients my way.
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Shor tly af ter the most beautiful b o u q u e t of flowers was delivered to me, a l o n g with a card containing an amou nt o f money I had not expec ted at all, a l ove l y bonus, showing there can be re wa rd fo r doing something that is not exp e c te d o f you! R eciprocit y indeed. O f ten in today ’s business places, p e o p l e do just what they need to do to "g e t by " in their job rather than going th at ex t ra mile. Is it because employees are ove rwor ked or because they are generally unwilling to give som e t h i n g for nothing? I t doesn’t necessar i l y m e a n giving away a produc t/ser vice fo r f re e like I did, but it could be time, conversation and assistance that i s n o t par t of the job descr iption. I be l i e ve i t i s only because people are of ten u n awa re of the chain reac tion of positive e ve nt s that come from doing this, for t h e m selves and their wor k colleague s, t h at they are reluc tant to give it a tr y. G oing the ex tra mile is simply d o i n g more than you are asked or exp e c te d to do. To realise the benefits that co m e with going the ex tra mile in bus i n e s s, you must not expec t anything in re t u r n . S o besides the great feeling you c a n g e t in k nowing that you have done a br illiant job, what are the other f u n d a mental benefits of going the ex t ra m i l e ? FIND OUT ON PAGE 12.
issue 01 3
heart & sole Useful Customer Facts
10
Us e f u l Cu s to mer R e l ate d Fa c t s
We’ve picked some useful fac ts for you to r u n t h ro ugh with your team, present at you r n ex t b o a rd meeting or publish in your newsl e t te r t h at relate to the exciting wor ld of custo m e r ex p e r ience management and the loyalt y t h at fo l l ows.
flick r : alancleaver_2000
4 issue 01
flick
flick r : B o4 7
f l i c k r : t h e co n s u m e r i s t
Useful Customer Facts
fact # 1 A 50% reduction in customer b a s e w o u l d o c c u r if left alo n e o v e r a 5 y e a r period B a i n & C o m p a n y fact # 2 An average company lo s e s b e t w e e n 1 0 – 30% o f i t s c u s t o m e r s an n u a l l y M c Ki n s e y fact # 3 D i ssatisfied c u s t o m e r s w h o s e complaint s a r e t a k e n c a r e of are more l i k e l y t o r e m a i n loyal, a n d e v e n b e c o m e advocates , t h a n t h o s e t h a t are ‘ j u s t ’ c u s t o m e r s Strauss & Seidel FACT #4 A 5% r e d u c t i o n i n t h e custom e r d e f e c t i o n r a t e can incr e a s e p r o f i t s by 5 – 95% B a i n & C o m p a n y FACT #5 A cus t o m e r i s 4 t i m e s more like l y t o d e f e c t t o a competit o r i f t h e p r o b l e m is ser v i c e r e l a t e d t h a n price or p r o d u c t r e l a t e d Bain & Company
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fact #6 7 0 % o f buying e x p e r i e n c e s a r e b a sed on h o w t h e c u s t o m e r f e e ls they a r e b e i n g t reated M cKinse fact #7 I t t a k e s 1 2 p ositive e x p e r i e n c e s t o m a k e up for o n e u n r e s o l v e d n egative e x p e r i e n c e “ U n d e r s t anding C u s t om e r s ” b y Ruby N e w e l l - Legner fact #8 A 2 % i n c r e a s e i n c u stomer r e t e n t i o n h a s t h e same e f f e c t a s d e c r e a s i n g costs b y 1 0 % L e a d i n g on the E d g e o f C h a o s , Emmet M u r p h y & M a r k M u r ph Law fact #9 I n t h e U S a l o n e , p e o p le that s w i t c h f r o m i n s urance p r o v i d e r s r e p r e s e n t a $7.6 b i l l i o n m a r k e t i n annual p r e m i u m s J D P ower & A s s ociates fact #10 R e s e a r c h s h o w s t h a t a 10% i n c r e a s e i n c u s t o m e r reten t i o n l e v e l s r e s u l t i n a 30% i n c r e a s e i n t h e v a l u e of the c o m p a n y B a i n & C o mpany
issue 01 5
heart & sole Just a Job
Michelangelo was just d o i n g a j o b… .
W
hen Pope Julius II commissioned M ichelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the ear ly 1500’s, t h e gre at a r t ist no doubt looked up at t h e e n o r m o u s expanse above him (some 1 2 , 0 0 0 s q. f t ) , broken up by the numerous va u l t s, p e n d entives and pilasters and was i m m e d i ate l y struck by the restr ic tions, b o u n d a r i e s and the enor mous limitations h e wo u l d f a ce. He resented the co m m i s s i o n , and believed his wor k only s e r ve d t h e Pope's need for grandeur and t h e re fo re t h i s demanded even more of h i m to e n s u re that the grand resu lt would b e u n d e r s to od by the largely (per haps) i l l i te rate co n gregation that would view h i s wo r k . I n the contex t of business today we co u l d d e scr ibe the Pope as the client a n d t h e v i e wing public as the end users. I t i s u n l i k e l y that M ichelangelo co m p l a i n e d that he didn’t like the shape
6 issue 01
of the ceiling, that it wasn’t his s t y l e o r that it would take just too much commitment, even though this wa s h i s first ever fresco! Nor I suspec t wo u l d h e have thought that the Pope jus t d i d n’t get how he himself wor ked as a n a r t i s t. I nstead M ichelangelo tur ned eve r y limitation into ar tistic oppor tun i t i e s, lending testament to the true n at u re of creativit y. He did not shy away f ro m tak ing the most demanding of co m m i s sions and deliver ing on the pro m i s e. But what if he had made his tas k e a s i e r by being ‘ar tist centr ic ’? What if he h a d fo u n d ways to wor k around the bound a r i e s a n d limitations he faced? What if he h a d t a k e n the easy route? What result wou l d we n ow see had he chosen to allow the l i m i t at i o n s to stand in his way so he could f i n d a n easier route to the customer ’s ex p e r i e n ce ? The viewer ’s exper ience (the cu s to m e r ’s exper ience) would have been le s s e n e d. I t ’s the difference bet ween being c u s to m e r centr ic and organisation centr i c, o r i n t h e case of M ichelangelo, ar tist cent r i c a n d viewer centr ic.
Just a Job
heart & sole
At t he hear t of his wor k is the stor y of t h e
b e t we e n t h e v i s i o n a n d t h e f ro nt l i n e s t a f f
b i b l e and in stor y telling the key to su cce s s
b e co m e s d i s co n n e c te d a n d t h e c u s to m e r
i s to be understood. Even if you are the
ex p e r i e n ce b e i n g d e l i ve re d i s re m o te f ro m
m o st talented manager or leader the fa u l t
t h e o n e e nv i s i o n e d by t h e o r i gi n a l a r t i s t s.
o f b eing misunderstood lies at your fee t. I t i s you who has the responsibilit y of be i n g
We c a l l t h i s co n n e c t i o n t h e R e d L i n e a n d
u n d erstood not the audience you
s u cce s s f u l o rg a n i s at i o n s a re a b l e to co n-
co mmunicate with.
n e c t t h e v i s i o n o f t h e o rg a n i s at i o n ( c a l l i t
f l i c k r : L a u r a Padgett
Your R esponsibilit y to Communicate
I
p u r p o s e o r a i m ) t h ro u g h o u t s o t h at e ve n t h e m o s t f u n c t i o n a l o f e m p l oye e ro l e s c a n b e d i re c t l y co n n e c te d w i t h t h e a i m as i f by
n deliver ing your culture change
a re d l i n e.
programme, your new customer exper ience strategy or your inte r n a l
S o t h e n ex t t i m e yo u co n s i d e r t h e m e s s a g e
communications initiative, it is yo u r
yo u wa nt to co m m u n i c ate, t h i n k n o t o f t h e
responsibilit y to communicate f ro m
co m p l ex i t i e s o f i t a l l, b u t t h i n k o f t h e
top to bottom in a way that is un d e r-
ove ra l l m e s s a g e, w h at i s t h e o n e over-
s to od and meaning ful and relevant for t h e
a rc h i n g t h e m e yo u wa nt p e o p l e to t a k e
a u d ience you are addressing. We of ten f i n d
away, t h e k e y m e s s a g e t h at n e e d s to b e
t h at the senior management team and to p
d e l i ve re d u p o n . An d t h e n co m m u n i c ate
t a b l e of the organisation has a dream a n d a
w i t h a l l t h e co l o u r a n d e n g a g e m e nt yo u
v i s i on that they are clear about deliver i n g,
c a n m u s te r b e c a u s e i t ’s o n l y by e n a b l i n g
b u t as time goes by, as fur ther layers o f t h e
e m p l oye e s a n d a l l s t a k e h o l d e r s to c l e a r l y
o rg anisation become involved the
s e e a n d re ce i ve t h e m e s s a g e t h at t h e y w i l l
m e s sage becomes diluted and evolves to
u n d e r s t a n d i t.
t h e ex tent that the direc t connec tion
issue 01 7
heart & sole Team Game
Bui ld Te a mwo r k With O u r Pa p e r 'Cut & Ste p' Challen g e M any of our advocate s h ave a s k e d u s fo r s ome simple team exe rc i s e s t h at c a n b e u s ed dur ing meeting s to h e l p d e ve l o p i mprove d customer s e r v i ce l e ve l s. I n t h i s i s sue of ‘Hear t and S o l e’ we h ave a s i m p l e b ut fun ac tivit y to ch a l l e n g e yo u r “c re w ” a nd energise them at t h e i r n ex t te a m m eeting. We have us e d t h i s m a ny t i m e s w hen we want to exp l o re t h e s u b j e c t s o f p roblem solving, cre at i v i t y, co m m u n i c at i o n a nd teamwor k in a fe w m i n u te s. You will need the fol l ow i n g re sources: • • • •
A pair of scissors A stapler A roll of stick y/mas k i n g t a p e 20 sheets of A4 copy p a p e r
8 issue 01
send u s a s nap o f yo u r t e am t ry i ng t h i s a n d W e m ig h t include it in o u r n ex t issue!
Team Game
heart & sole
OBJECTIVE
The team must use the resources to create a ‘ loop’ through which they must all pass through using the least amount of resources as possible.
CHALLENGE RULES
• They have 15 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to execute their solution. • They must only use the resources provided. • They are not allowed to handle any of the mater ials dur ing the preparation phase.
S O LU T I O N
Visit our website for the simplest of solutions which can be executed in less than 60 seconds! Visit http://bit.ly/r t2IUr for the 'Cut & Step' Challenge, where you can download a full br iefing sheet and check out the optimum solu tion.
issue 01 9
heart & sole Learning From...
I
n this issue we have gathered together 10 quotes from the Twitter feed of the Disney I nstitute (@disneyinstitute). All of which can help us to lear n about creating memora ble customer exper iences. There's also a lot to be lear nt in the book “ Why we love Disney ”; The power of the Disney Brand by Andi Stein , tur n to page 20 to read MD Cher yl's review...
y e n s i d m o r f g n i n r a le
r ie n c e s e p x e t s e u g t v e r in g g r e a s t h a t is t h e e p it o m e li e d r o f s u o r ld f a m o io n f o r g b u s in e s D is n e y a r e w u lt u r e a n d w a y o f d o in r o n g le a d e r s h ip , a p a s s o f p e o p le c m y .” W it h s t e d t h e li v e s o f m il li o n s a t e D is n e y . and have a o n o c e e c n g r ie or o f “ t h e e x p e a v is io n t h a t h a s c h a n f r o m t h e w o r ld o f c o r p d t c r e a t iv it y a n s , w e c a n a ll le a r n a lo r over the yea
10 issue 01
flickr: daryl_mitchell
Learning From...
flickr: pheede
flickr: Joe Shlabotnik
lesson # 1
“For internal communication to be effective, the methods and messages must meet employee's needs.”
lesson # 2
flickr: ross_hawkes
heart & sole
flickr: ste3ve
lesson #6
“Bring up new leaders that focus more on purpose than task.”
lesson #7
“Examine your system and figure out ways for leaders to catch people doing things right - then recognize those individuals.”
"There is no downside to brainstorming. The process provides unlimited ways to generate creative ideas for every aspect of your business.”
lesson # 3
lesson #8
lesson # 4
lesson #9
lesson # 5
lesson #10
“Great leaders make sincere efforts to help employees make the best use of their talents and skills.” “Money is a short term motivator. What almost always matters most is knowing that your job is meaningful. Individuals need to know this.” “Establishing your organization’s identity keeps everyone focused.”
“Lead by example and you’ll see people management in action. Your team will become united in purpose.” “Empower your people and give them the opportunity to make decisions. Recognize those that are being proactive and doing things right.” “For internal communication to be effective, the methods and messages must meet employee's needs.”
issue 01 11
heart & sole Benefits of the Extra Mile
T HE B E N EFITS O F T HE EXTRA MILE Did you k n ow t h e re a re s o m e f u n d a m e nt a l benefits fo r yo u a n d yo u r te a m , o f g o i n g t h e 'ex t ra mile' for your c u s to m e r s ? Th e s e b e n e f i t s a re n o t a l ways immediate l y re co gn i s a b l e, h owe ve r, t h e y d o h ave a ver y positive e f fe c t o n t h e w h o l e Cu s to m e r E x p e r i e n ce !
Go ing t he e x tra m i le w i ll. . . - B r i n g o u t positive emotions in your c u s t o m e r s; allowing them to both r e m e m b e r you, feel good about you, and return.
- He l p y o u to move ahead, and stay a he a d o f your competition and succeed w h e r e o t hers fail.
- He l p y o u r organisation stand out from t h e c r o w d and be distinguished.
12 issue 01
H
ow and when do you go the ex tra mile?
The difference bet ween people who live a life of excellence and those that live a life of mediocr it y really lies in one cr itical distinc tion - the willingness to always go the ex tra mile and exceed expec tations. You' ve got to take a step for ward and be ex traordinar y. Af ter all, ordi nar y effor ts will produce ordinar y results! Whether you are the managing direc tor, team leader or a team player, those that achieve longlasting, sustainable success, do ever ything humanly possible to continually offer more and a better customer exper ience, increasing value and exceptional “stage per for mance" that exceeds all expec tations.
Simple Examples o f " Ho w T o Go The Extra Mile" S e n d a h a n d w r i t te n t h a n k yo u n o te a f te r p u rc h a s e / i nte ra c t i o n S h ow g e n u i n e i nte re s t i n e n g a gi n g yo u r c u s to m e r, look them in the e ye s Pe r s o n a l i s e e m a i l / l e t te r s w it h meaningful co nve r s at i o n a n d c a re C h a n g e yo u r h a b i t s, s u r p r i s e c u s to m e r s w i t h a n e w i nte ra c t i o n o n their visit B e p re p a re d to b re a k yo u r p o l i c i e s i f s o m e t hi n g n e e d s to b e d o n e
try them!
heart & sole Reinigorating Fun
www.thefuntheory.com
G N I T A R O G I V N I E R R O T C A F N U F E H T Wi t h t h e e co n o m i c d ow nt u r n
D elivering a fun, enj o y a b l e a nd engaging experie n c e n o matter how fleetin g l y i t m ay be is a fantastic w a y t o connect with your c u stomers at an emo t i o n a l l e vel, even in the B2 B a rena.
co nt i n u i n g to b e a p ro s p e c t fo r u s a l l f a r i nto t h e f u t u re, b ra n d s a n d o rg a n i s at i o n s t h at u s e ‘e n j oy m e nt ’ a n d 'd e l i g ht ' a s p a r t o f t h e i r Cu s to m e r E x p e r i e n ce w i l l s t a n d o u t a s d i s t i n c t i ve. I t i s t h e n u m b e r o n e way to g e t n o t i ce d. Us i n g yo u r re t a i l s p a ce to o f fe r a re a s fo r s o m e fo r m o f e n j oya b l e a c t i v i t y w i l l d e ve l o p a b e t te r c u s to m e r ex p e r i e n ce. I nte r n e t Ca fé s, f re e Wi Fi , K i d s Zo n e s, Ci n e m at i c a re a s e tc a re j u s t a fe w ex a m p l e s.
14 issue 01
G R
Reinigorating Fun
heart & sole
I f yo u r organisation is still
too. I n f a c t t h e Fu n Th e o r y
s t at i o n we re t ra n s fo r m e d
l e d by mar keters and accoun -
websi te, A Vo l k s wa g e n
i nto a gi a nt p i a n o s o t h at
t a nt s t hat k now little of the
initiat i ve d e s c r i b e s i t s
t a k i n g t h e s t a i r s i n p re f-
t h e o r y of customer exper ience
pur po s e a s :
e re n ce to t h e e s c a l ato r s
t h e n you have some way to go
e n a b l e d u s e r s to pl ay m u s i c
to co m pete in these difficult
“ This s i te i s d e d i c ate d to
a s t h e y e nte re d o r l e f t
t i m e s. Your organisation will
the th o u g ht t h at s o m e t h i n g
t h e s t at i o n . Th i s l e d to a n
n e e d a significant shif t from
as sim p l e a s f u n i s t h e e a s i-
i n c re a s e i n 6 6 % m o re p e o p l e
pro d u c t or ser vice or ientation
est way to c h a n g e p e o p l e’s
choosing the stairs than the
to o n e of customer exper ience
behav i o u r fo r t h e b e t te r. B e
e s c a l ato r. S o m a k i n g
or i e nt ation. Customers are
it for yo u r s e l f, fo r t h e e nv i-
mundane things fun can
s e e k i n g greater and improved
ronm e nt, o r fo r s o m e t h i n g
c h a n g e b e h av i o u r a n d i n
ex p e r i ences when they shop
entire l y d i f fe re nt, t h e o n l y
d o i n g s o yo u co n ne c t e m o -
t a k e fo r example the shopping
thing t h at m at te r s i s t h at
t i o n a l l y to t h e u s e r ex p e -
co m p l exes we see in ever y cit y
it ’s ch a n g e fo r t h e b e t te r.”
r i e n ce ; o n ce a g a i n p rov-
a ro u n d the countr y. No longer
i n g t h at e m o t i o n s a re at t h e
a re t h ese places to simply buy
The p u r p o s e o f t h e Fu n
pro d u c ts from, these are places
Theor y i n i t i at i ve s i s to
to s p e nd time, to soak up the
chang e b e h av i o u r by
ex p e r i ence such places have
mak in g t h i n g s f u n . Th e re
to o f fe r. As consumers, we are
are lo t s o f ex a m p l e s o n t h e
co nt i n ually seek ing out the
websi te ht t p : / / t h e f u nt h e -
“ wow ” exper ience or an
or y.co m / b u t o n e we p a r t i c -
ex p e r i ence that helps us dif -
ular ly l i k e i s w h e re s t a i r s at
fe re nt i ate bet ween one brand
a Sto c k h o l m u n d e rgro u n d
h e a r t o f h u m a n b e h av i o u r.
a n d a n other amid the multiple c h o i ce s we are faced with.
as k yourself this....
At Th e Customer ’s Shoes we be l i e ve that as we all develop ou r ex per iences whether it i s B 2 C or B2B, that it should
When was the last time that you took that step back and considered your customer experience?
re m a i n simple in execution, e n j oya ble to exper ience and un co m plicated in its business
How enjoyable are you making your experience?
or b ra nd message. Fu n h a s a big impac t not just
How could you change behaviour by making the experience more fun?
on c u s tomers but employees issue 01 15
heart & sole On The Shelf
On the Shelf.. .
A l o o k at t h e g o o d, t h e ba d a n d t h e u g l y i n cus to m e r s e r v i ce ove r the l a s t fe w m o nt h s.
G o l d en Shoes
Exper iences that fit the customer per fec tly .
MARKS & SPENCERS, C R I B B S C AU S E WAY, B R I S TO L
Las t m o nt h , Th e Cu s to m e r ' s S hoes team exper ienced the i r B E S T s u p e r m a r k e t ex p e r i ence ever! When a M&S Cr ib b s Ca u s e way s t a f f m e m b e r, Carolyn, showed ex tra care a n d at te nt i o n at t h e c h e ckout. Carolyn offered our MD, C h e r y l, m o n e y s av i n g vo u chers before scanning item s t h at we re e l i gi b l e a n d t hen proceeded to tell her abo u t a ÂŁ 5 o f f vo u c h e r i n t h e Daily M ail which she could also u s e b e fo re p ay i n g. Ca ro l y n genuinely seemed to care a b o u t h e r c u s to m e r s a n d it didn' t go unnoticed.
N AT I O N A L E X P R E S S CO A C H E S
Big t h u m b s u p to N at i o n a l E x press who gen e ro u s l y o f fe re d f re e We m bley Spain vs Eng l a n d t i c k e t s to a t w i t te r fo llower when he missed out on w i n n i n g t i c k e t s v i a t h e i r o fficial competition. Af ter t we e t i n g t h at h e wo u l d h ave loved to have won a pair, Nat i o n a l E x p re s s a s k e d @ s towespor t to email them and the y 'd s e e i f t h e y h a d a ny s p a re - which they did!
16 issue 01
flickr: little blue
e hen
On The Shelf
One Odd Shoe
heart & sole
Uncomfor table exper iences for the customer companies that need a customer exper ience refitting!
live drive file storage
We' ve recently star ted a campaign on our website, where customers can nominate o rganisations for our O dd Shoe Awards i t ' s a bit like the Film I ndustr y's 'R azzies' awards... not a good thing to have. A E x p e r i e n c e s t h a t a re co nfir mation that your ser vice is lack ing. c o m p l e t e l y l a c k i n g ! O ne of our followers recently complained Ve r y u n c o m f o r t a b l e a b out the ser vice of 'Live Dr ive' file s torage, with complaints about lost data, f o r t h e c u s t o m e r. . . s ystem bugs and, most impor tantly, lies to t h e customer! There's most definitely room fo r improvement here... R ead the full ar ticle at : http://bit.ly/szGFyk
get your experiences featured here !
N ex t issue, we'd like to feature some of yo ur exper iences! Where have you had m emorable customer interac tions, whether fo r the wrong or r ight reasons? E mail us now at: m easureup@thecustomersshoes.com o r go o n line and submit your own blog post at: w w w.thecustomersshoes.com/submit issue 01 17
h e a r t & s o l e Q UI Z
01
Is the
c u s t o m e r a l w ay s
r o f s p e t S z i u Q t h Thoug Take this quick 3 po i nt q u i z to find out if your t h i n k i n g on the customer ex p e r i e n ce i s on track ...
right?
02
Wh o s h o u l d
come first your people or your customers?
03
Wh i c h i s t h e
most important: hiring right or training right?
1
Is the customer always r i g ht?
No, but they are absolutely always t h e customer. O f course sometimes t h e y w i l l b e wrong... I n fac t at times there’s a n e e d to fire some customers simply because they eith e r co s t yo u too much or they are unprofitable to do busin e s s w i t h . However, the answer to this question has mu c h w i d e r implications. To find out more do visit htt p://bit.ly/teqEKP for a fuller explanation o f t h e ins ights and or igins of the phrase “ the custom e r i s always r ight ” and what it means to the mode r n a p p ro a c h to customer exper ience management.
18 issue 01
2.
Who should come first your people or your customers? Q UI Z
2
Who should come first your people or your c ustomers?
We say your people co m e f i r s t a s t h e employee exper ience is i nt r i n s i c a l l y l i n k ed to the customer ex p e r i e n ce. G e t your people fit first and t h e n fo l l ow t h rough with the customer ex p e r i e n ce. O f course you can’t n e ce s s a r i l y wa i t until the culture is d e ve l o p e d ; i t ’s a question of having to wo r k o n b o t h at the same time, employee ex p e r i e n ce a n d customer exper ience. US a i r l i n e J e t B l u e i s quoted as saying that it h i re s co m e d i a n s rather than train e m p l oye e s to b e funny. Th e re’s a b i g d i f ference in the customer ex p e r i e n ce t h at either approach would gi ve. An d o n ce G oogle had lear ned that t h o s e m i d d l e m anagers who c re ate d co m p e l l ing and engaging i nte r n a l c u l t u re s far outper for med those w i t h gre ate r te c hnical exper tise it t r i g g e re d a co m prehensive study to i d e nt i f y t h e p e r for mance dr ivers for such p e r fo r m a n ce h i kes. To find out more a b o u t w h at l e a ders in the field do to d e ve l o p t h e r i g ht culture see our post at ht t p : / / b i t. l y / v M wgv5
3
heart & sole
Which is th e most impo r t a nt : hir ing r ight o r training r ig ht ?
H ire for attitude fir s t, t ra i n for sk ill. We believe this i s always t h e b e s t polic y. With the r ight attitude you c a n wo r k wonders to develop sk ills but an attitude that is culturally mismatc h e d to your endeavours to deliver a great c u s to m e r and employee exper ience is boun d to f a i l i n the long ter m. H ir ing the r ight employee can be a to u g h and challenging process but if do n e cor rec tly will be one that avoids ex p e n s e, costs to the wor k ing environment, a n d t i m e for those involved in the recruitm e nt process. H ir ing the r ight employee will pay yo u b a c k in produc tivit y, a successful emp l oy m e nt relationship, and a positive impac t o n yo u r total wor k environment with coll e a g u e s. Disney I nstitute recommends you i n d u c t newly hired employees into your c u l t u re first, and then cover produc t, rule s, e tc. To lear n more about hir ing r ight rea d o u r p o s t http://bit.ly/suDLsH
issue 01 19
h e a r t & s o l e a gOOD R e a d
A good read
T H E POWER OF T H E DISNE Y BR AND An i n s i g ht by MD Cher yl: I n my o p i n i o n , this is a great read! I t re a ll y fo c u s e s on how a brand has m a n a g e d to g ain such a power ful hold t h ro u g h o u t t he wor ld for decades. An d i Ste i n’s o ffice is said to be pile d high w i t h M e m o ra bilia, and it cannot go u n n o t i ce d t h at she is a Disney fan t h ro u g h a n d t hrough. Andi wrote this b o o k a f te r re s earching Disney for years. Fro m h e r b a c k ground as Associate Pro fe s s o r o f Communications, she has s p o k e n w i t h e nthusiasts, consumer s and fo r m e r e m p l oyees from Disney and v i s i te d va r i o u s theme par ks around the wo r l d. Fa m i l i a r with all the par ks in Ca l i fo r n i a a n d Flor ida, she has also visited t h e D i s n e y p a r ks in Tok yo and Hong Kong. Ste i n d i s cove red the enor mit y of the D i s n e y n a m e whilst conduc ting her re s e a rc h . S h e says; “People just break into s m i l e s a n d wa nt to tell you about their p o s i t i ve ex p e r iences.
20 issue 01
We love Disney for many reasons - t h e y ’re family fr iendly, their charac ters’ m a k e u s laugh and feel good, they ’re an e s c a p e from our troubles and people k n ow w h at to expec t. The Disney message i s a l ways, ultimately, positive” I n the ear ly days in the 1920’s, t h e beginning of Disney was just a s m a l l studio, run by a few. But this Co m p a ny soon became one of the most in f l u e nt i a l organisations in the enter tainm e nt industr y in the wor ld. “ Why we love Disney" details th e re a s o n for Disney ’s tremendous growth a n d appeal even today. I t descr ibes t h e i n f l u ence of the Disney company ove r t h e decades and into the 21st centu r y. I n her book , Andi discusses the co m p a ny ’s evolution, and how Disney cont i n u e s to mar ket itself to build its fabulou s b ra n d.
a gOOD R e a d
I t i s c l e a r t h e Customer Exper ience is at t h e ve r y h e a r t of the whole Disney p h i l o s o p hy. E mpathy goes hand in hand w i th b ra n d l oyalt y and there is a p er fec t a l i gn m e nt b e t ween what the brand says a n d o f fe r s, a nd how its customers ex p e r i e n ce i t. I t i s n o t i ce a b le that in this nex t phase of t h e e co n o m i c downtur n Disney has a great d e a l to o f fe r all of us in the messages it p o r t rays, b ra nds must now engage their a u d i e n ce m u ch more through the e m o t i o n a l co nnec tions - to establish a c l o s e n e s s b e t ween the customer and the b ra n d i t s e l f. O rg a n i s at i o n s must tell a stor y, they must b e l i k e n ove l s that you just can’t put d ow n . I d o h o p e yo u will take time to read this i n s p i r i n g b o o k!
heart & sole
D o w h at yo u d o s o we l l t h at t h ey w i l l wa nt to s e e i t a g a i n a nd b r i n g t h eir f r i e n d s. WA LT DISNEY
Buy now from Amazon ÂŁ20.30 ISBN:1433108976
issue 01 21
heart & sole Sole Fit
quote of the month I f you want t o b e c reative in yo u r c ompany, you r c areer, your l i f e , a l l it takes is o n e e asy step... t h e e xtra one. Wh e n y ou e ncounte r a familiar pla n , y ou just ask o n e q uestion: Wh a t ELSE could w e d o? DALE DAUNTEN Fancy a c u s t o m e r experie n c e re l a t e d quote s e n t t o y o u r inbox d a i l y ? Sign up a t : http://b i t . l y / t c s q u o t e s
7 R easons Why We Can B e a “S ole Fit ” for Your O rganisation I f you’re look ing for a Company that can help you deliver an outstanding customer and employee exper ience, we have a few tips tailor-made especially for you. Focusing exclusively on contemporar y, cutting- edge ideas, we set out to offer you advice based on our shoe related theme, af ter all. We have literally made ‘ the customer ’s shoes’ our business.
01
LIG HTWEIG HT AND FLEXIBLE.
affordable, premium
Any agency that
flexibility that only comes from
is stiff , r i g i d a n d n o t w i l l i n g o r
a small vibrant team and you
focuse d o n c h a n g i n g w i t h t h e
have the benefit of working
times w i l l n o t b e a b l e t o s u r v i v e .
with an agency that can react
Especi a l l y w h e n f l e x i b i l i t y a n d
to your needs at every stage
creativ i t y i s n e e d e d i n
of the journey, is ready to run
circum s t a n c e s t h a t i n f l u e n c e y o u
when necessary and is sturdy
and yo u r p r o g r a m m e . O u r t e a m
and robust enough to last the
at the C u s t o m e r ’ s S h o e s h a v e
long treks on those bigger
trimme d o u r o v e r h e a d s a n d s o
projects.
we car r y n o h e a v y c o s t s w e n e e d to reco v e r , s o y o u r e c e i v e a n 22 issue 01
service. Add to that the
Sole Fit
03
WHO L E A N D HA L F SI Z E S .
You c a n a c c e s s o u r
02
06
G RO WIN G RO O M . The best fit
is one that allows room for
ser v i c e s a t v a r i o u s
g r o w t h . We n e v e r u n d e r
leve l s f r o m m a j o r c u l t u r e
estimate the resource
cha n g e p r o g r a m m e s t h r o u g h
required or skimp and save,
to s h o r t s h a r p t w o h o u r
but would rather allow room
‘wh i z z ’ s e s s i o n s t h a t f o c u s
for growth allowing your
skil l d e v e l o p m e n t o r
project to be correctly
cus t o m e r j o u r n e y
resourced with a little spare
enh a n c e m e n t s e x a c t l y w h e r e
c a p a c i t y f o r m o v e m e n t.
it’s n e e d e d .
07
04 SMOO TH AND
heart & sole
L E ATHE R UPPERS. We ’ r e n o t a
C A R E FU L L Y F ITTE D . We t a i l o r
make our services so they
man u f a c t u r e d , c a n n e d o r
perfectly meet your needs.
synt h e t i c a g e n c y b u t o n e
We h a v e a f e w o f f t h e p e g
who s e c u l t u r e y o u w i l l f i n d
solutions for rapid
is g e n u i n e , t r u s t w o r t h y a n d
deployment and for those
offe r s a p r e m i u m p a c k a g e o f
on a shoe string budget too!
ser v i c e s a n d s o l u t i o n s w h i c h
But the essence of a great
are t r u l y u n i q u e
client experience is to fully
SEAMLESS.
understand your needs and
The best
then match the appropriate
s h o es are smooth and s e a mless and although we a r e innovative, where needed w e can scratch and scuff to
05
EASY AND
resource, intellect and
ADJUSTABLE
experience - and then go the
F A STE N E R S .
extra mile!
We u n d e r s t a n d h o w
c h a llenge the status quo in
imp o r t a n t i t i s t o m a k e l i f e
y o u r organisation. We also
as c o n v e n i e n t a s p o s s i b l e t o
r e c ognise when there’s a
the c l i e n t . We w o r k w i t h y o u
n e e d to slip smoothly into
to a c h i e v e y o u r s t r a t e g i c a n d
p l a ce when working with you
tac t i c a l g o a l s a n d a d j u s t t o
t o o so you’ll find we don’t
you r n e e d s , a s a n d w h e n t h e
c h a ff or irritate but become
jour n e y c h a n g e s .
p a r t of a seamlessly i n t e grated team . issue 01 23
h e a r t & s o l e O n ly T h e W e a r e r K n o w s
knows wearer the only pinches shoe the where There is an En g l i s h p rove r b t h at s ays “o n l y t h e we a re r k n ows w h e re t h e shoe pinches”, mea n i n g t h at i f yo u wa nt to u n d e r s t a n d t h e issues behind s o m e o n e e l s e’s ex p e r i e n ce yo u need to ask t h e m . Th i s i s t h e e s s e n ce o f a voice of the c u s to m e r s t rate g y, c a p t u r i n g, inter preting a n d a c t i n g u p o n c u s to m e r feedback . For the fun of i t we to o k t h e t h e m e o f s h o e s pinching and co n s i d e re d s o m e o f t h e h e a l t h problems relate d to i l l - f i t t i n g fo o t we a r a n d t h e impac t upon t h e fe e t, i n c l u d i n g b l i s te r s, b u n i o n s a n d toe nails. We t h e n i n co r p o rate d t h e m i nto a c h i l d h o o d g a m e o f S n a k e s and Ladders whic h we h ave re n a m e d L a ce s a n d L a d d e r s to s t i c k w i t h t h e t h eme of shoes.
S o here it is, and in case yo u a re we a r y o f t h e n o r m a l b u s i n e s s c l i chés, we would like to int ro d u ce yo u to s o m e n e w c u s to m e r ex per ience and programme j i n g o. Wh o k n ows t h e s e m ay j u s t b e come th e phrases of the t i m e !
see t he game now at: http://bit.ly/laces_ladd e r s 24 issue 01
D
Inner Sole
Inner Sole...
o yo u t h i n k yo u wo u l d re m e m b e r a c u s to m e r yo u on l y m e t o n ce m o re t h a n t wo de c a d e s a g o ? I ma gi n e re m e m b e r i n g t h e
bir thday of one of yo u r c u s to m e r s a n d t h e n providing them with a gi f t o f a l i fe t i m e 1 8 years on. Well that ’s ex a c t l y w h at h a p p e n e d to S hona O wen, a stud e nt w h o wa s b o r n o n b o a rd
heart & sole
Ne ver For get Yo u r Customers o r Emp loy e e s
a Br itish Air ways jet b a c k i n 1 9 9 1 . B r i t i s h Ai rways were proud to o f fe r S h o n a a f re e f l i g ht to
w h e n yo u r d e a l w i t h t h e i r e n q u i r y f rom your CRM
celebrate her 18th b i r t h d ay i n 2 0 0 9 .
s ys te m . R e m e m b e r i n g va l i d ate s t h e person’s past.
S hona of Aberdeen, wa s d e l i ve re d at t h e gi d d y
R emember ing takes on many for ms:
height of 7,000f t in t h e f i r s t c l a s s co m p a r tment of a B oeing 74 7 j e t a s i t a p p ro a c h e d G atwick Air por t. Her pre m at u re b i r t h we nt w i t h o u t
1 . To re c a l l to t h e m i n d w i t h e f fo r t ; t hink of
a hitch suppor ted by a D u tc h d o c to r t rave l l i n g
a g a i n : E. g. “ I f i n a l l y re m e m b e re d t h e i r name.”
o nboard as well as a s s i s t a n ce f ro m t h e c a b i n c rew. Shona took th e a i r l i n e u p o n t h e o f fe r
2 . To re c a l l o r b e co m e awa re o f s u d d e nly or
a nd chose to fly to Au s t ra l i a to v i s i t h e r gra n d-
s p o nt a n e o u s l y : E. g. “ Th e n I re m e m b e red that
mother on a First Cl a s s t i c k e t.
to d ay i s yo u r b i r t h d ay.”
O f cour se BA had so m e g o o d P R m i l e a g e i n
3 . To re t a i n i n t h e m e m o r y : R e m e m b er your
t his stor y themselve s i n f a c t o n S u n d ay 1 3 th
a p p o i nt m e nt w i t h …
November, 2011 the y p l a ce d a s i n g l e p a g e s pread in the Sunday Te l e gra p h t r u m p e t i n g
4 . To k e e p ( s o m e o n e ) i n m i n d a s wo r t hy of con-
t heir customer care a n d u s e d S h o n a’s c a s e a s
s i d e rat i o n o r re co gn i t i o n .
a n example. 5 . To re wa rd w i t h a gi f t o r t i p. N o netheless the air l i n e s h o u l d b e p ra i s e d fo r t ak ing the initiative i n t h e f i r s t p l a ce o f re co rd-
6 . To gi ve gre e t i n g s f ro m : R e m e m b e r me to your
i ng the child ’s bir th a n d t h e n u s i n g i t to co n-
f a m i l y.
nec t with her all the s e ye a r s l ate r. B y re m e m b e r i n g we s h ow we c a re, by rememberThe impor tance of re m e m b e r i n g t h e c u s to m e r
i n g we d e m o n s t rate to c u s to m e r s a n d employ-
c an not be understate d w h e t h e r i t i s re m e m-
e e s t h at t h e y a re i m p o r t a nt, by re m e mber ing we
ber ing them with ‘co o k i e s’ o n t h e i r co m p u t-
s h ow i t m at te r s t h at we h o l d o nto t h e memor ies
e rs, their purchase h i s to r y w h e n t h e y s i gn i nto
a n d h i s to r y we h ave o f o t h e r s.
your website (Amazo n ) , o r t h e i r s e r v i ce h i sto r y
issue 01 25
Get In Touch Like what you' ve re a d ? Twe e t u s a n d let us k now! t wi t te r : c u s to m e r s _ s h o e s T h a nks for reading the first issue of Heart & Sole . We hope you've been inspired to use some of the i d e a s featured, in your own customer experiences ! I f y o u're looking to WOW your customers, we'd l o v e to be of assistance. We can help with: - Inspir a t i o n a l T r a i n i n g - Strat e g i c G u i d a n c e - CEM T o o l s a n d S o l u t i o n s
- V o i c e o f t h e C u s t o m e r St r a t e g y - Conference Engagements - R e s e a r c h a n d E m o t i o n a l M e a s u r ement
Get in touch:
01242 2 6 9 0 7 6 m e asureup@thecustomersshoes.com w w w.thecustomersshoes.com