SUPPORTING GREAT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES
H eart &SOLE HOW MUSIC CAN RADICALLY EFFECT THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Has your organisation harnessed the power of music yet? >>> page 26
10 WAYS TO CREATE A GREAT CUSTOMER CULTURE
INSIDE JOHN LEWIS
Hear what a former Customer Experience Manager has to say about their practice >>> page 20
5 TIPS FOR CREATING AND KEEPING CUSTOMER LOYALTY Inspire yourself with these 5 essentials steps to creating loyal customers >>> page 12
Forget your dull missions statement and learn how to create a corporate culture your organisation is passionate about >>> page 22
w w w. t h e c u s tom e r s s h o e s. co m
ISSUE 04 - Dec 2013
H E A R T & S O L E T rust M e I ' m A S hopper
IN D E X p2 Trust m e I ' m a s h o p p e r p4
7 Strate gi e s fo r S u cce s s f u l
Cultural Ch a n g e i n Yo u r O rg a n i s at i o n p6
John Le w i s ' Cu s to m e r J o u r n e y
p8
I ntrodu c i n g O u rTra i n i n g C l o u d
p10 How D o O u r E m o t i o n s Pl ay S u c h a Huge Par t in t h e Cu s to m e r E x p e r i e n ce p12 5 Tips fo r Cre at i n g a n d K e e p i n g Customer Loya l t y
thought for the issue:
TRUST ME I'M A SHOPPER! A personal take on the trust tha t lies bet ween a business and its customers.
p14 Ex trem e Co r p o rate Te a m B u i l d i n g p16 On The S h e l f p18 20 Ways to Cre ate a D y n a m i c a n d M otivated Te a m p20 I nside J o h n Le w i s - An I nte r v i e w p22 10 Ways to Cre ate G re at A G re at Cor porate Cu l t u re p24 B e R em a r k a b l e p26 I nner S o l e - H ow M u s i c Ca n R adi cally Ef fe c t t h e Cu s to m e r Exper ience
Cher yl Gregor y - MD & Editor “D o yo u t r u s t m e ? ” I t ' s a re a s o n a b l e e n o u g h q u e s t i o n , a n d a n
H E A R T & SOLE is
impor t a nt o n e. At s o m e p o i nt i t w i l l c ro p u p i n m o s t o f t h e re l a-
p u b l i s h e d quar ter ly by
tionsh i p s we fo rg e i n l i fe. A fe w we e k s a g o I wa s i n Fra n ce. N ow
Th e Cu s tomer's Shoes Ltd
don’t g e t m e w ro n g, I a b s o l u te l y a d o re Fre n c h c u l t u re, t h e s ce n-
w w w. t h e customersshoes.com
er y, its p e o p l e a n d t h e l a n g u a g e. Fro m t h e m o m e nt my e a s y J e t flight to u c h e s d ow n , I a m a l ways i n my e l e m e nt a n d I d o n’t m e a n
Is s u e # 4 - D ecember 2013
to spo i l my s e a m l e s s l y p e r fe c t Fre n c h ‘ b u b b l e’, b u t my l ate s t exper i e n ce i n a Fre n c h s u p e r m a r k e t we nt f a r b e l ow my i d e a o f a
Al l r i g ht s reser ved © 2013
great c u s to m e r ex p e r i e n ce ! E. Le c l e rc, t h e s u p e r m a r k e t i n q u e stion, is a Fre n c h hy p e r m a r k e t c h a i n w i t h m o re t h a n 5 0 0 l o c at i o n s throug h o u t Fra n ce a n d 1 1 6 i n o t h e r Eu ro p e a n Co u nt r i e s. As you e nte r t h e Fre n c h s u p e r m a r k e t s, yo u w i l l f i n d a l l t h e t ro lleys are c h a i n e d to g e t h e r a n d w i t h o u t t h e m a n d ato r y Eu ro co i n to set t h e m l o o s e, yo u a re i n fo r a n o n - s t a r te r f ro m t h e o u t s e t. But my re a l n e g at i ve ex p e r i e n ce o cc u re d w h e n e nte r i n g t h e s to re.
2 ISSUE 03
As I wa l k e d t h ro u g h t h e d o o r s, a s e c u r i t y g u a rd g l a n ce d at m e
T rust M e I ' m A S hopper
HEART & SOLE
w i t h hostile eyes. “M adame, No bags allowe d ”
s t a n d i n g w h i c h to u c h p o i nt s a re m o s t
h e b r istled with self-impor tance in Frenc h ,
i m p o r t a nt to yo u r c u s to m e r s i s k e y to b u i l d-
l o o k i ng down at my existing shopping b a g
i n g t h i s t r u s t. H ow a re yo u r b ra n d o p i n i o n s
f ro m another sho p. Tak ing my bag from m e,
f ra m e d, a n d w h at s p e c i f i c a l l y d r i ve s yo u r
h e p roceeded to wrap it completely in cl i n g
c u s to m e r s d e s i re to u s e yo u o r n o t ?
f i l m by machine, as one would find back at t h e a i r p o r t to wrap suitcases in order to pro te c t t h e m against thef t and damage. Ac tions s p e a k l o u d e r than words: “ We just don’t trust yo u” i s a c t u a lly what the store was saying. “I n fa c t we d i s t r u st you so much that we are going to s e a l yo u r bag as we think you are going to ste a l s o m e thing!” M y fe elings at this point - ex tremely beli t t l e d !
O n l y o n ce t h e s e q u e s t i o n s a re a n s we re d,
L i f t i n g my lowered head from the depth s o f
c a n t h e p ro gra m m e s, s ys te m s a n d p ro ce s s e s
my e mpt y trolley, I felt I was being accus e d o f
b e b u i l t to d e l i ve r a gre at c u s to m e r ex p e -
a s i n . I t was as if I had already done my s h o p
r i e n ce. I n g e n e ra l t h e s u p e r m a r k e t s e c to r
a n d l ef t the store with a ‘S aucisson’ stuffe d u p
o f fe r s a g o o d c u s to m e r ex p e r i e n ce w i t h
e a c h sleeve and a couple of pumpk ins h i d d e n
co m p e t i t i o n b e i n g s o i nte n s e n owa d ays.
i n e a c h cup of my bra! I continued my fo o d
B u t b ra n d s m u s t k e e p u p w i t h w h at c u s to m-
s h o p feeling unsettled.
e r s re a l l y fe e l a n d wa nt – a n d f i n d a way to d e m o n s t rate to c u s to m e r s t h at t h e y c a n
S o, you may ask ; the point of your rant? We l l,
t r u s t t h e y a re wo r k i n g w i t h t h e s e d e s i re s i n
t h i s raises a ver y impor tant question in a c u s-
m i n d, at a l l t i m e.
to m e r ’s exper ience; do you trust me? Th e way we t reat our customers clear ly demonstrate s
‘ Th e re a l i t y o f ‘my ’ s h o p m a d e m e fe e l a s i f
yo u r l evels of trust in them… but imagin e
I l o o k e d a s ‘d o d g y ’ a s h e l l, a l t h o u g h I k n e w
p o s i n g this ver y question to your own b u s i-
d a r n we l l I wa s n’t ! At t h at m o m e nt I fe l t l i k e
n e s s customers, what do you think their re p l y
t h e g u i l t i e s t wo m e n o n t h e p l a n e t ! Ye s, I
wo u l d be? Customers are both cautious a n d
wo u l d h ave b e e n e m b a r ra s s e d to h ave b e e n
s av v y to mar keting tr icks, and businesse s
c a u g ht w i t h a c a m e m b e r t s t u f fe d i nto my
a re constantly faced with the challenge o f
m i d d l e p o c k e t, b u t fe e l i t wa s a b i t u n f a i r
‘d e l i g hting’ of ten c ynical consumers.
I h a d to g o a b o u t t h e s u p e r m a r k e t w i t h a t h e f a ce o f a b e e t ro o t w i t h n o t h i n g to b e
E m o t i onal trust is fundamental to the su cce s s
a s h a m e d o f ! D o yo u r c u s to m e r s t r u s t yo u ?
o f a ny business, giving your customer a
I t ’s a l ways a g o o d s t a r t to s h ow t he m t h at
fe e l i n g of being valued and cared for. Th i s
yo u t r u s t t h e m to o !
e m o t i onal trust c an sometimes cloud co n s u me r ’s o bjec tivit y so it really is a power ful a n d
E n j oy t h i s I s s u e o f ' H e a r t & S o l e’ H a p py
i m p o r tant force to har ness cor rec tly. Un d e r-
Reading!
ISSUE 02 3
H E A R T & S O L E S trategies F or S uccessful C ulture C hange
7
Strategies For Successfu l Culture Chan g e I n Your Organisation
The continuing rate of change in our organisations is unprecedented, and managers are look ing to reinvent their cultures to achieve optimum results in their mar kets for success.
‘I Can S e e C l e a r l y N ow ! ’
4 ISSUE 03
S trategies F or S uccessful C ulture C hange
HEART & SOLE
1. Create A S e n s e O f U rg e n c y
Share the need to ac t now rather than later. D evelop a clear sense of urgenc y.
2. I nspire a n d G ra b At te nt i o n
People get disor iented and fear resistance when change is suggested. Communicate a compelling and inspir ing vision to grab stakeholder atte ntion.
3 . Q u i c k Wi n s
S eek easy wins ear ly to help overcome the inevitable resistance you’ll come across.
4 . B e Pa s s i o n ate Ab o u t C h a n g e
New cultures need rule changes and to people who make those rules. B e passionate; sur round yourse lf with people who are willing to stand up to resistance.
5. R ewa rd O n I nve s t m e nt
People like to be reward ed for being challenged in ways they are unfamiliar with. R eward new ideas and changes to prevent resistance. R eward champions chosen to promote your cause.
6 . Fo l l ow U p, C h e c k R esults; K e e p R eminding
Hold people in your team accountable for mak ing progress toward the vision. People will rever t to their old ways if they lose sight of it. Keep a fir m gr ip on progress, reac t to where resistance lies.
7 . E l i m i nate Old Th i n k i n g An d Patter ns
G ain credibilit y and respec t by eliminating the diehard behaviours and old organisational thought patter ns. People find it a problem to progress if they feel sur rounded by others with the old thought processes.
What have you fo u n d to be effective i n your organisati o n with your cultu r e change initiativ e s ?
ISSUE 02 5
H E A R T & S O L E J ohn L ewis - T he C ustomer J ourney
John Lewis Are t h e y h i tting the r ight touch p o i nt s o n t he customer jour ney?
A
dver tising has always been notor ious in its design to manipulate its audience. With almost no freedom of expression adver tising direc tors are p re s s u r i s e d to produce for ms of mar keti n g w h i c h w i ll lure its customers to buy. Late l y, I watched the new J L Chr istmas a d ve r t. St u n ned by the length and ex tent p ro d u ce r s h ad gone to this year to conn e c t w i t h c u stomers in their own homes, I l e a r nt i t co st the retailer £1 million to m a k e a n d £ 6 million to purchase air time i n w h i c h to broadcast. Have you seen it ye t ? Us i n g a co m bination of hand- drawn a n i m at i o n a nd 3D sets, this is the tale o f a s p e c i a l woodland fr iendship bet ween a b e a r a n d a hare. JL also created Tw i t te r a cco unts for the stars of the c l i p a n d t h e re's a downloadable eB ook te l l i n g t h e h ear t-war ming stor y to lure c us to m e r s f u r ther.
6 ISSUE 03
Then there's Lily Allen. Having re ce nt l y taken the time out to star t a fam i l y, s h e has mar ked her comeback to m u s i c i n this Chr istmas adver t, in which s h e s i n g s a cover of Keane's smash hit 'S o m e w h e re Only We K now ’ Andy Street, J L's CEO says of th i s l ate s t expensive T V adver t “it pays tr ib u te to all of our most memorable child h o o d Chr istmases” Ad ’s are a way of getting away f ro m t h e inter ruption of pushing messag e s at people and instead using enter t a i n m e nt and ‘emotional ’ connec tions, b u t h a s t h i s gone a ‘ budget ’ too far? An ad is all about engaging wit h c u s to mers. Each brand has to find the b e s t way to do that. Watching an Ad in the co m fo r t o f your home por trays a ver y stron g h u m a n message. A customer who watc h e s a n a d at Chr istmas is the same one w h o c a l l s customer ser vice, shops online a n d t a l k s with fr iends about produc ts the y p u rchase. S uccess depends on brand abili t y to
J ohn L ewis - T he C ustomer J ourney
to i n s p i re co n sumers with a promise and d e l i ve r exce l l ent per for mance acro ss eve r y c u s to m e r exper ience and ser vice. Th e i m p o r t a n ce of the out- of-box- expe r i e n ce s t a g e of the customer jour ney is n o t to b e t a k e n lightly. Two -way intera c t i o n s a re t h ose that can be in-person ( s u c h a s i n a s tore) the phone, on web s i te s, b l o g s, s ocial net wor k and so on.
HEART & SOLE
• Are you addressing all your cu s to mers’ under lying needs? Are these g o i n g unstated and therefore neither yo u n o r your competitors are solving the m ? • D o you differentiate yourself fro m competitors and help retain you r customers? • Are your customer champions c l e a r l y defining the customer jour ney i n yo u r organisation? For all the cr iticism J L may have, m a ny of its customer ’s ‘do’ get into the C h r i s tmas spir it. With the enor mous p r i ce p a i d are we intending to rush out and v i s i t our nearest J L - or even do the b u l k o f our shopping there? I suppose t h e answer lies with you!
J L h a s d o n e a super b job of building hy p e a ro u n d i ts Chr istmas ads in recent ye a r s ; 2 0 1 2, 2 011, 2007, 2008, but perh a p s t h i s ye a r they have gone a little too f a r, h ow m u c h more connec ted do you t h i n k t h e y w i l l be with their customers co m p a re d to past years? Should you be l o o k i n g at h ow you connec t with your c u s to m e r s ? What specific touch points a re yo u t a rg e ting for 2014?
And, finally for fun...Here’s what Waterstones have recently t wee te d, “ We spent a LOT of money on th i s to t a l l y or iginal Chr istmas adver t. John Le w i s ? Never heard of him” Happy Shopping!
• Are yo u r to u ch points addressing custo m e r s’ m o t i vations, and answer ing their q u e s t i o n s o r allaying concer ns? Are you wo r k i n g fo r your target customers? • Are yo u r to u ch points speak ing w ith a c l e a r to n e, c lear message, and clear wo rd s ? I s yo u r brand communicating effe c t i ve l y a n d clear ly?
ISSUE 02 7
H E A R T & S O L E O ur T raining C loud
We l co m e to ‘O u rTra i n i n g C l o u d ’ a n e w s t u d i o fo r a l l yo u r t ra i n i n g co u r s e d e s i gn , d e ve l o p m e nt a n d d e l i ve r y n e e d s.
I ntroduc i n g. . . W E D E S I G N E N G A G I N G , CO S T EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS T H AT D E L I V E R G R E AT R O I O ur training co u r s e s a re spec ifically de s i gn e d to e n a b l e your delegates to t a k e a s t r u c t u re d approach to tra i n i n g d e s i gn , u s i n g a competenc y b a s e d a p p ro a c h . Al l o u r cour se content i s t a i l o r- m a d e by o u r team to suit th e s p e c i f i c n e e d s o f yo u r orga nisation. We combine in d u s t r y- s p e c i f i c k n ow l e d g e with our profe s s i o n a l te a c h i n g a n d t ra i ning exper tise to d e s i gn co u r s e s t h at w i l l accurately mee t t h e t ra i n i n g a n d development n e e d s o f yo u r b u s i n e s s
W E D E L I V E R YO U R S U CC E S S A N D FA C I L I TAT E W H O L E S O M E L E A R N I N G O u r t ra i n i n g i s d e l i vered by our pro fe s s i o n a l te a m w h o are leaders in t h e i r f i e l d, w i t h co urse content tha b a s e d o n a p owe r f u l combination o p ra c t i c a l i n d u s t r y- s pecific exper ien a n d t h e l ate s t re s e a rch.
We c a n d e l i ve r o u r off the shelf ope co u r s e s, m o d u l e s o r unique trainin s e s s i o n s at a t i m e a nd location tha s u i t s yo u a n d yo u r employees.
W E D E V E LO P CO M P R E H E N S I V E S O LU T I O N S T H AT L E A D TO M E A S U R A B L E R E S U LT S Al l o u r co u r s e s a n d t ra i n i n g p ro gra m m e s w i l l b e a p e r fe c t m atc h to t h e s k i l l a n d p ro fe s s i o n a l d e ve l o p m e nt re q u i re m ents o f yo u r o rg a n i s at i o n . We w i l l h e l p by wo r k i n g a l o n g s i d e you and a s s e s s i n g yo u r b u s i n e s s a n d t ra i n i n g n e e d s a s a b e s p o k e s er vice. We w i l l p rov i d e yo u r e m p l oye e s w i t h t ra i n i n g m ate r i a l o f the h i g h e s t q u a l i t y. We w i l l d e s i gn a co u r s e s p e c i f i c a l l y to s u i t your n e e d s o r we m ay a l re a d y h ave a n ex i s t i n g co u r s e t h at f u l f ils your o b j e c t i ve s, w h i c h m ay a l re a d y s u i t yo u r co m p a ny. 8 ISSUE 03
G o-
at i s of nce
en g t
O ur T raining C loud
HEART & SOLE
w w w. o u r t ra i n i n g c l o u d. co m H e re a re a fe w o f o u r o f f t h e s h e l f co u r s e s we o f fe r, fo r yo u to p e e k at. . .
M OT I VAT I N G YO U R WORKFORCE O u r 3 - d ay wo r k s h o p is d e s i gn e d fo r p a rt i c i p a nt s w h o wa nt to d e ve l o p t h e i r te a m l e a d e r s h i p skills and unleash t h e t a l e nt o f their individual te a m m e m b e r s a n d it s h ows p a r t i c ip a nt s h ow to g o a b o u t d e ve l o p i n g h i g h p e r fo r m a n ce te a m s.
H O W TO D E V E LO P H I G H PERFORMANCE TEAMS O u r one - day wor kshop o n motivating your wo r kforce will help s u p er visors and mana g e r s create a more d y n amic, loyal, and e n e rgized wor k place.
HOW TO BECOME A GREAT LISTENER Communication sk ills are at the hear t of ever ything we do each day, whether at home, at wor k , or at pl ay. This one - day wor kshop shows par ticipants how to become a great listener and help them develop and prac tice their ac tive listening sk ills.
ISSUE 02 9
D
H E A R T & S O L E E motions and the C E X
o yo u h ave e n o u g h of an emo t i o n a l co n n e c t i o n with your custo m e r s to k e e p t h em? Are you co m m u n i c at i n g t h e r ight k ind of m e s s a g e s to at t ra c t new customers?
To cre ate e m o t i o n a l co n n e c t i o n s with customers require s m o re t h a n j u s t g o o d b randing and mar ke t i n g. D e e p e m o t i o n a l co n nec tions with your c u s to m e r s re s u l t s i n u nwaver ing consumer l oya l t y. A co m p a ny e n g a ged in emotional brand i n g a l ways p u t s t h e n e e d s of its customers ahead o f t h e p ro d u c t i t i s s e l l i n g.
Photos courtesy of FastCompany
r u O o D How y a l P s n E m o t i oA H u g e P a r t Such Customer In The ence? Experi
y e t in th e , s e v li l a n o rs e p is im p o r ta n t to p la y in o u r th le to ro e e y g e u h d n a li e b E m o ti o n s h a v d a tt it u d e . ll o f te n tu r n a n ti a s r u rs e io g v a a n h a e b m b u s in e s s a re n a c t it h a s o n th e ir c u s to m e r ’s e m o ti o n s d e s u e v e a ff h e t a e fa c t a n d th o f c o m p a n ie s thw e m o v e in to 2 0 1 4 . s le p m a x e e m o s H e re w e h a v e s n a l I n s ig h ts a re im p o r ta n t a o a n d h o w E m o ti 10 ISSUE 03
EMOTIONS AND THE CEX
HEART & SOLE
STARBUCKS GETS IT ON TRACK
“I wonder sometimes that our customers won’t understand truly what this took, We all know Starbuck’s but do you know that you can enjoy a cosy coffee with a full Starbuck’s store inside a train? “Our stores are made not just to have a wonderful drink, but to connect and have a wonderful experience. We wanted to make sure it feels like a club and that you could see a person across the room, so the train feels more spacious”
COKES NEW CAN SOLVING A PROBLEM NO ONE HAS
Coca-Cola has recently released a new design, a chill activated can which allows the consumer to see how cold their Coca Cola is by displaying a graphic of ice cubes when chilled. Surely for the customer it should be obvious, but for the most part, no one needs to be visually told when something is cold or hot?
NIKE USE HEROISM TO INSPIRE CUSTOMER LOYALTY Nike advertising is one of the most effective emotional branding examples today. Their customer loyalty is off the charts, all thanks to their brand strategy and application of emotional branding. They use the emotional technique of Heroism to inspire customer loyalty all over the world.
ISSUE 02 11
H E A R T & S O L E C U S T O M E R L O YA LT Y T I P S
5 Tip s Fo r Cre at i n g An d Keeping Cu s to m e r Loya l t y Did you k n ow t h e re a re some fun d a m e nt a l pr inciple s fo r g o i n g the 'ex tra m i l e ' fo r yo u r customer s ?
C
u s to m e r l oya l t y is both a mindset a n d p hys i o l o gi c a l i n c l i n at i o n to p re fe r o n e b ra n d a b ove o t h e r s. Th i s c a n b e down to s at i s f a c t i o n w i t h a par ticular p ro d u c t o r s e r v i ce, the conve n i e n ce o r p e r fo r m a n ce to the cus to m e r o r s i m p l y b e i n g k nowledge a b l e w i t h t h e b ra n d they have b o u g ht f ro m ove r a long per io d o f t i me. 12 ISSUE 03
1.
G et Yo u r Cu s to m e r s To Love You r Pro d u c t - - G i ve t h e m tremendous va l u e, m a k e t h e p ro d u c t a delight to u s e a n d gi ve t h e m gre at suppor t.
2.
R ec r u i t Passionate Pe o p l e - These peop l e m u s t be inspired a n d motivated to g o the ex tra m i l e fo r their custom e r s.
3.
Have A G re at Team R espo n s i b l e Fo r Customer S u cce s s - - Th i s s u cce s s i s key to the grow t h o f yo u r b u s i n e s s.
4.
S en d S u cce s s Sto r i e s To Yo u r Customers - - Fo l l ow yo u r c u s to m e r s up regular ly a n d a s k fo r fe e d b a c k which you c a n u s e to re co m m e n d your great s e r v i ce s.
5.
Cont i n u a l l y I m p rove Th e Exper ience Fo r Cu r re nt An d Fu t u re Customers - - I f a c u s to m e r d o e s n o t retur n, find o u t w h at t h e y d i s l i k e d about their ex p e r i e n ce o f d o i n g business wi t h yo u.
To s u m u p. . . I n essence satisfying a customer is simply not enough; you need to continually delight them ever y day in ever y way. G o the ex tra mile so they tell great stor ies about you and your brand. I nvest heavily in training to shif t the mindset and sk ills of staff to create customer exper iences that lead to strong word of mouth buzz at the same time. The best way to keep your customers coming back is outstanding customer ser vice. I nvolve customers in ever y step of the buying process, ensur ing it is their decision and not your push that gives them the oppor tunit y to buy you r produc ts. I t isn' t about mak ing shor t monetar y gains today ; it's about keeping a customer for life!
HEART & SOLE TEAM BUILDING
i ns p i re with
E T A R O P R O C E EXTREM G N I D L I U B M TEA I s it time to get out o f t h e c u bicle far m and get to k n ow your co -wor ker s ? We’ve rounded up so m e u n usual and ex treme co r porate team-build i n g a c tivities. While we a re n o t s u re if we’d ac tually wa nt to p a r ticipate in some o f t h e s e, o n e thing’s for sure: Th e y ’re a l l excell ent fodder fo r s u b s e quent coffee break g o s s i p ! Igni t e T e a m F u n !
The Stairway to Heaven
‘Flash Mobbing’ this team building event is all about surprise, engagement, cohesion, risk taking and energy. Your group will quickly unite as they take the concept of a Flash Mob and transform it into what we call a Flash Team.
The Stairway to Heaven, also known as the Haiku Stairs, is a series of approximately 3922 concrete steps climbing 2800 feet through lush jungle to the often cloud-covered peak of Pu'u Keahi A Kahoe in Hawaii. every week about 100 daring hikers ignore the 'No
14 ISSUE 03
E
TEAM BUILDING
Trespassing' signs and avoid guards stationed at the base in order to walk along the mountain ridge. I t's not likely your team will ever climb this amazing mountain range, but it is a great team talking point!
Blin d fo l d d r i v i n g What at first looked like a drive in the park, soon becomes a crazy course of wacky driving, strange noises, and weird manoeuvres.
This is the ultimate 4x4 tests, check out the course, plan your route, load your team in the back, and put your blindfold on and away you go. I f you’re planning a team-buil ding event for your office, how can you avoid having it become an event that people dread and complain about? This next horrifying team building exer cise is certainly not one to try!
HEART & SOLE
The Naked Truth “In Japan, an ‘innovative’ company came up with the idea of taking a bath with the boss and supervisors (although only of the same gender). It was called ‘naked relationships’ and was thought to build trust. After showering and wash ing their hair in a group facil ity, they sat in a bath (which is a natural hot spring) together to talk and bond. The idea was being naked, everyone was equal and would feel free to discuss things and joke about things that you wouldn’t in the office setting!!
S O F I N A L LY; What are your thoughts on mandatory team-building activities? Do you think they’re awk ward and a waste of time? Or have they proven to be helpful by increasing your motivation and productivity? Have you ever participated in a bizarre or downright excruci ating team-building activity or retreat? Perhaps you could tweet us and let us know! Tweet us via @customers_shoes ISSUE 02 15
H E A R T & S O L E O n T he S helf
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 Shoe
Exper iences that fit the customer per fec tly .
21 E XC E L L E N T R E A S O N S TO F O L LO W WAT E R S TO N E S OX F O R D S T R E E T O N T W I T T E R @ Ws to n e s Ox fo rd St show ever yone else h ow to d o s o c i a l m e d i a w h i le teaching their Cu s to m e r s e ve r y t h i n g t h e y need to k now a b o u t b o o k s. 2 1 re a s o n s here
O n e Odd Sh oe Unco m fo r t a b l e ex p e r i e n ce s fo r the cus to m e r - co m p a n i e s t h at n e ed a cus to m e r exp e r i e n ce re f i t t i n g !
S O D A S T R E A M C U S TO M E R S E R V I C E “ F I N D S I T H I L A R T H AT I T S P R O D U C T S S E N D M E S T R A I G H T TO T H E TO
I wa s gi ve n a S odastream for Chr istmas. However, ever y time I us d ra n k my s o d a , I have the worst diar r hoea I have ever had. Almost H ave yo u h a d o thers with this issue? Is it the car bonation, the citr d o yo u s u g g e s t ?” ‘Giant customer ser vice faux pas’ A CSR or some w i t h i n t h e co m pany wrote: “ Well, she’s not shy, is she?!” 16 ISSUE 03
flick r : little blue
RIOUS OILET�
O n T he S helf
S I D E O F S L I M E ’ C U S TO M E R CLAIMS HE FOUND A WHOPPER O F A S LU G I N H I S S A N D W I C H
A B u rg e r K i n g c ustomer bit into h i s fo o d to d i s cover an unwanted ex t ra to p p i n g - a slug.
E x p e r i e n ce s t h at a re co m p l e te l y l a c k i n g ! Ve r y u n co m fo r t a b l e fo r t h e c u s to m e r. . .
s e d it, an d t i nstantly ! r i c acid? Wh at e o ne else
e hen
HEART & SOLE
' F R I E N D LY ' S ' B A R O F F E R S M O S T U N F R I E N D LY B I L L
When a bar is called Fr iendly's, one would expec t the atmosphere to be, how do you say it, fr iendly? A recent customer thinks the water ing hole is anything but congenial, and has a receipt to prove it!
G E T YO U R E X P E R I E N C E S F E AT U R E D H E R E !
Where have you had memorable customer interac tions, whether for the wrong or r ight reasons - let us k now! Email us now at: measureup@thecustomersshoes.com
ISSUE 02 17
HEART & SOLE QUIZ
o t s y a W 20 A e t a e r C d n a c i m Dyna m a e T d Motivate Across 1. 3. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 13. 15. 16. 17.
Team games T o a l l o w fo r Believe in your employees To give guidance L o ok fo r w a r d D o n o t s h y a w a y fr o m i d e a s A d h e r e n c e t o y ou r t e a m A i m t ow a r d s a n e n d e a v o u r Expression of approval Possibilities rising like new mountains To do questionnaires, surveys
Down 2. 4. 10. 11. 12. 14.
S h a r e i n fo r m a t i o n a n d g o a l s Employees development G i v e t r u s t t o y ou r t e a m To act or decide on one's own Re s p on s i v e t o c h a n g e C h a n c e s o f r e t u r n fr om i n v e s t m e n t
Answers on page 25. 18 ISSUE 03
QUIZ
HEART & SOLE
ISSUE 02 19
HEART & SOLE INSIDE JOHN LEWIS - AN INTERVIEW
INSIDE JOHN LE WIS Fo rm e r C u s to m e r E x c e l l e n c e Manager ta l k s a b o u t h e r e x p e r i e n c e s...
We re ce nt l y h a d t h e p l e a s u re o f i nte r viewing Bina Kantaria, former Customer Excellence Manager for the John Lewis Pa r t n e r s h i p, a bout her exper iences wor k ing for the UK’s most revered provider of excellent ser vice. Below we share some of her comments; How long were you working for JL? I was with JL just under three years What was the scope of your role? In the summer of 2010 John Lewis had planned to open two new Contact Centres as part of their strategy to centralise customer ser vice. I was brought in to ensure that the customer ser vice delivered by the Co nta c t Ce nt re s was of the same hi gh stan dard as that delivered by the branches. I was responsible for all communication that is voice, email and white mail. I was also responsible for the Mystery Shop ping programme for the Contact Centres. Soon I was also put in charge of the team t h a t m a n a g e d e xe c u t i v e c o m p l a i n t s , t h o s e t h at we re s e nt to the MD Andy Street I t was really exciting to glean customer insight from these sources to understand what 20 ISSUE 03
the customer wanted and share the insight with the Par tners to improve the customer experience. When you joined the company what was the most significant characteristic of the culture that struck you the most? S o m e t h i n g t h at m o s t o rg a n i s at i o n s s t r i ve for is for first class employee e n g a g e m e nt. Fr o m d a y o n e i t w a s e v i d e n t t h a t a l m o s t a l l Pa r t n e r s we re aw a re o f t h e c o m p a ny ’s vision and strategy to be the n u m b e r o n e retailer. The customer ser vice ethos was so e n g r a i n e d i n t h e m t h a t i t w a s i n fe c t i o u s. What was the biggest challenge you faced with an organisation that i s a l re a d y famous for its customer experience? I was also hearing anecdotes of complac e n c y. T h e r e w e r e p o c k e t s o f o v e r c o n f i dence about the company and its leade r s h i p o f c u s t o m e r e xc e l l e n c e . T h e c h a l lenge for me was to communic ate to t h e s e groups that customers are no l o n g e r w i l ling to pay for good customer ser vice. Good s e r v i c e i s e x p e c t e d o f e ve r yo n e. B u t c u s tomers are happy to pay extra for great
INSIDE JOHN LEWIS - AN INTERVIEW
gre at c u s to m e r ser vice, and encoura ge them to f i n d i n n ovat ive ways of deliver ing great c u s to m e r s e r v i ce. The bar keeps r ising with e ve r y i nte ra c t i on with the brand. H ow fo c u s s e d on the customer exper ience a re m a n a g e m e nt meetings within stores, i.e i s t h e fo c u s p r i mar ily on targets or is the a g e n d a e q u a l l y shared with the customer ex p e r i e n ce ?
HEART & SOLE
M anagement and employees wo r k h a n d in hand on the shop floor. Each o n e i s a s committed as the other. The wo r k e t h o s is based around deliver ing excel l e nt s e rvice to the customer. Which brands did JL look to for i n s p i ration and insights into how they co u l d improve the customer exper ience ? Amazon and Apple
M e e t i n g s we re focused equally on sales and s e r v i ce b u t ‘s a l es as a result of ser vice’ was t h e m e s s a g e. Wh at ' s t h e o n e lesson that other organis at i o n s c a n l e a r n from JL in developing an awa rd w i n n i n g culture? Lo o k a f te r yo u r employees and the employe e s w i l l l o o k a f ter your customers. Listen to yo u r c u s to m e r s and tailor your ser vices to yo u r c u s to m e r s’ needs. H ow s i gn i f i c a nt an influence on employee p e r fo r m a n ce i s the 'par tnership' ar range m e nt fo r e m p l oyees at JL? Th e Pa r t n e r s h i p model is key to the organis at i o n’s s u cce s s. Employees are fully aware t h at t h e i r ow n per for mance will impac t the b o t to m l i n e. Th erefore ever y Par tner wor ks towa rd s t h e s u ccess of the company k nowi n g t h at t h e y h ave a stake in the business too a n d w i l l g e t re warded accordingly at the end o f t h e ye a r. H ow co n n e c te d are the senior management te a m s w i t h t h e exper ience of employees in t h e s h o p f l o o r i n the stores?
What are you look ing for in your n ex t career challenge? I am look ing to wor k for an orga n i s at i o n that is ser ious about investing in t h e i r employees in order to improve t h e i r c u stomers’ exper ience. You can have a f a ntastic produc t but if you don’t h ave t h e r ight people, process and techno l o g y, you cannot deliver the r ight exp e r i e n ce. Companies always talk about be i n g c u stomer centr ic but ver y few sign o f f t h e budgets! I f you would like to brainsto r m or collaborate on any of th e s e perspec tives, contac t me at binak antar ia@yahoo.co.uk o r https://t witter.com/binak ant a r i a uk .linkedin.com/in/binak ant a r i a
ISSUE 02 21
H E A R T & S O L E C R E AT E A G R E AT C U LT U R E
10 Ways to Create a Gre at Cor porate Culture quotes of the month The will to w i n , t he desire to s ucceed, the u rg e to reach you r f u l l p otential... t h e s e a re the keys t h at w ill unlock t h e d oor to perso n a l excellence. CO N F U C I U S You have to l e a r n t he rules of t h e g ame. And th e n you have to p l ay better t h a n a nyone else. ALBERT EINSTEIN Sign up fo r i n s p i r i n g CEX qu o te s at ht t p : / / bit.ly/1 8 b l Tn i
B or in g o l d m i s s i o n s t ate m e nt s n e ver inspi re d a nyo n e to ex t ra h o u r s o n a p ro j e c t, no m at te r h ow gre at t h e we e k e n d te a m build i n g exe rc i s e wa s. Wa s t h e re s u l t j u s t to get exe c u t i ve s a n d e m p l oye e s to ‘ b u d d y ’ u p at lu n c h o n M o n d ay ? N o ! ! The gre ate r t h e e f fo r t to fo r m a l i ze ‘cult u ra l ’ away d ays a n d co n f i n e p e o p l e to ob l i g ato r y a c t i v i t i e s, t h e q u i c k e r t h e stren g t h o f a c u l t u re s l i p s away. Here a re 1 0 ways yo u c a n i nt ro d u ce m o re proce s s w i t h o u t s m o t h e r i n g yo u r c u l t u re ;
01
EMPHASIZE YOUR COMPANY CULTURE. E x p l a i n
clear ly yo u r co m p a ny ’s c u l t u re to any ne w e m p l oye e m a k i n g s u re they we re h i re d i n p a r t, b e c a u s e of how t h e y w i l l f i t i n to yo u r close k n i t te a m
Co l l a b o rate l i k
E m b ra ce a s e n s e o f p u r p o s e
wo r k . M e a s u re yo u r e m p l oy
02
HIRE ONLY GREAT PEOPLE. R e m e m b e r
s at i s f a c t i o n p e r i o d i c a l l y, a n
n o t to g o w i t h ex p e r t i s e
s co re s g o u p, co nve y yo u r i m
alone. C h o o s e gre at p e r s o n a l i t i e s a n d attitud e s to m atc h yo u r compa ny c u l t u re.
22 ISSUE 03
03
GIVE CONTIN FEEDBACK.
re s p o n d to t h e i r fe e d b a c k . I m e nt s a n d gi ve "c re d i t " fo r
C R E AT E A G R E AT C U LT U R E
04
GIVE CONTINUAL FEED BACK. Pr int day-to - d ay operations on card i l l u s t rat-
ing the greatness of their impor ta n ce. Employees can hang the values at t h e i r desks, mak ing them easy to share w i t h wo r k colleagues.
06
HEART & SOLE
SHOW YOUR EM P L O Y E E S YOU REALLY CA RE . B u i l d l oya l t y a m o n g yo u r
e m p l oye e s, s h ow t h e m yo u c a re a b o u t t h e m i n e ve r y a s p e c t o f t h e i r l i ve s. Fi n d o u t t h e i r i nte re s t s o u t s i d e t h e wo r k i n g e nv i ro n m e nt
05
A L W AYS LOOK TO THE F U T U RE. M ake sure you
a n d t h e n yo u c a n re wa rd t h e m i n ways t h e y
always challenge your
e ve nt s w i t h a c a rd o r a p e r s o n a l m e s s a g e.
w i l l p e r s o n a l l y e n j oy. Co m m e m o rate s p e c i a l
b u s i n e s s model. Identify your business’s " m u s t- d o pr ior ities" and then make sure t h e m a n agement team is focused on these g o a l s. Without this set of shared pr ior ities yo u r co mpany cultu re will not take root.
07
REINFORCE THAT WO RK SATISFACTION IS NO T A L L ABOUT MONEY.
O f co u r s e e ve r y b o d y wa nt s to e a r n gre at m o n e y, b u t i t i s i nt r i n s i c a l l y i m p o r t a nt h ow yo u r e m p l oye e s fe e l w h e n t h e y a re at wo r k .
08
O FFER PROFESSIONAL G ROWTH AND DEVEL O PMENT M ost of your
Ac k n ow l e d g e m e nt, re s p e c t, re co gn i t i o n , a n d a s i m p l e " t h a n k yo u." Th i s w i l l g o a l o n g way to b u i l d i n g t h i s i m p o r t a nt c u l t u re.
e m ployees will want to feel there is a p at h to professional growth and a way to b etter themselves in your o rg anization. O ffer ing training and d e velopment programs that will show yo u are committed to their education, i m p rovement, and advancement.
09
CONVEY YOUR COMPANY'S HIGHER PU RP O S E Yo u r e m p l oye e s n e e d to b e l i e ve
i n s o m e t h i n g b e yo n d j u s t a " j o b." To b u i l d a s u cce s s f u l co m p a ny c u l t u re, s t a r t s l ow l y. Any s o l i d fo u n d at i o n w i l l t a k e t i m e to grow a n d f l o u r i s h s o
NUAL
k e c ra z y.
e at
ye es '
nd t h e n
d o n' t r u s h . Yo u’re h e re fo r t h e l o n g h a u l !
10
CULTURE CAN ALSO INCLUDE FUN M ake sure you r e m p l oye e s k n ow t h e y can have some f u n ! I t ’s n o t a b o u t b e i n g
idiotic, it ’s about ac tually tr y i n g to b l u r t h e l i n e
I f yo u r
bet ween personal and wor k l i fe i n a p ro fe s s i o n a l
mp rove -
light hear ted way!
i t.
ISSUE 02 23
HEART & SOLE BE REMARKABLE
Don’t Be Boring, Dull And Lifeless! Put On Those Pink Gloves And Start To
BE REMARKABLE. I ncreasingly we u s e c l i c h é d p h ra s e s
H ow m u c h b e t te r wo u l d we be if we
and metapho r s i n o u r wo r k p l a ce to t h e
u n d e r s to o d t h e m e a n i n g b e yond these
ex tent that th e y b e co m e rat h e r i r r i-
m e t a p h o r s a n d a p p l i e d t h e m to deliver
tating and ho n e s t l y a b i t o f a b o re ! A
a G re at Cu s to m e r E x p e r i e n ce?
Great Custom e r E x p e r i e n ce re q u i re s c re ativit y and th e a b i l i t y to s t a n d i n yo u r ‘ The Custome r ’s S h o e s’ –w h o o p s, h e re I go Think ing ‘o u t s i d e t h e b ox ’ i s a n ove rused cliché. B u t i t c a p t u re s t h e id e a that you need to ex p l o re n e w t h i n k i n g and new poss i b i l i t i e s. To demonstrate t h i s t h e o r y, a gro u p o f people sat in s i d e a b ox w h i l s t o t h e r s s at outside. R esu l t s s h owe d t h at t h e p e o p l e
St a f f at a h o s p i t a l i n Am e r i c a did this.
sitting outsid e c a m e u p w i t h m o re i d e a s
Th e y to o k t h e ‘o u t s i d e t h e b ox ’ cliché
than those sit t i n g i n , a n d t h at w h e n
s e r i o u s l y a n d p rove d t h at t h ey did not
walk ing rando m l y yo u co m e u p w i t h
n e e d to b e b o r i n g d u l l a n d l ifeless, or
more thought p ro ce s s e s t h a n w h e n
a f ra i d to t a k e r i s k s fo r fe a r of being
walk ing in a s q u a re.
s e e m i n g l y u n p ro fe s s i o n a l. They showed t h at yo u c a n exce e d c u s to m er ’s expec t at i o n s, a n d ye t h ave t re m e ndous fun!
24 ISSUE 03
BE REMARKABLE
HEART & SOLE
Like a cast of ac to r s i n a p l ay, s o m e o u t-
Ca n YO U m a k e a d i f fe re n ce w hen you are
per for m others. B u t at t h e e n d o f t h e d ay,
to l d to s te p o u t s i d e t h e b ox ?
i t takes each on e o f u s to p l ay o u r p a r t. I f you do not fo l l ow yo u r s c r i p t p ro p e r l y
Wh ate ve r yo u d e c i d e I h o p e you can wear
you will forget l i n e s a n d l e t yo u r te a m
t h o s e 'p i n k g l ove s' !
down. Your organisati o n n e e d s to m a k e an i mpor tant choice : w i l l yo u s i t i t o ut a n d j ust read the cli c h ĂŠ s, o r w i l l yo u l e a r n your lines and s te p o u t w i t h co n f i d e n ce and innovation l i k e s t a f f i n t h e g l ove dance.
Answers to page 18 '20 Ways to Create A Dynamic and Motivated Team'
Across
Down
1. Activities 3. Consideration 5. Trust 6. Direction 7. Vision 8. Confident 9. Integrity 13. Goals 15. Praise 16. Opportunity 17. Assess
2. Communica t e 4. Training 10. Empower 11. Responsi b i l i t y 12. Flexible 14. Risk
ISSUE 02 25
H E A R T & S O L E I nner S ole
I nner S ole...
HOW MUSIC CAN R A D I C A L LY E F F E C T T H E C U S TO M E R EXPERIENCE
O rganisations today are com b i ni n g the power of music to m a k e a u t hentic connec tions with t h e i r c u s tomers, and also see gre at b e nefits in their bottom lin e t h rough a r icher shopping ex p e r i e nce, deeper customer en g a g e m e nt, stronger affinit y and re t ur ning customers. H e re are some ways that mu s i c i m pac ts the shopping expe r i e n ce fo r brands and customers… INCREASE IN SALES S o mething as simple as sele c t i n g m u sic that has a slower tem p o o f 73 beats per minute or le s s a n d managing the volume o f t h e music will likely result i n a n i n c rease in your bottom lin e. OPTIMIZE THE ENVIRONMENT M a ny studies show the effe c t s o f music on emotional resp o n s e, b ra nd attitude and purchas e i ntent in an emotional adve r t i si n g condition. 26 ISSUE 03
Th e s e s t u d i e s s h ow t h e re l at i o ns h i p b e t we e n m u s i c a n d c u s to m e r fe e l i n g s. I N C R E A S E B R A N D LOYA LT Y M u s i c c a n b e u s e d to re i n fo rce a p o s i t i ve ex p e r i e n ce a n d c a n l e a d to i n c re a s e d l oya lt y to yo u r b ra n d. I n t h e b at t l e gro u n d fo r t h e h e a r t s a n d m i n d s o f c u s to me r s, m u s i c i s o n e o f t h e m o s t p owe r f u l to o l s t h at b ra n d s c a n u s e. M u s i c h a s t h e p owe r to m a k e a b ra n d i n s t a nt l y re co gn i s e d a n d l ove d. H e re a re s o me s e c re t s! An d O n A Fi n a l N o te ; G E T YO U R C U S TO M E R S TO S I N G I N YO U R O W N F E E D B A C K C H O I R ! H ow a b o u t i n s p i r i n g yo u r p ro sp e c t s a n d c u s to m e r s ? Wh at wo u l d b e m o re o f a n i n s p i rat i o n t h a n a b u n c h o f yo u r c u s to me r s s i n gi n g a n d te l l i n g s to r i e s a ro u n d yo u r p ro d u c t ? Al l yo u n e e d to d o i s gi ve t h e m a vo i ce to s i n g i n yo u r fe e d b a c k c h o i r. Af te r a l l, yo u r e nt i re c u s to me r ’s vo i ce s h o u l d b e t h e co m p any ’s o rg a n i z at i o n a l fo c u s. I n a ny o rg a n i s at i o n c u s to m e r fe e d b a c k i s yo u r n u m b e r o n e to m a r k e t i n g s u cce s s.
I nner S ole
Cu s tomer feedback is the m o s t co nvincing and reliable way to g e t more prospec ts into yo u r s a l es pipeli ne. Is there more s o l i d proof than a real and p e r sonal success stor y on yo u r we bsite that validates the u s e fulness and effec tivenes s o f yo ur produc t? I f you have b e e n watching the excellent BBC p ro gramme ‘ The Choir ’ you c a n s e e the fabulous results of a c u s tomer- centred company.
HEART & SOLE
D o yo u, yo u r s t a f f o r yo u r c u sto m e r s s i n g ? D i d yo u m a n a g e to t a k e t h e i r vo i ce s a n d l e t t h e m b e h e a rd ? G o o n , gi ve i t a go!
ISSUE 02 27
G et I n Touch Like what you' ve re a d ? Twe e t u s a n d let us k now! Twi t te r : @ c u s to m e r s _ s h o e s Th a nks for reading this issue of Hear t & S ole. We h o p e you' ve been inspired to use some of the idea s fe at ured, in your own customer exper iences! I f yo u're look ing to WOW your customers, we'd l ove to be of assistance. We can help with: - I nspi rat i o n a l Tra i n i n g - Strate gi c G u i d a n ce - CEM To o l s a n d S o l u t i o n s
- Vo i ce o f t h e Cu s to m e r St rate g y - Co n fe re n ce E n g a g e m e nt s - R e s e a rc h a n d E m o t i o n a l M e a s u rement
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