30 September 2019
From CX to EX with passion and purpose
In an international and digitalised world of trade where new brands come out from every second corner, a very key issue for many retailers today is – how do we create customer experiences which increase the loyalty to our brand? At the world’s largest retail conference ‘NRF Retail’s BIG Show’ in New York, it became obvious that the answer is not only lying in an increased focus on the customers but also in an increased focus on the employees.
Start at the beginning with EX
One of the very big topics of conversion during the conference was the new trend ‘from customer experience (CX) to employee experience (EX)’ and the conclusion is unmistakable. If you as retailers want to create extra good customer experiences, increase the brand loyalty as well as create additional sales, it would be an advantage to go one step back and start with the employees.
Obviously, this does not mean that you should remove focus from the good customer experience which you already provide but that you, on the other hand, are able to lift your CX to completely new heights by also looking at the commitment and the experience which the employees have in your brand. More and more retailers have discovered that the employees’ experience with the brand influences the customers. And the equation is simple: Good EX gives happy and loyal employees which results in an improved CX that provides happy and more loyal customers and this increases the turnover.
Omnichannel isn’t for your customers only
New York oozes of inspiring examples of retailers who have successfully cracked the EX code and as a result has lifted their CX to completely new heights. One of them is the American beauty giant Ulta Beauty whose secret weapon is technology. The game changer for Ulta Beauty was precisely the recognition of the fact that their employees, like the customers, wanted a frictionless and natural omnichannel experience with the brand.
”Give the training they need WHEN they need it, WHERE they need it and HOW they need it”
- Ulta Beauty
Responsibility, ownership and passion
Ulta Beauty has created this by making it possible for their employees to qualify via peer2peer chats and streaming, etc. which the employees can access at all hours via their smartphones, iPad or other devices precisely as they are used to in their everyday lives with social media, Netflix and Spotify. In this way, Ulta Beauty has been able to break down the information silos, remove the hassle and give their employees responsibility and passion for their professional competence and development in the job. As a result, Ulta Beauty’s customers are now met by employees with an increased professional pride and job satisfaction which makes the customers want to come back again and again
”Hire people who like people”
- Rebecca Minkoff
Every business is a people business
Another brand, which has successfully cracked the EX code, is the luxury fashion brand Rebecca Minkoff.
Their EX effort takes its starting point in the “hire people which love people” philosophy which means that they have only employed shop personnel with hearts beating for the brand and for delivering the best service and customer experience.
In continuation of this philosophy, Rebecca Minkoff has, for example, allowed the employees to give their personal email to the customers so the customers can always get into contact with them. With access to customer data, the employees can also write directly to a customer with personal recommendations. By allowing the employees to use these everyday technologies in a clever way in their work, Rebecca Minkoff has created a unique and very passion-driven EX where the employees can easily create meaningful relations to the customers.
In return, this gives the customers a quite special and personal experience with the brand which increases the brand loyalty and drives the sale.
Are your employees your biggest fans?
The American brand The Phluid Project is yet another good and different example of how a focus on EX can take CX to completely new heights. As the first gender neutral clothing store in the world, The Phluid Project is, as the name indicates, a concept which plays with the norms where everything is possible and everybody is welcome. And it is more than a marketing concept – this is their culture and values. When you as a customer steps into The Phluid Project's store in New York, you will experience that all employees, men as well as women, are dressed in exactly what makes them feel comfortable – the employees are the Phluid Project.
In the capacity of their strong values and culture, The Phluid Project is as much a movement and a community as it is a clothing store and they have thereby created a solid brand community where employees and customers are part of the same community and set of values. This gives the employees a very unique and personal experience with the brand. An experience that increases the employees’ job satisfaction and connection to the brand which in return influences the customers and increases their brand loyalty.
Are you interested in hearing more about how you can take your customer experience to completely new heights with unique employee experiences? We would like to invite you for a cup of coffee or we can visit you for a non-binding talk about your options.
Contact Casper Bo Jørgensen, Customer Relations Manager, at: +45 23 30 79 56 or write to: cbj@hesehus.dk
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