Make or Break… why Internal Customer Experience is Essential

First to clarify what internal Customer Experience (CX) is – it is defined as the experience that the employees and other departments within an organisation provide to each other, as well as suppliers and any other internal stakeholders with whom they work to get their jobs done or who help them get their jobs done.

So why is internal CX important?

Simply put it can make or break a CX programme and is thus fundamental in delivering a successful CX programme.

As customer service expert and author, Shep Hyken, so succinctly says ‘The internal Customer Experience determines the external Customer Experience’. Meaning if you do not get the internal functions working together then it is more difficult for the frontline staff to deliver excellent CX. Yet all too often it is overlooked with resource and energy focused externally or predominantly on frontline staff.

We are often asked when do you implement an Internal CX programme? Is at the outset better or only once the programme is embedded? For us the answer is always at the outset. Organisations need to look internally first at every part of business to ensure teams are aligned and working together to deliver excellent customer experience.

In our experience the internal Customer Experience is usually a good indicator of likely success of a CX programme. For example, say a salesperson calls head-office at 1.30pm with a customer stood in front of them with query, but only gets voicemail because the whole team are out at lunch, that salesperson is therefore unable to respond immediately and deliver a superior Customer Experience. This example highlights a lack of team alignment and understanding of the sales person’s needs.

How do you implement an internal CX programme?

The principles are the same whether you are looking at an external or internal audience. Start with discovery first so you have a clear understanding where departments are currently at. Speak to different teams, ‘mystery shop’ departments, understand processes and gaps.

Then once you understand where you are at internally then look to win their ‘Heart and Minds’ so they start to think differently and understand their role delivering excellent customer experience. Also map internal customer journeys and gather feedback from internal clients.

Success factors for internal Customer Experience…

Top management support… the whole senior management team needs to buy into and demonstrate behaviours on a daily basis.

Embedding action… it is not enough to talk about CX you must also take action, otherwise you risk losing credibility with your employees.

Knowing your internal customers… departments need to understand how they impact on other functions. Communication and processes are key so they can better respond to their internal customer’s needs.

Engaged and empowered employees… training and communication can help employees give the ability and the autonomy to provide the best service possible, rather than fear repercussions.

Momentum… building and then sustaining momentum is important – have a plan, assign ownership and set objectives and then hold everyone to account.

In conclusion

In closing some wise words from Jan Carlzon who dramatically turned around failing Scandinavian Airlines in the 1980s with his unrelenting focus on customer service quality:

“There’s a remarkably close and consistent link between how internal customers are treated and how external customers perceive the quality of your organisation’s services. A commitment to serve internal customers invariably shows itself to external customers. It’s almost impossible to provide great external service if your organisation is not providing great internal service”

Our unique approach to retail sales training:

We believe very much in the ‘relationship’ and not just the ‘sale’. Through the delivery of a great buying experience, we want customers to WANT to buy from you, rather than you having to sell to them.

This workshop will show you how to achieve this and provide an exceptional buying experience for your customers in a way that makes your business really stand out from your competitors, resulting in higher conversion rates, increased sales and more repeat business.

On this popular one-day interactive Buying Experience workshop you will discover:

• The psychology of buying and the customer’s buying decision process
• How to understand a customer’s decision process and create real focus
• Ways to engage and connect with the retail customer
• How to get a full picture of the customer’s real needs, what the customer really thinks and feels
• Ways to tailor the presentation of the product to create desire
• The best approach to handling objections and reassuring the customer
• How to recognise buying signals and ‘close’ naturally
• How to create a ‘stand out’ impression so the customer returns again and again

What to expect?

This one-day sales training workshop for retailers is designed to keep you engaged and learn through active participation.

The workshop consists of the following

• Overview of what makes a great buying experience
• Brief presentation around buying “drivers” and why is it important to identify them
• Self reflection – How do you see yourselves in the process
• Role play and group break outs to identify the ideal buying experience

Why attend this retail sales training workshop?

Research shows more than 50% of customers will spend more on products and services if the overall experience is great and memorable. Customer’s expectations are rising. They want retail sales staff to take a genuine interest in what they need and to care about their buying experience.

In an increasingly competitive market place the need to provide a superior level of customer service, as part of a world class Customer Experience, has become even more important.

Customers choose where they shop and for this reason we need to deliver more than just a service we need to deliver a buying experience.

This workshop has direct and very tangible outputs, you will;

• Discover a greater understanding of why customers walk through your doors and how to ensure that you leave your customers with a positive and loyalty inducing interaction
• Feel empowered to behave more naturally with your customers and sell more
• Have the know-how to deliver a great buying experience

Date

28th June 2017

Time

8.45am -9.30am           Pre Registration and Breakfast
9.30am                           Workshop begins

Location

The Hatton
ETC Conference & Training Venue
51-53 Hatton Garden
London
EC1N 8HN

In House Training option

Have a group of 8 or more employees you would like to send on this workshop ? We can come to you and design a bespoke workshop to meet your specific requirements.
Our in house training is a simple, cost effective option for organisations wishing to quickly train up the whole team at a time and date that is convenient to you.
Get in touch at [email protected] so we can create a great training experience for you.

Our Speakers

Simon O’Donnell

Senior Customer Experience Consultant

Following a successful career working with many UK Blue Chip organisations, Simon has spent the last 13 years advising businesses on how they can grow and develop. He has experience across a wide spectrum of industry sectors, including telecommunications, recruitment, hospitality, retail and distribution.

Simon genuinely believes that the customer has to be at the heart of everything an organisation does and that, from top to bottom, everyone in an organisation has to be “on board” with the concept that customer loyalty and lifetime value are key to success in the long term.

Amy Brustia

Customer Experience Consultant (CCXP)

Amy is an adaptable customer experience professional (CCXP) and business operations manager with a solutions orientated, can do attitude and proven ability to communicate effectively across multi-disciplinary teams. Having successfully implemented a number of Customer Experience initatives across a number of sectors including Banking, Construction and Healthcare.
Amy is passionate about aligning the customer journey with back end processes and technology to provide systems that enhance data visibility, facilitate better business decisions and most importantly improve the end to end customer experience.

Can’t attend this one ?

Register your interest to find out about our upcoming events by filling in the form below or contact us at [email protected]

As Customer Experience retail experts, we know that the combination of individual and team retail sales coaching delivers compelling results. We saw this earlier in the year when we achieved a 7% uplift in sales at the Thorntons’ stores where we delivered our renowned sales coaching programme.

Our team of CX trainers and coaches worked with Thorntons’ store managers and retail assistants across the UK to improve the Customer Experience in Stores, by focusing on changing behaviours and language.

Retail Sales Coaching Programme

The initial One Day Workshop with the Store Managers was followed up with two days spent in each Store observing the team on a one-to-one basis, while giving ‘in the moment feedback’ and coaching.

By focusing on rapport and trust building, understanding and meeting customer needs, overcoming objections and closing in a supportive way, sales results improved immediately.  In the five weeks of coaching, an additional £95,000 was generated across the six stores.*

If you would like to find out how we can help improve sales and Customer Experience get in touch we would love to hear from you. Alternatively, you can find out further information of our popular one day workshop here.

*This was calculated by measuring ATV and conversion against a control set of Stores

Steve Dudley

When an organisation is able to recognise Customer Experience opportunities and then make the most of them, they will stand out and offer a superior Customer Experience. This enables them to delight their customers, which in turn comes together to build customer loyalty, reduce churn and increase revenue.

What is a Customer Experience Opportunity?

It is a chance to impress and go beyond what is expected. Importantly it can help to deepen the relationship in a positive way.

The Disney Institute, an independent Customer Experience training arm of Disney, uses a great example to illustrate a Customer Experience opportunity. The rather inane question ‘What time is the 3 o’clock parade?’ which is regularly asked by Magic Kingdom guests. They recognise that the true opportunity lies beyond the obvious answer – and that the question gives them a unique opportunity to shine by delivering the kind of Customer Experience that builds a lifelong relationship.

So instead of just giving the answer (i.e. the 3pm start time) to the often frazzled parents and over-excited kids; their staff stop to ask questions and then personalise the guest’s experience with their insider knowledge – best vantage points, what time it pasts certain places and when they need to leave one area of the park to see the parade on time etc.

This example also clearly demonstrates a crucial success factor… knowing your customer at an individual level, inside out. Understanding their requirements, concerns, lifetime value, touchpoints, and pain points is vital to delivering outstanding Customer Experience.

How do you spot Customer Experience opportunities?

This doesn’t happen in isolation. It starts with your Customer Experience strategy that defines what customer experiences you want to deliver, and how your organisation will weave this together seamlessly between channels and departments.

The diagram below shows the key elements that need to be on place to deliver a consistent customer experience over and over again.

Basic process framework for spotting Customer Experience opportunities

Spotting opportunities is best built into the process. Training and managers leading by example are important in facilitating this. Also management must ensure that employees are empowered with the right tools to identify and take action. Proactive staff who actively look for opportunities, because they understand the importance of Customer Experience, are key and in a position to deliver a seamless customer-focused experience. Zappos is a great example of a business which has successfully differentiated its business with outstanding customer service. They do this by constantly innovating and empowering their staff; giving their telephone customer service operatives free reign to make their customers happy.

Whether you use an external expert, or implement your Customer Experience programme internally, there are a number of challenges that may hamper your efforts. We find the most common are:

Board buy in – the whole senior management team needs to buy into the programme or it will be undermined. Leadership has a vital role to play, not just believing but living and demonstrating behaviours on a daily basis.

Whilst no one person or department can own Customer Experience, having a designated Customer Experience leader is also critical to success. This is someone who can lead the rallying cry as the chief customer advocate, and build a framework so everyone in the organisation knows what information is collected and how to access it.

Knowing your customers – if you don’t understand what your customer’s wants and needs are, it will make your ability to meet and exceed them difficult.

Talking to customers regularly is one of the best ways to address this. Listen to them – ask them questions and analyse the feedback to see any patterns in customer behaviour.

Not embedding action – it is not enough to talk to customers, or have a systemised customer feedback process. You also need to take action with the information you collect, otherwise you risk losing credibility with your customers.

Ensure action is taking place by embedding the insights gathered into the systems that employees and customers use every day to make decisions. Also share analysis and reports widely within your organisation. Remember world class organisations thrive by using customer feedback to drive all their actions.

Engagement and empowerment – engaged, empowered employees are inextricably linked to delivering excellent Customer Experience. Employees must have the ability and the autonomy to provide the best service possible, rather than fear repercussions. Training can help. A well-trained employee will feel comfortable, confident, and empowered during customer interactions. They won’t hesitate to answer questions, fix issues, and go the extra mile..

Also a clear vision and strategy will help give employee a strong sense of what the company stands for, what its goals are, and why it exists. This will enable them to feel connected and invested in the organisation.

Momentum – implementing Customer Experience can be big and unwieldly. Building and then sustaining momentum can be a challenge, especially when the day job gets in the way. So it is critical that ownership is assigned and objectives are set, and then everyone is held to account. However it is equally important is to make it fun, employees must want to do it.

Also at the outset do some elements quickly so that some momentum is built. Once started, keep pushing the different streams until momentum is developed. We find it is very much like pushing the proverbial snowball up the hill, a great deal of effort will be required initially, however when you reach the crest and it runs on its own accord.

Good luck with your Customer Experience programme!