Case Studies

Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates Benefits from Customer Experience Measurement Program

  March 07, 2012 in Blog, Case Studies, Customer Experience Reporting by Marci Bikshorn

If you’ve ever watched Undercover Boss, you may know the premise: CEOs of large corporations go undercover to engage at various levels of their company to experience a day in the life of their employees.

In a recent episode, President Rick Tigner of Jackson Wine Estates in Santa Rosa, California, went undercover as ‘Jake’ and got to know a few employees on a more personal level. Along the way, he was able to view first-hand how employees interacted with one another as well as how they interacted with customers.

The premise of Undercover Boss is similar to the services offered by customer experience measurement and solutions providers.Mystery shopping is a powerful research tool that involves undercover shoppers that are postitioned to listen objectively during every step of the customer experience, giving companies unique insight into their best practices.

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An Excellent Example of Customer Experience Management: Zappos.com

  February 08, 2012 in Blog, Brand & Market Research, Case Studies, Measuring Total Customer Experience by Marci Bikshorn

There is no end to the lengths that company Zappos.com will go to provide great customer service. In fact, its 2010 advertising campaign focused solely on how committed the company is to its customers. Where did this fantastic advertising idea come from? It developed out of the many ways that Zappos had been going above and beyond for its customers throughout the past year.

Last year, Zappos overnighted a free pair of shoes to a wedding where the best man had shown up without his shoes. In that same year, Zappos delivered a bouquet of flowers to a woman who ordered six different pairs of shoes because her feet had been damaged by medical treatment. It says heaps about a company that would go to such extreme measures to genuinely help a customer.

These examples are really what customer experience management is all about, going above and beyond for your customers. The reason Zappos succeeds may have just as much to do with its customer retention programs as its genuine compassion for consumers. Here are just a few of the reasons that customers remain loyal to Zappos.com:

1. Customer Service Training

Each new employee in the Las Vegas office has to participate in a four-week training program. No matter the position they now hold, there are no exceptions. A large focus of this initial training is on customer experience management.

After the four-week training period for all employees, there is a more specific three-week program for the call-takers. As you may have seen in the 2011 ad campaign, consulting and training really pays off when customers ask more difficult questions.

What you can do: Create a training program to allow all employees to understand the company’s stance on customer service. With all employees on the same page, everyone can be relied upon to talk face-to-face with customers during the busier holiday seasons.

2. Understanding Brand Image

Zappos has implemented many different layers to its communication and customer retention strategy due to an understanding of their brand image. Consumers think of Zappos as just a shoe store, although they sell many different items. Because Zappos realizes this is the current brand image, they choose to focus on marketing their one constant, customer service. Instead of only promoting goods and services, they choose to build a brand image around likeability.

What you can do: Use customer intelligence programs to better understand how consumers portray your brand. Brand research can be a useful tool as a small part of a complete customer retention program.

Service Excellence Group is a customer experience measurement and solutions provider. Through our innovative programs, we can offer intellectual and resourceful answers to give you a competitive edge with a better understanding of your brand image. Find out more about our customer experience management solutions.