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7 Successful Customer Experience Case Studies

Customer experience, or CX, is essential for your brand’s longevity, profitability, and customer loyalty, so it’s worth considering this factor in your marketing strategy. It’s no stretch to say that delivering high-quality customer experiences is critical if you want your brand to remain competitive in the modern business environment.

But it’s one thing to try to incorporate solid CX strategies and methodologies into your workflow. It’s another thing to see them in action as a success story. Today, let’s break down seven successful customer experience case studies. By the end, you’ll be well-equipped and ready to implement the techniques and methods that these successful companies used to bolster and reinvigorate their CX philosophies .

1. Macmillan Research

Macmillan Research, a scientific research institution, discovered in 2012 that various individuals affected by cancer needed extra support with practical tasks like cleaning, shopping, and so on. Approximately one in four people diagnosed with new cancer in the UK lacked support from close family or friends (or roughly 70,000 people each year) at the time of this project.

To solve this, Macmillan devised a Team Up service. The goal was to create an accessible, intuitive online marketplace that would help those affected by cancer get the practical support they needed.

To accomplish their goal, Macmillan worked hard to ensure that Team Up was easy-to-use and accessible across many different devices. It also needed to recruit new volunteers plus appeal to a younger demographic of workers.

Thus, Macmillan faced two primary challenges:

• Getting enough early adopters to test the earliest iterations of the service
• Acquiring the new technologies needed to make the whole project work

Macmillan focused on customer experience by hiring a dedicated community manager. This community manager then worked with various local groups in order to sign people up for the prelaunch of the product.

Furthermore, Macmillan integrated data into its CX testing by running biweekly user testing sessions. These guaranteed that members of the community provided their feedback to the project early on, where it could still be incorporated easily.

Thanks to these CX practices, Macmillan was successful in its overall goal. The Team Up service exceeded its initial expectations and registration KPIs by approximately 40%. Most practical tasks for cancer patients had a turnaround time of fewer than three days overall.

The car sales company CARFAX always looks for new ways to leverage its extensive vehicle database and use its customer knowledge to make new, intuitive digital tools and solutions.

Among the most recent improvements that CARFAX has made to its product is CARFAX for Police, which is a mobile and web application that helps to streamline accident report filing. Customers can now use CARFAX to file accident reports with local police precincts, making the entire process much more streamlined and easier.

To develop this app, CARFAX needed to focus on customer experience. CARFAX did some research to learn about the challenges police officers face while on the job and the difficulties they experience when filing accident reports. Fortunately, the technology to incorporate a solution like this was already present.

CARFAX and its clients conducted extensive user research, including interviews, measuring application user patterns, and so on, with a handful of police officers. They also leveraged skilled developers and mobile app programmers to make navigable, easy-to-use systems that successfully led to a great app.

By the end, CARFAX’s focus on CX resulted in an app that enables law enforcement officers to reduce accident report times by about 50%, as well as capture more data in law enforcement systems.

PBS previously wanted to transition from a more traditional media company into a leading digital media giant. To do that, PBS recognized that it needed to discover new marketing channels and formats through which to deliver educational, informative content to audiences across all age groups. More broadly, PBS wanted to connect and unify its overall network of approximately 200 member stations.

The CX-focused improvements were multifaceted from the get-go. PBS constructed a new technical infrastructure to serve content on multiple channels. This made PBS content more accessible to its users, thereby improving their customer experiences.

Furthermore, PBS developed iPad applications and APIs to ensure that content could be seamlessly delivered on any channel. This required the construction of custom content management systems, too — a high initial expense, but one that ended up being very worthwhile in the long run.

PBS also pivoted into a digital-first culture across the board. This allowed its members to focus on delivering exemplary customer experiences to online users, not just individuals watching television programs.

Trex was a home improvement company that specialized in providing sustainable deck materials. It wanted to improve its customers' experiences by creating a deck design app through which customers could create photorealistic mockups or simulations of what their decks might look like after constructing them.

The deck app would solve a huge pain point by helping customers who had only themselves to rely on when designing and building a deck of their very own. In creating a photorealistic application, Trex could eliminate a lot of the time and costs required in outsourcing the design process.

Therefore, Trex focused on creating an intuitive, navigable app with a good UX experience. This involved performing very deep, comprehensive user testing, as well as designing and building an initial solution and providing it to testers before incorporating their feedback.

In the end, the final app was very user-friendly. Customers were able to upload an image of their deck spaces or backyards, input certain deck dimensions, and even share their preferences. The app then recommends various eco-friendly deck materials and products so they can design and build the deck of their dreams in no time.

5. Thomas Cook

Thomas Cook, a travel agency and operator, wanted to improve its direct relationships with its target audience members and expand its customer base to those who weren’t currently its customers. Thomas Cook also wanted to know more about online customer journeys, as well as better understand customer purchase lifecycles.

With so many disparate goals, Thomas Cook needed to focus on customer experience and data-gathering above all else. To do this, it launched a targeted lead-generation campaign in addition to a travel survey.

The point of both of these methods was to capture key data and information about customers' future buying intentions, as well as specific customer requirements (which could, in theory, affect whether a given customer might buy something).

Furthermore, Thomas Cook utilized a nurturing program to deliver individualized, highly resonating messages and bolster user engagement. After completing the survey, consumers were presented with several different headline offers or redirected to the primary Thomas Cook website.

Thomas Cook didn't stop there. It also displayed various retargeting tags in the marketing campaign, helping the brand deliver more personalized display banner advertisements to respondents. All in all, this marketing effort allowed Thomas Cook to gain much more information than before.

It also acquired over 15,000 leads, saw email engagement rates boosted by over 30%, and saw email open rates at over twice the UK national benchmark average. All in all, it was a very successful CX data-gathering campaign.

6. RS Components

RS Components previously needed a better user experience. Specifically, the CX here was not conducive to quick or efficient processing.

This was a big problem for RS Components, as its marketing campaign was doing well, delivering over 10 million visits to various associated websites per month. Unfortunately, 70 million of those prospective customers left the site right at the search stage over the year.

To bolster conversion, RS Components look to improve its online customer experiences. With 60 websites in the group, this was a monumental task.

To accomplish it, RS Components:

• Collected customer feedback from online surveys, in addition to performing customer lab testing in the real world
• Prioritized things like speed and ease of identifying products. RS Components aimed to make it easier for customers to find and purchase the products they wanted
• Practiced search term correction
• Made significant improvements to search result categorization and presentation
• Emphasized and optimized its websites for mobile searchers

All in all, these efforts were highly successful. RS Components didn’t focus so much on changing its customer experience in terms of customer support or marketing. However, it did make a change in its CX in terms of searchability, website navigation, and product purchasing. This highlights how customer experience can incorporate and encompass many different elements of an online enterprise.

7. Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK wanted to develop an interactive, graphical representation of network performance. This was to be a first for the overall UK telecoms market. Unfortunately, Vodafone UK faced a significant challenge: making this rather technical and complex subject more accessible and simpler to understand for customers.

The primary objective was to create a tool to route queries into a call center using a self-service portal. Then, Vodafone UK aimed to develop a system to help communicate any planned outages to customers that would be affected. By the end of development, the tool needed to be very easy to maintain and be able to update itself in real-time 24/7.

To accomplish this, Vodafone UK focused somewhat on CX or customer experience management. Specifically, it:

• Created a cross-channel working group that included different business areas and people in industries like network operations, public relations, technology, security, and more.
• Carried out various usability studies with the public. This helped to validate its initial graphic design plan and user experience before implementing and improving upon it.

With this CX-focused approach, Vodafone UK successfully constructed a system where telecom information could be updated moment by moment by field engineers. The system was also linked to an email notification center, which enabled affected customers to immediately be notified of outages or changes in their coverage.

These days, users can still register their email addresses with the Vodafone UK telecoms system. This automatically sends an email if an issue is reported or if the network operations center has to impose an outage for technical or maintenance reasons.

The Impact of Customer Research on Customer Satisfaction

Many of these studies show how social media, digital transformation, and customer-centric optimization strategies can have a major impact. Using touchpoint analysis or leveraging contact centers can have an incredible impact on the bottom line.

Customer relationships — for both current and potential customers — only grow if you focus on world-class CX like these companies. Provide your customers with good day-to-day service in the online shopping world. Leverage automation where it makes sense, but don’t forget about the impact of a personal, human touch.

Chat With Awesome CX Today

As you can see, good customer experiences are absolutely vital for your brand. As you look to improve your CX overall, review your customer satisfaction metrics. Decide what pain point you can solve and anticipate the kind of improvements that loyal and new customers will most likely appreciate.

If the ideal way to make sure that your CX improvements are actually improvements and not just changes to your website or customer journeys for the sake of it.

Fortunately, if your CX philosophy needs a bit of work, there are partners you can turn to for help. Awesome CX is well-equipped and ready to assist with all of your CX needs.

In fact, we’ve assisted over 90 brands with their customer experience services , ranging from backend or office support to customer experience center aid and more. No matter what your industry happens to be, Awesome CX can help in more ways than one.

Send us a message today to learn more.

Customer Experience | Tech Target

What Is Customer Experience? | Forbes

What is Customer Experience? | IBM

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Customer Experience in the Age of AI

• David C. Edelman
• Mark Abraham

Companies across all industries are putting personalization at the center of their enterprise strategies. For example, Home Depot, JPMorgan Chase, Starbucks, and Nike have publicly announced that personalized and seamless omnichannel experiences are at the core of their corporate strategy. We are now at the point where competitive advantage will be based on the ability to capture, analyze, and utilize personalized customer data at scale and on how a company uses AI to understand, shape, customize, and optimize the customer journey. The obvious winners have been large tech companies, which have embedded these capabilities in their business models. But challenger brands, such as sweetgreen in restaurants and Stitch Fix in apparel, have designed transformative first-party, data-driven experiences as well.

The authors explore how cutting-edge companies use what they call intelligent experience engines to assemble high-quality customer experiences. Although building one can be time-consuming, expensive, and technologically complex, the result allows companies to deliver personalization at a scale that could only have been imagined a decade ago.

The case for building “intelligent experience engines”

Idea in Brief

The reality.

A personalized customer experience has become the basis for competitive advantage.

The Problem

However, providing personalization requires more than just a technological fix.

The Solution

Businesses must design intelligent experience engines, which assemble high-quality, end-to-end customer experiences using AI powered by customer data.

Brinks is a 163-year-old business well-known for its fleet of armored trucks. The company also licenses its brand to a lesser-known, independently operated sister company, Brinks Home. The Dallas-based smart-home-technology business has struggled to gain brand recognition commensurate with the Brinks name. It competes against better-known systems from ADT, Google Nest, and Ring, and although it has earned stellar reviews from industry analysts and customers, its market share is only 2%. But its systems have generated a wealth of product usage information; its call centers have accumulated voluminous historical customer-level transaction data; and its field reps have been gathering competitive data since it began operations, in 1994.

• David C. Edelman is an executive adviser and a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School.
• Mark Abraham is a managing director and a senior partner at Boston Consulting Group.

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5 great customer experience case studies.

Home » 5 Great Customer Experience Case Studies

Exceptional CX Strategies in action are vital for organizations aiming to thrive in the competitive market. By focusing on customer needs, these strategies transform standard interactions into memorable experiences that foster loyalty. In this section, we explore five outstanding case studies that showcase innovative approaches to enhancing customer experience.

Each case demonstrates the importance of understanding customer insights and adapting services accordingly. These exceptional CX strategies not only drive satisfaction but also contribute to sustainable business growth. Through analysis of these real-world applications, we aim to inspire a fresh perspective on elevating customer experience to new heights.

Exceptional CX Strategies: Companies Leading the Way

Exceptional CX strategies often emerge from companies that prioritize customer-centricity. These organizations recognize that understanding customer needs and preferences is essential for offering unmatched service. They continually analyze feedback and insights to tailor experiences that resonate deeply with their audience. By fostering a culture of empathy, these companies empower their teams to think critically about customer interactions, leading to improved outcomes.

Moreover, their commitment to exceptional customer experiences does not end at mere satisfaction. These leaders actively engage customers in meaningful ways, ensuring they feel valued and understood. Innovative touchpoints, personalized communications, and seamless service integration help create lasting relationships. These strategies not only drive loyalty but also inspire advocates who share their positive experiences, further enhancing brand reputation and visibility. Through these exceptional CX strategies, companies are setting benchmarks in customer service excellence that others aspire to achieve.

Case Study 1: How Company A Transformed Customer Engagement

In the pursuit of exceptional customer experience (CX) strategies, a leading organization revolutionized its approach to customer engagement. Recognizing the growing competition and the importance of customer feedback, they prioritized understanding the voice of their customers. By analyzing customer sentiment, the organization gained actionable insights into preferences and pain points. This not only enabled them to tailor their offerings but also created a more personalized interaction with customers.

The transformation began with mapping the customer journey, allowing the organization to identify key touchpoints for improvement. This strategic move had a dual benefit: it bolstered customer satisfaction while also increasing market share. Enhanced engagement strategies, including personalized communication and targeted promotions, ensured that customers felt valued and understood. This case study highlights the significance of exceptional CX strategies, illustrating how a company can thrive by truly listening to its customers and adapting to their needs.

Case Study 2: The Impact of Personalization at Company B

At one organization, a robust personalization strategy significantly improved customer experiences. By using data analytics, they crafted tailored interactions that resonated with individual customer preferences, which fostered stronger connections and increased customer loyalty.

The implementation of personalized recommendations based on past behaviors was a game-changer. This approach not only enriched the shopping experience but also boosted conversion rates. Additionally, effective communication channels, such as targeted emails and customized offers, ensured customers felt valued.

Furthermore, by continuously analyzing customer feedback, they adapted their strategies to better meet evolving needs. This responsiveness illustrated the importance of exceptional customer experience strategies, ultimately establishing a competitive edge in their market sector. Engaging their audience through personalized experiences was integral to their overall success, demonstrating how critical tailored interactions are to achieving superior customer satisfaction.

Implementing Exceptional CX Strategies: Insights from Leaders

Implementing exceptional CX strategies requires a deep understanding of customer needs and behaviors. Leaders in customer experience consistently rely on data-driven insights to refine their practices. By utilizing customizable insights, organizations can pinpoint specific pain points and desires directly related to their target audience. This tailored approach allows companies to focus on areas that truly matter to their customers.

Effective CX strategies emphasize the importance of context in understanding customer feedback. Moreover, presenting evidence for insights ensures teams recognize the origin of their data, fostering a culture of trust and accountability. This blend of analysis and transparency not only guides decision-making but also enhances overall customer satisfaction. Leaders demonstrate that the journey towards exceptional CX hinges on active engagement, adaptability, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Ultimately, successful implementation of these strategies can transform a standard experience into one that’s memorable and meaningful.

Case Study 3: Company Cs Omni-Channel Success Story

To achieve exceptional customer experience, one company successfully integrated its online and offline strategies. This omni-channel approach ensured that customers enjoyed a seamless experience, regardless of the channel they chose. The company focused on understanding customer preferences through deep insights, which allowed them to tailor their services effectively. This attention to customer needs fostered loyalty and increased engagement.

Furthermore, by utilizing data analytics, the company gained valuable insights into purchasing behavior. This enabled them to personalize marketing efforts and improve product recommendations. As a result, customers felt understood and appreciated. These exceptional CX strategies led to higher conversion rates and customer satisfaction scores, proving that an omni-channel strategy can significantly enhance the overall customer experience.

Case Study 4: Streamlined Customer Support at Company D

In one organization's journey towards exceptional CX strategies, they focused on enhancing their customer support process. By incorporating a sophisticated yet user-friendly support system, they allowed customers to easily access help through various channels. This multi-channel approach significantly reduced customer wait times, resulting in faster resolution of queries and complaints.

To further streamline the support experience, the company implemented a ticketing system that prioritized urgent issues. They trained their teams to swiftly address pain points identified through user feedback. As a result, customers felt their concerns were valued, leading to increased loyalty and satisfaction. By continuously monitoring support metrics, the organization ensured that their strategies evolved based on real-time data, laying the groundwork for a consistently positive customer experience. This journey serves as a compelling example of how focused strategies can transform customer interactions.

Case Study 5: Company Es Loyalty Program Innovation

The loyalty program introduced focused on creating rewarding experiences that cater directly to customer desires. By harnessing insights from customer feedback, the program was designed to evolve continuously, meeting changing preferences. This innovative approach ensured that members felt valued and heard, resulting in enhanced engagement and satisfaction.

Key elements of this exceptional loyalty program included personalized rewards based on individual spending habits, milestone bonuses that celebrated customer loyalty, and exclusive access to special events. Each component aimed to foster an emotional connection between the brand and its customers, ultimately driving long-term loyalty. These exceptional CX strategies not only increased participation but also fostered a community around the brand, encouraging customers to share their experiences. As a result, the loyalty program became a cornerstone of the overall customer experience, empowering customers and motivating them to build a lasting relationship with the brand.

Conclusion: Lessons Learned from Exceptional CX Strategies

Exceptional CX strategies reveal the profound impact of understanding customer needs. Through these case studies, we identify that proactive engagement and feedback mechanisms are essential. Listening actively enables businesses to adapt swiftly, enhancing overall customer satisfaction.

Moreover, crafting personalized experiences fosters loyalty. By mapping the customer journey, organizations can pinpoint critical touchpoints that need improvement. These lessons illustrate that a committed focus on customer insight not only addresses existing concerns but also anticipates future needs, ensuring long-term success in a competitive market. Adopting these strategies can position any business as a leader in customer experience.

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Seven customer experience case studies that generated loyalty and ROI

Delighting the consumer is the number one priority for all customer-facing companies.

Right now, consumers have never had more choice, but when there’s an endless array of businesses offering similar products and services, how does any company stand out from the crowd?

By offering a personalised, relevant and completely human relationship that goes far beyond a single ecommerce transaction. 

A whole lifetime relationship between a customer and a company can be fostered under the customer experience (CX) banner, but this kind of loyalty can’t exist without first shaping a sustainable consumer-centric culture and delivering them compelling experiences.

Join us at our  Festival of Marketing , a two-day celebration of the modern marketing industry held in November, where we have an entire stage devoted to CX so you can learn how successful marketers optimise experiences to increase satisfaction and loyalty.

In the meantime, let’s take a look at some other useful case studies.

Coca-Cola uses  experiential marketing  to create a closer bond between itself and the consumer by immersing them in fun and memorable experiences.

The Coca-Cola Beat Generator was a custom music app which enabled consumers to mix their own music. It formed the core of a 70-day brand experience celebrating Coca-Cola’s sponsorship of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay.

The objective was to create an experience for the general public focusing on the fusion of music, sport and its brand. During an experiential roadshow users could create music using the sounds of sporting events, with additional beats and samples. The software ensured virtually any combination would fit harmoniously together.

Once a tune had been created users could pick up an MP3 recording or share via Facebook, Twitter or email. The music would also be played on a large screen during the roadshow. The Beat Generator was also used by Coca-Cola’s on-stage MC/DJ at each evening celebration and as part of a live performance in five major city celebrations.

9,000 pieces of music were created onsite with 2,500 retrieved online. There were 16,500 sessions on the Coca-Cola Beat Generator website and 1.78m Facebook impressions were delivered.

Cadbury launched its first Google+ community, ‘Cakes & Baking – The Cadbury Kitchen’, with a view to generating regular, authentic content for use on other platforms and drive engagement on its original Google+ page.

Communities not only provide a forum for discussion, but also create an opportunity to gather content for use outside of the community. It can be costly to develop, test and photograph new recipes, but a community can provide a source of regular and authentic content, which could be used to drive engagement elsewhere.

Cadbury is now one of the top 100 communities on Google+ with over 20,000 members. More than 2,500 recipes have been posted and there are an average of 20 interactions per post.

Homebase wanted to engage customers with personalised targeted emails to boost  email open and click-trough rates (CTR)  to drive campaign ROI.

Its email marketing previously concentrated on driving conversions with voucher code offers. However Homebase needed to shift its focus from converting prospective customers to encouraging people to consider Homebase prior to making a purchase.

It did this by identifying newsletter subscribers who had specifically shown an interest in kitchen products and, once identified, target those customers with a series of triggered follow-up emails with clear calls-to-action (CTAs).

The ‘Kitchen Trigger’ programme saw open and click-through metrics up to 20% higher than typical email campaign results.

Overall 48% of recipients booked in-store appointments, with an average conversion from appointment to final purchase of approximately 40%.

ASDA’s objective when building its app was to make shopping quicker and more convenient for busy customers.

In order succeed in this, the customer’s point of view had to be brought in right from the app’s development. ASDA’s customer research found the need for convenience, ease of use and also something that wasn’t filled with cutting edge technology they couldn’t get to grips with.

The customer experience was allowed to drive the technology, rather than visa versa.

Mobile now accounts for 18% of all grocery home shopping sales and 90% of this is from the app. ASDA App shoppers are twice as likely to become loyal, repeat customers. Shopping frequency for mobile is 1.8 times higher than desktop. The app had achieved more than 2m downloads by March 2013.

O2 uses customer data to provide many of its services. Prompted by new government legislation regarding transparency it needed to communicate to customers just how it relies on data to provide these services.

Customers are only going to share data with a company if it trusts it, and a company will only achieve trust if it’s entirely honest with consumers how that data is used.

If the use of data provides more relevant and improved customer experiences, outside of marketing, than this will only benefit the consumer.

O2 began by pulling together a cross-discipline team before working on creating personas and carrying out roleplay to tease out important issues. Key to this approach was involving customers early in order to inform its thinking and design.

O2 created wireframes explaining data control and how it relates to different services, and held customer workshops to see how customers responded to the idea of providing additional data. Finally, the company trialled the app with a group of customers, whose feedback it incorporated throughout the build phase.

This process informed ideas for new services, with O2 creating prototypes to test with users. The preferred concept was developed into a final prototype that was then tested with more than 1,000 customers, with 80% confirming that they would use it. This is now being rolled out in the UK and across Europe.

Because lingerie is not a product people always wish to try on, shoppers are in constant ‘browse mode’ where they find it difficult to make decisions.

Triumph created an interactive retail environment to solve that problem for them within the lingerie department of Selfridges store. The ‘Triumph Essence Fantasy Mirror’, housed in a specially designed ‘Fantasy Booth’.

A videocard invitation was sent out to consumers and on the day itself digital escalator panels in tube stations set the ‘Fantasy Forest’ scene, while window displays at Selfridges revealed the range on live models rotating slowly on music-box style plinths.

The windows also acted as a digital gateway to the Fantasy Mirror, with QR codes weaved into the lace design enabling shoppers to download the app to receive exclusive content, see the collection that would be featured in the window the next day and book an appointment in the Fantasy Booth.

The Fantasy Booth enabled shoppers to experience the collection without removing any clothing and merged the offline and online worlds.

Around 125 consumers attended the launch event and a 50% uplift sales was achieved in the first week after campaign launched as well as more than 1,600 app downloads during launch period.

Irish Books Direct

Irish Books Direct is designed to encourage a personalised community experience celebrating Irish literature and culture.

As a family business with limited resources Irish Books Direct had to grow organically with a minimum of investment. The key to any potential growth would be the adoption of various social elements that helped create a conversational online environment.

When customers sign up, they create a public member profile which allows them to interact with the site owners and other members. Books are promoted via personal blogs and customers are encouraged to join the debate via comments.

The growth for the first two years of its existence (2011 – 2012) averaged 400%. The third year of the business saw monthly growth of around 300%.

Join us at our Festival of Marketing  event in November, a two-day celebration of the modern marketing industry, featuring speakers from brands including LEGO, Tesco, Barclays, FT.com and more.

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11 Brilliant Customer Experience Examples (Real-World Cases)

What can we learn from some of the best customer experience examples out there? Keep on reading to learn more!

I don’t want to sound cliché, but there is no doubt that the world has been changing dramatically over the last few years. Even before the 2020 global coronavirus pandemic, it was already becoming increasingly digital – and the outbreak just speeded this up.

It’s like we speeded a YouTube video by x5.  Crazy, right?

Anyways – the point is that, as we are moving from physical to digital spaces where there are no boundaries, providing outstanding customer experience has become more important than ever. 

Why? Because on the Internet, customers have millions of companies to choose from for a single product or service. And if they don’t enjoy the experience, they are just a click away from the next company.

And of course, customer experience is not only about digital spaces. It is still as important in your local shop, hotel, or restaurant as well. People want to enjoy every step of their customer journey.

For this reason today, I have compiled some of the most awesome customer experience examples I could find. And hopefully, they will inspire you to improve and optimize your customer journey as well.

11 Awesome Customer Experience Examples

So, without further ado, let’s jump right into our examples!

1. Zalando: 100-day return policy

Customer experience examples #1: Zalando

The list starts with my absolute favourite online shopping retailer – Zalando . The German-based company knows very well that we are all very lazy (well, at least I am) when it comes to returning clothes.

Sometimes, we just don’t like a product, but we let the days pass because we never have the time to return it. And then – boom! – we are stuck with a pair of shoes that we are never going to wear.

However, this is not an issue with Zalando. The company has a 100-day return policy that allows you to send back any unworn item free of charge within 100 days of delivery date.

This policy significantly improves customer experience because it provides more time and security for online shoppers. It also helps them build trust with Zalando, which allows the company to develop a solid competitive advantage.

2. Starbucks: Gamified Loyalty Program

Next on our list of customer experience examples is Starbucks.

The company’s awesome gamified loyalty system allows you to collect stars when purchasing your favourite drinks, and get exciting rewards in return.

The awesome app features, the great user experience, and the innovative gamification approach are an excellent way to drive more sales, gain more brand visibility, and keep customers satisfied.

Customer experience examples #2: Starbucks

To drive even more engagement, Starbucks also gives you the opportunity to get stars faster with additional challenges and Double Star Days. You can also order on the go before arriving to your local coffee shop!

They way they’ve designed their reward system not only gets more revenue for the company, but also offers an outstanding customer experience.

In fact, The Starbucks Reward Loyalty Program currently has more than 16 million members , driving 40% of the total sales of the company.

Image Source : medium.com

The company’s successful gamification approach is one of the best customer experience examples showing that, with some additional incentives that translate to tangible rewards, you can:

• Incentivize more product purchases;
• Encourage returning visits;
• Get valuable customer data;
• As well as promote merchandise and partner offers.

Want to know more about the Marketing strategy of Starbucks? You might want to check my article 3 Marketing Lessons from Starbucks.

3. Coca Cola: Personalization

Next on our list of customer experience examples comes from The Coca Cola Company with their groundbreaking Share a Coke Campaign . Launched for the first time in 2011 in Australia, it quickly became one of their most successful campaigns ever.

It was strikingly simple, yet incredibly effective. The company wanted to increase revenue and drive more engagement, so they released coke cans and bottles with the  250 most popular names of each country in which the campaign was launched.

Needless to say, everyone quickly became obssessed with it. But why?

Well psychologically, people respond better to personalized products, perceiving as if they were designed with their particular needs in mind.

Of course, the moment we see our own name on a can, we instantly want to buy it and share the experience .

Customer experience examples #3: Coca Cola

Rolled out in 80 countries, this incredible campaign managed to increase the company’s sales for the first time in 10 years. They created a highly personalized and shareable customer experience which people absolutely loved.

4. Google’s Hum to Search: Emotional connection

Our list of customer experience examples continues with Google and their latest feature: Hum to Search . Launched in October 2020, it was created with a simple concept in mind: to help you find those songs stuck in your head.

All you need to do is sing or hum whatever you remember from the song for a few seconds, and Google’s feature will return the closest results possible that it can find.

According to TheVerge , Google uses machine learning models to “transform the audio into a number-based sequence representing the song’s melody,” which is then compared to existing songs.

Although this feature is relatively new and its true potential is yet to be explored, I truly believe that it allows Google to develop a competitive advantage for their Sound Search tool (which allows you to capture songs while they are playing).

Customer experience examples #4: Google’s Hum to Search

As opposed to other competitors such as Shazaam and SoundHound, Google manages to create an emotional connection with its audience beyond simply being a database for songs.

Just think about it. Sometimes, we spend months and years searching for that one amazing song that we heard once on the radio, but we didn’t remember the lyrics.

Being able to use this tool and discover songs that truly touched our heart is definitely one of the best customer experience examples I can think of.

5. Wordpress.com: Customer Support

The key to delivering outstanding customer experience is being able to communicate with your audience efficiently . And also, providing different options and channels so that customers can choose how they want to connect with you.

From my own experience, Wordpress.com has been extremely quick and helpful in providing solutions from their live chat . As a blogger, this has been very important to me – especially when something is going wrong with my website.

And although the live chat technology has been around for a while, companies have been rather slow in adopting it to their customer service strategy. And it is not only about adopting it either; it’s being able to make the most of it.

The Live Chat Support is currently available for some Premium Plans.

In case you don’t want to get in touch with them via live chat, I also love their Contact us option.

Customer experience examples #5: Wordpress.com

They way they’ve designed their Contact us form is very simple, intuitive, and even up-lifting. They allow you to select how you feel at the moment of leaving your message, making you feel like you’re being listened to.

And listening to your customers is very important if you really want to satisfy their needs. By doing this simple tweak to their form, Wordpress.com has managed to establish an emotional connection with their customers.

I also believe that it helps them sort out messages by priority – for example, they probably open the “panicked” messages first – although this is just my assumption.

6. Amazon: Product Experience Online

Next on our list of customer experience examples is Amazon, the customer feedback champion and one of the largest ecommerce platforms in the world.

Apart from setting the standards in ecommerce with competitive prices and unrivaled product inventory, the company is also one of the biggest references when it comes to digital product experience.

From a Google-like ability to search to extremely detailed product education, Amazon makes it easy for customers to evaluate if a product fits their needs.

Customer experience examples #6: Amazon

They have an extremely powerful system for customer reviews and ratings that help you learn more about a particular product.

Customers who have previously purchased the product can also upload images with it, and you can easily translate their reviews to your native language as well.

The company also provides a handy recommender system to help you understand which product might fit your needs the best. It is based on previous search terms or what additional products other users have bought among with the one you are evaluating.

And what’s even more awesome, you can even rate the reviews of other users to let everyone know if they have been helpful to you.

7. Netflix: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence

Undoubtedly, one of the best customer experience examples that leverages the power of artificial intelligence comes from Netflix.

The company uses AI, Data Science and Machine Learning to make personalizations of movie recommendations.

By analyzing the watching history of other users with similar tastes, it offers content that you might be interested in watching next so you can continue being engaged with the platform. But that’s not all.

On top of that, Neflix uses thousands of video frames as thumbnails to evaluate their performance, and places personalized thumbnails for each particular user – based on what they are more likely to click on.

For example, this is how the thumbnails of Harry Potter look for me:

And this is how they look from my brother’s account:

Customer experience examples #7: Netflix

For example, one finding could be that users who like specific movie genres or actors are more likely to click on thumbnails with these actors, or with genre-specific image attributes.

8. ABA English: Digital Customer Experience

Our list of customer experience examples continues with ABA English, a unique digital platform that help people learn English online.

The company uses the so-called The Smart Learning® method, which is based on live experiences, speaking sessions and well-tailored videos that help you practice real-life conversations.

Customer experience examples #8: ABA English

The incredible user experience that the platform provides makes you feel like you are using a streaming platform like Netflix.

It is intuitive, interactive, highly engaging, and even the videos (which are produced by the company to help you learn English in different contexts) have movie-like thumbnails. 

Their website, combined with a powerful app that has a rating of 4.6 from 16 thousand reviews, provide a great digital customer experience for its users.

9. McDonald’s: In-restaurant experience

Next on our list of customer experience examples is McDonald’s. After the company suffered a steady decline in sales, they decided to take things in their own hands and focus on improving customer experience instead of simply tweaking their Marketing strategy.

Apart from simplifying their menu and focusing on higher quality ingredients, the company also made a global design revamp.

“We’ve moved away from a cafeteria feel to a more comfortable and, in some ways, more intimate restaurant,” said Max Carmona, McDonald’s senior director of U.S. restaurant design.

With this direction and focus in mind, McDonald’s modernized their chain, and introduced new technology that made the customer journey easier – self-service kiosks . These kiosks allow customers to order and pay using a digital screen, and simply get their order once it’s prepared.

Customer experience examples #9: McDonald’s self-service kiosks

These kiosks improve in-restaurant customer experience significantly, reducing the time for waiting in line, and allowing people to get their food faster.

It also means that people have more control over what they are ordering, as they can easily personalize their products from the convenience of the screen.

With all these changes that McDonald’s implemented to improve customer experience, the company increased sales from $7.1 billion to $9.3 billion within four years.

10. Karl Lagerfeld: Real-World Lookbok

Next on our list of customer experience examples is Karl Lagerfeld, the iconic fashion house that has captured the hearts of many fashion lovers around the world.

Customer experience examples #10: Karl Lagerfeld

The company provides a great digital experience for its customers, making you you enjoy every step of your customer journey.

From features such as express checkout, availability in store and personalized recommendations, Karl Lagerfeld really ensures a seamless online experience for its customers.

They also add a pinch of storytelling for each one of their products:

But one feature that really helps them stand out and build a competitive advantage when it comes to online shopping is their lookbook section , which uses users-generated images to make their clothes come to live in real-world scenarios:

By adding the hashtag #KARLLAGERFELD to their Instagram photos, users get the chance to be features on the company’s website wearing their favourite clothes from Karl Lagerfeld.

This unique experience, provided in collaboration with the company Photoslurp , provides a lot of value for customers who want to see more than just edited images with models.

They can actually see how clothes look like on different people, in various positions, and in unique, real-world contexts and envronments. Which can help them make the final decision towards purchasing a product from the brand.

11. Amazon: Appreciating its customers

Going back to Amazon, one of the best customer experience examples that proves how a company can show appreciation towards its customers is this one provided by Estefania Cárdenas , International Speaker in Marketing and Strategy.

Estefania received a product that she never purchased as it was supposed to be delivered to another customer. So, she texted them to let them know about their mistake, and they responded by gifting her the mistaken product in appreciation of her honesty.

Customer experience examples #11: Amazon

Needless to say, companies that go out of their way to keep customers satisfied are capable of retaining them long-term.

Retaining customers is extremely valuable for businesses – according to Outbound Engine , improving customer retention by 5% can increase profits from 25-95% .

In addition to that, acquiring a new customer can cost up to 5 times more than retaining an existing one.

And this was all from me for today when it comes to brilliant customer experience examples! If you have other great examples that you would like to share, do not hesitate to leave me a comment below or send me an email to [email protected].

And I would be more than happy to include them in the list!

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my article, and I hope to see you in the next one!

animitevabg

Hello, and welcome to my blog! Let me present myself.

My name is Ani and I am a trilingual Digital Marketing & Analytics Specialist with 10 years of experience across multiple sectors including Cloud-based services, SaaS, Digital payments, Mobile apps, and Executive Education, among others.

My expertise covers areas such as Google Ads, Google Analytics, Search Engine Optimization, Content Marketing, and Social Media.

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Dow’s bold approach to customer experience

Dow’s innovative customer experience program is helping revolutionize the B2B industry.

• 1. The better the question
• 2. The better the answer
• 3. The better the world works

How EY can help

The better the question

How can you balance the customer business equation?

Dow explores customer experience as a pathway to business success.

D ow is a company with a passion for advancing science and innovation to find solutions to change the world for the better. It has a long history dating back over 125 years, serving customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. With manufacturing sites in 31 countries, Dow employs nearly 36,000 people and generated sales of approximately US$45 billion in 2023. It is striving to become the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world.

In alignment with that ambition, Dow’s executive leadership recognized immense potential in intensifying the company’s focus on customer experience (CX) and collaboration. So, in 2017, Chief Commercial Officer Dan Futter and his team set out to unlock the connection between customer experience and Dow’s overall business-to-business (B2B) success. Interestingly, two years earlier, research group Forrester had posited that superior CX drives revenue growth in certain industries. 1  Yet in 2017, it had found that CX quality in the US was declining year-on-year.  2

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“At the time, we had business, functional and regional teams running instinctively on delivering good customer experiences,” said Dan. “But the big opportunity was to tie our efforts together with a common approach to listening to customers, shared goals, and new digital systems for connecting and evaluating information. That allowed us to prioritize and pull together in the same direction.”

In a crowded market, exceptional customer experience can be the catalyst needed to jump-start the equation between customer satisfaction and business growth, as it helps businesses stand out by delivering value to customers in ways that competitors may not be able to match.

“At Dow, our purpose is finding solutions to the world’s toughest challenges – which requires collaboration with customers and other stakeholders,” says Riccardo Porta, Dow Global Director of Customer Experience. “With that also comes a leap of faith and a fundamental belief that if we do good by our customers, it will be good for Dow, our employees and our stakeholders.”

Customer experience work was unfamiliar territory for Dow. Typically, customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) and net promoter scores (NPS) are the domain of business-to-consumer (B2C) organizations. Still, Dow wanted to explore customer experience in a new way — one that would eventually have tremendous significance across many B2B organizations within advanced manufacturing.

At its highest level, the customer experience program’s goal was to make it easy, enjoyable and effective for customers to do business with Dow.

Riccardo Porta

Dow Global Director of Customer Experience

Channeling its commitment to science and innovation, Dow asked Ernst & Young LLP (EY) professionals to help identify the compound linking customer experience to business success in the B2B environment.

The better the answer

Creating new bonds with customers

A superior customer experience program links improved customer journeys to better business outcomes.

To uncover what each customer valued, Dow developed a relationship survey and conducted a series of customer journey mapping sessions. These activities allowed customers to describe each interaction they had with Dow — from lead generation to product usage. “At its highest level, the customer experience program’s goal was to make it easy, enjoyable and effective for customers to do business with Dow,” says Riccardo. “But these three criteria by themselves are not extremely actionable. So, we complemented these survey questions with more granular conversations to fully understand the experience customers were having along their journey with us.” This shift allowed Dow to move from merely asking for feedback to truly listening. The results provided a rich source of data for the team to analyze.

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“Dow had developed multiple ways of assessing its customers’ satisfaction, but they wanted to take it further. They wanted to generate the insights necessary to build differentiated, high-impact customer experiences that would add long-term value to their customers, their organization and their industry,” said Jay Finnane, EY Global Consulting Account Lead.  

The team quickly realized the cross-functional nature of customer journeys. Consistent delivery of positive customer experiences requires strong collaboration of functional and business teams, and a common definition of success. This insight highlighted the need for all parts of the organization to work in harmony and offer a unified “one Dow” experience. Following this, the team redesigned workflows, previously centered around internal efficiency, to align to customer needs.

“It can be exceedingly difficult to separate the noise from what we call the ‘moments that matter.’ When doing so, it’s incredibly important to identify the customer touchpoints that have the most influence,” noted Riccardo. “These insights led us to identify how we could create better experiences for our customers while driving purposeful growth for our organization.”

The learnings from Dow’s listening and research prompted the team to propose a revised enterprise-wide customer segmentation, a portfolio of service offerings, and a framework to help prioritize both customer needs and internal projects. Some customers value efficiency and low price, others flexibility and speed, or collaboration and innovation. The combination of customer segmentation and service offering provides the framework to guide a broad range of services, including managing credit limits, offering technical support and determining the level of dedicated customer service.

To bring it home, the team identified another correlation — customer experience and employee satisfaction. “One ‘aha’ moment during our customer journey mapping exercise was when we found, in the vast majority of instances, customer pain points aligned to employee pain points,” explained Riccardo. “One example was customers having to wait to get answers to specific questions. Typically, the reason for the delay was that employees were struggling to find the right information in a timely manner.”

The design of Dow's new standard customer experience program underpinned all these discoveries – they were equipped to listen to and understand the customer, identify and design the right service offerings, and activate and scale the program across the organization. Following this methodology has allowed everyone within the business to gain line of sight on the impact their work has on customer experience and subsequently correlate it to financial performance.

Dow employees can now connect customer experience to financial performance.

New centralized Dow teams support and manage the program, including a CX steering committee, chaired by the CCO and made up of global functional leaders; a North Star Team that includes all business unit presidents, the CIO, CCO and functional VPs; a CX implementation team; and passionate CX change champions volunteering from all parts of the business.

Finally, to help put the methodology into everyone’s hands, Dow also launched a customer-experience website where employees can learn more about the program and have access to the tools required to improve the customer experience at every touchpoint.

The better the world works

From industry pioneer to modern customer experience champion

Dow’s best-in-class customer experience program helps shape the future of advanced manufacturing.

When this work began, Dow had multiple approaches to and ways of measuring customer experience. Now, Dow has the systems and processes needed to put customers front and center throughout their entire journey.

Dow actively integrates end-to-end customer experience thinking into its operations. Employees across the organization recognize that customer experience considerations are fundamental because of the link established between customer, business and employee. By actively embedding digital capabilities, like a new Cxi dashboard, and redesigning work processes, Dow creates a more compelling customer experience and drives internal productivity. That is because delivering a consistently positive experience to customers requires all parts of the organization to function in a very well-orchestrated way – which results in wide-ranging improvements to processes, tools and people’s skills. Dow proactively eliminates defects and addresses inefficiencies that generate unnecessary costs and rework.

“As you work on and drive customer experience and customer-centricity, you are improving the organization’s efficiency and effectiveness overall, and that in itself is a structural competitive advantage,” says Riccardo.

“Focusing on the outcomes of the customer experience can be a whole new way of thinking. But this approach has really paid off for Dow. With a data-driven mechanism to gather and analyze customer feedback, Dow is ahead of the competition and a recognized leader in the industry,” says Brad Newman, EY Americas Advanced Manufacturing & Mobility Industry Market Leader and EY Global Client Service Principal for Dow.

The results were clear and compelling. Dow’s Customer Experience Index score increased 30% between 2018 and 2023, with demonstrable positive impacts on the wider business, including double-digit reductions in complaint frequency and time to resolve complaints, a 10x increase in business leads generated via digital channels, and record levels of employee retention.

Superior customer experiences set businesses apart from competitors.

Dow has also been able to balance previously competing needs. “If we compare end of 2022 to end of 2021, we were able to operate with lower inventory volumes, while improving product availability, customer satisfaction, and customer confidence in product availability by double digits,” says Riccardo. “For us, that’s a huge success because it’s also a great example of how you can turn a trade-off scenario on its head and achieve both goals.”

“People may look a bit surprised to hear these measurements, because there is a common misconception that the most critical outcome of customer experience programs is improving survey responses,” continues Riccardo. “But the goal of our program is to improve our operations to enable better experiences that, in return, result in customer preference and loyalty that rewards Dow.”

Dow’s commitment and hard work earned them five accolades in the 2023 US Customer Experience Awards™, taking the overall award for top-scoring entry; gold awards for Digital Transformation, best use of Insight & Feedback, and Best Measurement in CX; as well as a silver award for Best B2B Customer Experience.

Dow and the EY teams have set their sights even higher, realizing many manufacturing companies are dealing with similar challenges. The two are now working to make the CX methodology available for all advanced manufacturing businesses to adopt.

“We are chairing the Advanced Manufacturing CX Consortium (AMCX). Our goal is to help establish a benchmark for measurement of CX, and over time show that companies that have superior customer experience also have above average return for their shareholders,” says Riccardo. “That will help us build the case for CX across B2B and help all B2B companies grow their CX programs and value to customers.”

•  "Customer Experience Drives Revenue Growth, 2016," Forrester website , https://www.forrester.com/blogs/16-06-21-customer_experience_drives_revenue_growth_2016/, 21 June 2016.
• "The US Customer Experience Index For 2017: CX Quality Worsened,” Forrester website , https://www.forrester.com/blogs/16-06-21-customer_experience_drives_revenue_growth_2016/, 27 September 2017.

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A Digital Customer Experience Case Study: Sephora’s Supremacy

A few years ago, I wrote Digital Experience: The New Heart Of Customer Engagement  that makes the point that digital experience strategy isn’t an IT-driven initiative...it’s a customer-needs initiative.  Sounds intuitive, right?

Digital rules.

Maybe – but many companies still don’t get it.  As a result, I’m continually on the lookout for companies that do. One of those is Sephora , the international cosmetics and beauty retailer. Building on their tremendous success with mobile (mobile orders up 167% way back in 2012), they are the epitome of a customer-centric company that welcomes – and embraces – smart customers.

No matter what business you’re in, there’s something to learn from Sephora’s digitally enabled customer-centricity and brilliant incorporation of technology into brand.

Technology that Makes Customers’ Lives Easier

What elevates Sephora’s digital and mobile customer experience strategies to a truly inspirational level is their obvious understanding that customers look to technology (and adopt it) when it makes their lives easier .  In a recent case study , Sephora’s Director of Mobile & Digital Store Marketing described their customers as: “women who have shown historically that they adopt technology where it is useful.”

With more than 2,600 retail stores in 30 countries, Sephora has made “useful technology” a central part of its brand. Customer expectations are for a company that offers “unbiased service from experts, an interactive shopping environment and innovation.”

Right out of the best-practice customer experience playbook, whenever Sephora does something innovative, creative, tech-savvy, etc., they’re strengthening their customer relationships—because they’re consistently delivering on customer expectations better than anyone else in their industry. That is how you leverage customer experience to actually differentiate.

Embracing (and Profiting From) Smart Customers

Today, Sephora has almost 5 million Facebook fans; 900,000 Twitter followers; 600,000 Apple Passbook registrations; and mobile devices make up 1/3 of all Sephora.com traffic. Sephora’s customers do more than adopt technology—they live it. And by creating digital experiences that actually make customers lives easier, Sephora is reaping the rewards. For example:

• Those 600,000 registered Apple Passbook users “spend two times more annually and purchase twice as frequently as the average Sephora customer.”
• Over on Pinterest, Sephora has found “followers spend 15 times more on Sephora.com than Facebook fans .”
• And while most retailers are worried about show-rooming, Sephora’s mobile apps have over 2 million downloads and heavily feature in-store experiences like bar code scanning, reviews, personal purchase histories, etc.

Dissecting Sephora’s Customer Experience Strategy

What makes Sephora’s interplay between technology and brand so powerful is that it can’t be easily duplicated. Not because the technology itself is difficult to replicate—it isn’t. But because their success is built on a deep alignment between brand and customer experience , and they consistently deliver on it with a level of customer-centricity that competitors would have a lot of trouble copying.

You see, what Sephora has figured out is that companies shouldn’t roll out customer-facing technology for technology’s sake. Embracing the concept of “digital innovation” doesn’t just mean embracing digital.

It means embracing your customers, based on a deep understanding of them and their unique wants and needs. And then determining the role of digital experience and how it can actually make customers lives easier. That’s the “middle part” that many companies simply don’t get.

Like Sephora, the companies that are winning in the digital customer experience race are those that roll out technologies that, first and foremost, benefit their customers.  In the Smart Company Pantheon, Sephora ranks pretty high.

Luckily, the steps it takes to join them are fairly well defined, and the concepts around customer-centricity and customer experience strategy can be embraced by anyone. The bad news, of course, is that even though the process is straightforward, it isn’t simple.

Which is why when your competitors are focused on selling, you can focus on serving. And, like Sephora, you can reap the rewards of rabidly loyal customers and a position your competitors will envy – but won’t have the guts to actually pursue.

Other posts you might be interested in

Where employee experience and customer experience align, and where they diverge, the key to better cx: breaking down silos with cross-org alignment and accountability, the joys of customer service journey mapping, stay informed and empowered.

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10 B2B Case Study Examples to Inspire Your Next Customer Success Story

• October 24, 2023

Case studies, also known as customer stories, are valuable content assets for attracting new customers and showing your expertise in a competitive market.

The more case studies you have, the simpler it gets for your customers to make decisions.

Case studies provide a firsthand experience of what it’s like to use your product or service, and it can give an “Aha!” moment to potential customers.

While product demos and white papers are great for generating leads, their use is limited to highlighting product features. 

On the other hand, case studies showcase the transformation a business has undergone while using your product.

A case study offers potential customers a glimpse of the positive changes they can expect, which is more compelling than simply showcasing your product or service’s excellence.

• Customer mission should be given at the beginning
• Follow up about specifics and metrics
• Use quotes from their side to highlight
• Work out the biggest benefits of your offering and make reference to them
• Make sure your success story follows a brief and logical story structure

In this article, we’ll review 10 examples of outstanding case studies that have collectively helped secure millions in new client business. Let’s get started.

What Is A Case Study?

In simple terms, a case study highlights how a product or service has helped a business solve a problem, achieve a goal, or make its operations easier. 

In many ways, it’s a glorified and stretched-out client testimonial that introduces you to the problem that the customer is facing and the solution that the product has helped deliver. 

Case studies are invaluable assets for B2B SaaS, where sales cycles tend to get lengthy and costly. They’re a one-time investment that showcases your product’s features and benefits in rooms your sales team can’t be in. 

What Makes A Good Case Study? 

There is no one-size-fits approach to a good case study. 

Some case studies work better as long, prose-forward, and story-driven blog posts. Whereas some are better as quick and fast-fact content that doesn’t add to the chatter but gets straight to the point. 

Here are some of the tenets of good case studies:

• Product-Led : Focuses on showcasing the product as the solution to a specific problem or challenge.
• Timely : Addresses the current issues or trends relevant to the business’s ideal customer profile (ICP) . 
• Well-structured: Follows a clear, organized format with easily digestible writing style and synthesis. 
• Story-driven: Tells a compelling and relatable story that puts the reader in the customer’s shoes. 

Case studies must tell the customer’s story regardless of style or content density.

Other than that, visuals in case studies are powerful in increasing conversion rates, by providing real evidence and taking attention.

Companies can also use their website, social media, and newsletters to promote case studies and increase visibility.

Below, we have ten diverse case study examples that embody these principles. 

B2B Case Study Template from Our Team

We will share great and proven B2B case study examples that you can get inspired by in the following section, but before that, let’s take a look at an easy and effective template from our team.

10 Best B2B Case Study Examples To Take Inspiration From

Plaid is a fintech company specializing in equipping users with a secure platform to connect their bank details to online applications. Addressing the pressing concern of financial security, Plaid leverages compelling case studies to showcase the remarkable transformations their clients experience.

Take Plaid’s case study of Betterment, for example. 

The study begins by stating the goal that the customer is trying to achieve, which is to “onboard new users and drive engagement.” Right next to the goal is company details, and followed below is a singular problem and its solution.

The case study continues by keeping the business’ desired result front and center and offers a generous outlook on the SaaS business.

The core process of how Plaid helps Betterment is cleanly laid out, which is a brief version of a ten-page white paper. 

What follows are several benefits that Plaid offered to Betterment. 

Plaid’s subtle yet effective product integration and clear, well-organized process make it simple for customers facing similar challenges to envision the solution.

2. SalesHandy

SalesHandy is an email automation software that personalizes high-volume cold emails. The company heroes client success stories for its case studies and opens the heading with their wins. 

Check out this B2B case study example from Sedin’s case study published by SalesHandy.

Readers need context, and case studies should always begin by outlining the exact problems their product or platform aims to solve. 

Here, SalesHandy expertly introduces us to Sedin’s use case and the challenges that the business is facing.

After a lengthy context, the case study highlights Sedin’s core challenge in the words of its personnel. 

This personable approach ropes readers in and lets them empathize with Sedin’s challenges. 

With a single scroll in, SalesHandy lays out the solutions to Sedin’s core challenges and integrates its product. 

This highly detailed case study covers all corners and includes the exceptional results achieved in record time. SalesHandy closes the study with a word from the character already introduced to the readers. 

SalesHandy doesn’t shy away from giving a detailed account of its process, which is crucial for highly technical products and enterprise packages that involve multiple decision-makers. 

B2B Case studies, first and foremost, should be written in a language that your ICP understands. 

Playvox is a customer service platform that helps businesses streamline business operations. 

This industry-specific case study of Sweaty Betty by Playvox addresses unique challenges within a niche industry, such as account assessment times for retail and online shops. 

The case study starts with the results it achieved for Sweaty Betty. 

The case study follows a straightforward, albeit impactful, challenges-solution-results format as we scroll down. 

But instead of listing out solutions in bullet points, Playvox uses customer voice to present the transformation that Sweaty Betty went through. 

With this formatting, Playvox doesn’t have to tout the platform’s usefulness. Sweaty Betty is doing it for them. 

4. Base Search Marketing

We promised diverse case studies, and here is a stellar B2B case study example of a single deck case study of Shine Cosmetics by Base Search Marketing.  

Base Search Marketing is a boutique link-building and SEO agency that works with startups and mid-level businesses. 

This case study, which can be reviewed as a brochure, gives you an overview of the customer and lays out the challenges that the business is facing. 

You’ll notice how the study uses the CEO’s quote to mention a pretty universal problem that most startups face: “limited resources.”

By highlighting the results in the left tab and laying out the process on the right side, this case study does a masterful job of covering all corners and telling a desirable customer success story.

Another approachable form of case study is slide decks, which you can present in boardrooms and meetings and act as a sales pitch. 

Loganix nails it with its case study deck for rankings.io. 

If you have a complicated product or service requiring an in-depth explanation, then using this format would be a great option. 

The solution, stated in simple bullet points, drives the message home.

Fewer words. Cleaner decks.

Using this methodology lets the audience walk through the case study with visuals, bullet points, and concise text. 

6. CoSchedule

CoSchedule is a SaaS leader in the social media space, and this Outcome-led Case Study proves just why it is so good at capturing the markets.

The study kicks off with a result-forward headline, piquing the interest of readers who are interested in getting similar outcomes. 

There’s much to appreciate in this succinctly written case study, but the headlines get our attention and hold it.

With every scroll, results are presented to you in the form of graphs, quotes, and visuals. 

The study ends with a quote from the customer, which repeats the outcome stated in the headline. 

Leading remote teams is a challenge that numerous teams will face moving forward. CoSchedule makes operations easy for these teams, and it doesn’t shy away from stating just how through its case study. 

7. Wizehire

Case studies have evolved from lengthy blocks of text confined to PDFs to a new digital era emphasizing impact over verbosity.

Wizehire’s succinct case study is a prime example of this shift. It uses fewer words to create a powerful impression.

From the very first page, the case study introduces us to Kris, the customer and central figure of the story. Without the need for extensive scrolling, we quickly grasp vital details about Kris: his role, employee turnover, location, and industry. 

In the second slide, we are immediately taken to the solution that Kris got by working with Wizehire. 

The case study ends with a passionate testimonial from Kris, who deeply believes in Wizehire. 

The case study has less than 300 words, enough for local entrepreneurs like Kris Morales, who want to hire talent but don’t have the resources for proper vetting and training. Until, of course, Wizehire comes along. 

8. FreshBooks

When a reader can see themselves in a case study, it takes them one step closer to wanting to try the product.

This case study by Freshbooks uses a beautiful personal story of an emerging entrepreneur. 

Using a deeply personal story, the study appeals to people who are just starting and aren’t accountants but suddenly have to deal with employee invoices and a dozen other bills. 

The text progresses in an interview-style study, with the customer taking the mic and illustrating the challenges that startups and small businesses face. 

This style works because readers crave insights directly from customers. Getting authentic testimonials is becoming increasingly challenging. Well-crafted case studies can be valuable substitutes, provided they seem realistic and from the heart. 

Featuring quotes or testimonials from satisfied customers throughout the case study adds to its credibility and authenticity. Just like this testimonial Case Study by Slack .

Slack is a giant in the realm of digital communication, with more than 20 million active users worldwide. However, it is tough to break into the market of group communications. After all, Slack competes with both WhatsApp and Microsoft Team regarding market share. 

To level the playing field, Slack features case studies from top entrepreneurs and market players who have been served well by it. 

Its case studies are laden with personal stories about how the platform boosts productivity. 

At the same time, the software also plugs in the “try for free” banner to make sure that customers are aware of the inexpensive nature of the software.

It’s not easy to get such detailed testimonies from the C-suite, but when you’re Slack, businesses tend to make an exception. 

Some case studies are based on highly niche subjects, where nothing is at the top of the funnel. Kosli nails it with this highly technical case study of Firi.

Technical case studies are designed for niche audiences who are already aware of the problems that the software can solve. Case studies like these are clean and smart and come with solutions that have a counterpart solution. 

There is absolutely no fluff and nothing that can be a reason for C-suite executives to bounce from. 

It’s full of information-packed pages designed to hook the reader in and present the tool as a formidable solution to their problem. 

You’ll notice how they weave Kosli through the entire case study, and the first-person report comes from the customer. 

B2B Case Study Examples In Short

In the B2B SaaS industry, converting new leads and securing new business has become increasingly challenging. In this landscape, impactful content assets such as case studies and customer stories are sometimes the only things moving the needle. 

Crafting a compelling customer story empowers brands to enable potential customers to engage directly .

🚀 Customer stories evoke empathy from buyers

🤝 Customer stories help build up your relationships with vocal brand advocates

⬇️ Customer stories lower your prospects’ information cost

Once you’ve determined the most effective way to convey information that resonates with your leads, you can collaborate with your content and design teams to create impactful case studies to generate new business and prove your expertise and experience in the market. 

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Customer Service Case Studies: Real-Life Examples Of Service Scenarios.

Are you looking for real-life examples of customer service scenarios that can help you improve your own customer service skills? Look no further!

In this article, we will explore a series of case studies that highlight different aspects of effective customer service. These case studies will provide you with valuable insights into how to handle challenging situations, resolve issues, and create positive experiences for your customers.

Customer service plays a crucial role in the success of any business. It is not just about answering phone calls or responding to emails; it is about building relationships and exceeding customer expectations. By studying real-life examples, you can gain a deeper understanding of the importance of effective customer service and learn strategies to enhance your own skills.

In each case study, we will delve into different scenarios and examine how businesses successfully handled them. From resolving product quality issues to dealing with difficult customers, these case studies will showcase various approaches and solutions that you can apply in your own work.

Get ready to dive into these insightful stories that demonstrate the power of exceptional customer service!

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

• Effective customer service is crucial for the success of a business.
• Empathy and proactive customer service are essential aspects of providing excellent customer service.
• Prompt resolution of product quality issues, with notification and compensation for affected customers, helps maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Handling difficult customers with a calm and empathetic approach, offering alternatives, and empowering them to make choices can build trust and loyalty.

The Importance of Effective Customer Service

You can’t underestimate the impact of great customer service – it’s like a warm cup of coffee on a chilly morning, instantly making you feel valued and appreciated.

In today’s competitive business landscape, providing effective customer service is more important than ever. Customers have numerous options at their fingertips, and one bad experience can send them running to your competitors. That’s why empathy plays a crucial role in customer service.

When customers feel understood and cared for, they’re more likely to become loyal advocates for your brand. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. In customer service, this means putting yourself in the shoes of your customers and genuinely listening to their concerns.

By showing empathy, you demonstrate that you value their emotions and are committed to finding a solution that meets their needs. This not only helps resolve issues effectively but also builds trust and strengthens the relationship with your customers.

Proactive customer service is another essential aspect of providing exceptional support. Instead of waiting for customers to come to you with problems or complaints, proactive customer service involves anticipating their needs and addressing any potential issues before they arise.

This approach shows that you’re dedicated to delivering an outstanding experience from start to finish. By taking the initiative, you can prevent problems from escalating and create positive interactions that leave a lasting impression on your customers.

The importance of effective customer service cannot be overstated. Empathy allows you to connect with your customers on a deeper level by understanding their emotions and concerns. Proactive customer service demonstrates your commitment to going above and beyond expectations by anticipating needs before they become problems.

By prioritizing these aspects in your approach to customer service, you can foster loyalty, build strong relationships with customers, and ultimately drive success for your business.

Case Study 1: Resolving a Product Quality Issue

Resolving a product quality issue can be challenging, but did you know that 86% of customers are more likely to repurchase from a company that resolves their complaint? When faced with a product quality issue, it’s important for companies to take immediate action and address the problem effectively.

One notable case study involves a product recall due to safety concerns. The company promptly notified customers about the recall through multiple channels such as email, social media, and website announcements. This proactive approach not only ensured customer safety but also demonstrated the company’s commitment to resolving the issue.

To further enhance customer satisfaction during this challenging time, the company offered compensation to affected customers. The compensation included a full refund for the recalled product as well as additional discounts on future purchases. By going above and beyond in compensating their customers, the company not only mitigated any potential negative feelings but also showed genuine concern for their customers’ wellbeing.

In addition to addressing individual complaints, the company took steps towards preventing similar issues in the future. They implemented stricter quality control measures throughout their production process and conducted thorough inspections before releasing any products into the market. This proactive approach reassured customers that their concerns were taken seriously and instilled confidence in the brand’s commitment to delivering high-quality products.

By resolving a product quality issue promptly and ensuring customer satisfaction through compensation and preventive measures, companies can not only retain existing customers but also build trust with new ones. It’s crucial for businesses to recognize that effective customer service goes beyond simply resolving complaints; it requires taking responsibility for failures, implementing meaningful solutions, and continuously improving processes to prevent similar issues from arising again in the future.

Case Study 2: Handling a Difficult Customer

Navigating through challenging interactions with clients can be a test of your company’s ability to handle difficult situations. Dealing with angry customers requires a delicate balance of empathy, patience, and problem-solving skills.

One real-life example of a company successfully managing a difficult situation involved an irate customer who had received a damaged product.

In this case, the customer contacted the company’s customer service department immediately after receiving the damaged product. The representative on the phone remained calm and empathetic throughout the conversation, acknowledging the customer’s frustration. They apologized sincerely for any inconvenience caused and assured the customer that they would resolve the issue promptly.

The representative then offered several options to address the problem, including sending a replacement or providing a refund. By presenting these alternatives, they empowered the customer to choose what solution best suited their needs. This approach helped defuse tension and created an atmosphere of collaboration rather than confrontation.

Ultimately, by effectively managing this difficult situation and prioritizing customer satisfaction, the company not only resolved the issue but also built trust and loyalty with their client base.

Case Study 3: Going Above and Beyond for a Customer

Exceeding expectations and leaving a lasting impression, one company went the extra mile to ensure a memorable experience for a dissatisfied client. The customer, let’s call her Sarah, had purchased a high-end laptop from this company but encountered numerous technical issues soon after receiving it. Frustrated with the product’s performance and the lack of support she received initially, Sarah reached out to the company’s customer service department for assistance.

To address Sarah’s concerns promptly, the customer service representative assigned to her case took immediate action. Recognizing that resolving her technical issues alone would not suffice in restoring Sarah’s trust and satisfaction, they decided to go above and beyond what was expected. The representative personally followed up with Sarah daily to provide updates on their progress in fixing her laptop. They also offered additional compensation for the inconvenience caused by sending her a complimentary accessory package.

In addition to their exceptional level of communication, this company created a personalized experience for Sarah through small gestures that left an indelible mark on her overall perception of their brand. One example was when they surprised her by upgrading her laptop’s warranty without any additional cost. This unexpected act not only demonstrated their commitment to providing quality products but also highlighted their dedication towards ensuring customer satisfaction.

By going above and beyond in addressing Sarah’s concerns and surpassing her expectations at every turn, this company exemplified outstanding customer service. Their proactive approach not only resolved technical issues efficiently but also left a lasting impression on Sarah concerning how much they valued her as a loyal customer. Through personalized attention, generous compensation, and unexpected upgrades, they not only ensured Sarah’s satisfaction but also fostered a long-term relationship based on trust and loyalty. This case study serves as a powerful reminder that going the extra mile can make all the difference in customer satisfaction and retention.

Case Study 4: Turning a Negative Review into a Positive Experience

If your business has ever received negative feedback, it’s important to know how to turn that experience into a positive one.

In this case study, we will explore how a business addressed a customer’s concerns and transformed their perception from negative to positive.

By taking the necessary steps and going above and beyond, the business not only resolved the issue but also improved their reputation in the process.

The negative feedback received by the business

Despite your best efforts, your business was bombarded with a barrage of scathing feedback that left you reeling. Customers expressed their dissatisfaction with the quality of your products and the poor customer service they received.

These negative reviews not only affected customer retention but also posed a threat to your brand reputation. The negative feedback highlighted areas where improvements were needed. It pointed out flaws in your product design, manufacturing processes, and communication channels.

While it may be disheartening to receive such criticism, it presents an opportunity for you to address these issues and enhance the overall customer experience. By acknowledging the shortcomings and taking immediate action to rectify them, you can regain customers’ trust and loyalty while rebuilding your brand’s reputation.

The steps taken to address the customer’s concerns

After receiving the negative feedback, we quickly took action to address the customer’s concerns and improve our products and services. We understand that addressing customer complaints is essential for maintaining a positive reputation and ensuring customer satisfaction.

Our first step was to reach out to the customer directly, expressing our apologies for any inconvenience caused and assuring them that their concerns were being taken seriously.

To resolve the customer’s issues, we implemented a thorough investigation into the matter. This involved examining the specific details of their complaint, evaluating our internal processes, and identifying any areas where improvements could be made. By conducting this analysis, we were able to pinpoint the root cause of the problem and develop an effective solution.

Once we identified areas for improvement, we promptly made necessary changes to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future. This included updating our training programs for staff members involved in customer service interactions and enhancing quality control measures throughout our production process. We also communicated these updates transparently with all relevant stakeholders to ensure everyone understood our commitment to resolving customer issues.

Addressing customer complaints is not just about solving individual problems; it is about continuously improving our overall products and services. By taking immediate action upon receiving negative feedback, we demonstrate our dedication to providing exceptional experiences for every customer.

We remain committed to resolving any issues promptly while striving to exceed expectations in delivering high-quality products and top-notch service.

The transformation of the customer’s perception and improved reputation

Now that the steps have been taken to address the customer’s concerns, let’s discuss the transformation of their perception and the improved reputation of your business.

By promptly addressing the customer’s issues and providing a satisfactory resolution, you’ve demonstrated your commitment to customer satisfaction. This level of responsiveness not only resolves the immediate problem but also leaves a lasting impression on the customer.

As a result, their perception of your brand is likely to improve significantly. They’ll appreciate your willingness to listen, understand, and take action to rectify any issues they may have faced. This positive experience can lead to increased brand loyalty as customers recognize that you value their feedback and are committed to delivering exceptional service.

To further enhance customer satisfaction and foster brand loyalty, consider implementing these strategies:

• Personalized follow-up: Reach out to customers after resolving their concerns with personalized messages or phone calls. This gesture shows that you genuinely care about their experience and want to ensure their ongoing satisfaction.
• Proactive communication: Keep customers informed about any changes or improvements related to the issue they encountered. Sharing updates showcases transparency and builds trust in your ability to continuously improve.
• Loyalty rewards program: Offer incentives or exclusive benefits for loyal customers who continue choosing your brand despite any initial challenges they may have faced. Rewarding their loyalty encourages repeat business and strengthens long-term relationships.

By investing in improving customer satisfaction and building brand loyalty, you can create a positive reputation for your business while fostering long-term success in an increasingly competitive market.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key elements of effective customer service.

Effective customer service requires several key elements.

One interesting statistic is that 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience. This highlights the importance of providing exceptional service.

Effective communication plays a crucial role in customer service as it allows you to understand the needs and concerns of your customers, while also conveying information clearly and concisely.

Empathy and understanding are equally important, as they enable you to connect with customers on an emotional level, showing them that their satisfaction is your top priority.

By incorporating these elements into your customer service approach, you can create positive experiences that leave a lasting impression on your customers.

How can companies measure the success of their customer service efforts?

To measure the success of your customer service efforts, you can utilize various customer satisfaction metrics and conduct thorough customer feedback analysis.

Customer satisfaction metrics, such as Net Promoter Score (NPS) or Customer Effort Score (CES), provide valuable insights into how satisfied your customers are with the service they received. These metrics allow you to quantify customer sentiment and identify areas for improvement.

Additionally, analyzing customer feedback through surveys or social media monitoring enables you to understand specific pain points and address them proactively.

By consistently measuring these indicators and taking action based on the results, you can continuously enhance your customer service performance and ensure a positive experience for your customers.

What are some common challenges faced by customer service representatives?

Handling difficult customers and managing high call volumes can be incredibly challenging for customer service representatives. Dealing with irate customers can feel like trying to calm a hurricane with a feather, as their frustrations can reach astronomical levels. It requires an extraordinary level of patience and empathy to navigate through their anger and find a resolution that satisfies both parties.

Additionally, managing high call volumes can feel like juggling flaming swords while walking on a tightrope. The constant influx of calls puts immense pressure on representatives to provide quick and efficient assistance without compromising the quality of service.

However, despite these Herculean tasks, customer service representatives rise above the challenges by employing exceptional communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction.

How can companies improve their customer service skills and knowledge?

To improve their customer service skills and knowledge, companies should invest in comprehensive training programs that provide employees with the necessary tools and techniques to handle different scenarios. These programs can include modules on effective communication, problem-solving, and empathy to ensure that representatives are equipped to handle any customer interactions.

Additionally, implementing feedback systems that allow customers to provide their input and suggestions can also be beneficial. This feedback can help identify areas for improvement and enable companies to make necessary adjustments in their processes or training programs.

By prioritizing ongoing training initiatives and actively seeking customer feedback, companies can continually enhance their customer service skills and knowledge, leading to improved overall customer satisfaction levels.

What are some best practices for handling customer complaints and resolving issues?

When it comes to handling customer complaints and resolving issues, think of yourself as a skilled navigator guiding a ship through stormy waters. Customer feedback is like the wind, sometimes gentle and other times fierce, but always pushing you towards improvement.

Conflict resolution is your compass, helping you find the right path to address concerns and turn unhappy customers into satisfied ones. Actively listen to their grievances, empathize with their frustrations, and offer swift solutions that demonstrate your commitment to their satisfaction.

By taking ownership of the problem and going above and beyond to resolve it, you can transform a dissatisfied customer into a loyal advocate for your brand.

In conclusion, effective customer service is crucial for businesses to thrive in today’s competitive market. As demonstrated by the case studies discussed, handling product quality issues, difficult customers, and negative reviews with empathy and proactive solutions can turn potentially negative experiences into positive ones.

One interesting statistic that highlights the impact of great customer service is that 86% of consumers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience (Source: PwC). This statistic evokes an emotional response as it emphasizes the value customers place on exceptional service. By investing in providing top-notch customer service, businesses not only create loyal customers but also have the potential to increase their revenue.

To ensure success in customer service scenarios, it is essential for businesses to empower their employees with proper training and resources. By equipping them with problem-solving skills, effective communication techniques, and a genuine desire to help customers, companies can build strong relationships and foster trust. Additionally, embracing technology solutions such as AI-powered chatbots or self-service options can streamline processes and provide faster resolutions.

In summary, delivering exceptional customer service requires a proactive approach that focuses on resolving issues promptly while exceeding expectations. By prioritizing the needs of customers and going above and beyond to provide personalized solutions, businesses can create memorable experiences that result in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. Remember, investing in superior customer service is not just about satisfying your current customers; it’s about attracting new ones who’re willing to pay more for an outstanding experience.

The eSoft Editorial Team, a blend of experienced professionals, leaders, and academics, specializes in soft skills, leadership, management, and personal and professional development. Committed to delivering thoroughly researched, high-quality, and reliable content, they abide by strict editorial guidelines ensuring accuracy and currency. Each article crafted is not merely informative but serves as a catalyst for growth, empowering individuals and organizations. As enablers, their trusted insights shape the leaders and organizations of tomorrow.

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• Hospitality Industry

AI in hospitality: Creating personalized customer experience

September 06, 2024 •

6 min reading

From AI-powered room service that knows your guest’s favorite midnight snack to chatbots that give travel advice like a seasoned globetrotter, artificial intelligence (AI) in hospitality is like having a unicorn in your hotel garden. You can use it to attract customers, wow them with unique, personalized experiences, and learn more about your business and customers to stay ahead of the game. Whether you're running a hotel, restaurant or travel service, AI is the technological assistant that can set you and your brand apart.

Artificial intelligence is already making its mark on the industry, particularly in guest experience management. There, it transforms customer interactions and provides instant, around-the-clock assistance to guests. At the same time, it’s freeing hotel staff to spend more of their time on the little details that delight customers and make them smile.

Here, we delve into the data-driven world of AI to discover how it’s reshaping the industry and enabling diverse hospitality businesses to offer personalization throughout the customer journey , ultimately enhancing the guest experience.

Customers crave personalized experiences

Customers’ preferences in hospitality are constantly shifting, and at the moment, personalization is the dish of the day. One study of over 1,700 hotel guests found that personalization was directly linked to customer satisfaction, with 61% of respondents saying they were willing to pay more for customized experiences. However, only 23% reported experiencing high levels of personalization after a recent hotel stay.

Another study found that 78% of travelers are more likely to book accommodations that offer personalized experiences, with nearly half of the respondents willing to share the personal data required to customize their stay. This desire for personalized experiences is particularly prevalent among millennials and Gen Z, two demographics that are spending big on travel in 2024. Given these insights, it’s clear that failing to offer personalized elements is a lost opportunity to differentiate your brand and give customers what they want.

Where personalization and AI meet

There’s a demand for unique hospitality experiences tailored to individual needs, and many travelers are willing to pay a premium for them. Customized recommendations, services, and amenities can all help create a memorable experience and enhance customer satisfaction, and generative AI is one tool you can use to deliver them.

AI can automate insights and actions by analyzing large amounts of customer data and learning from user interactions. From customized travel recommendations to personalized room settings, AI can deliver a vast and varied range of previously unattainable customization to redefine how companies approach customer service.

The benefits of using AI in this way are compelling. We’ve already discussed the link between personalized experiences and customer satisfaction, and that’s what AI can give you. Creating memorable experiences for your customers builds emotional connections with your brand. Your customers feel like you understand them, enhancing trust and loyalty and making them more likely to return to your hotel and recommend it to others.

What exactly is artificial intelligence (AI)?  

In its simplest form, AI is the technology that enables computers to simulate human intelligence. AI consumes data to understand the world around it better. It can then use those insights to perform tasks, interact, and solve problems in a way you’d usually only associate with a human mind.

And AI is no longer the technology of the future. It is very much here and now, with many common examples of AI already changing our daily lives. You can see the influence and convenience of AI in smart home devices, digital voice assistants, and vehicle automation systems.

AI personalization techniques in hospitality

The hospitality industry is already using some AI personalization techniques, but some are more innovative and are only starting to be explored.

Customized recommendations

Recommendation engines use AI algorithms to analyze a customer’s past preferences and behaviors and provide personalized recommendations for services and experiences based on that data. Typical examples in the hospitality sector include suggestions for customized travel packages, dining recommendations for guests, and tailored room amenities based on individual preferences.

One such tool, the Guest Experience Platform tool Duve, is already being used by over 1’000 brands in 60 countries.

Around-the-clock customer service

AI-powered virtual assistants and chatbots can handle many customer service requests and are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the queries they can answer and the assistance they can provide. They offer a 24/7 response system, can provide personalized recommendations, and reduce the number of calls that go to the front desk staff. That allows employees to spend more time on customer service issues where the human touch adds value.

Enhanced room environments

Imagine walking into the perfect temperature hotel room lit just how you like it, your favorite box set has been preloaded, the drink you love is waiting on the table, and the mattress and pillow are just the firmness you like.

That might sound fanciful, but it’s already possible with AI. By integrating artificial intelligence with Internet of Things devices, you can automate the control of thermostats, lighting, and entertainment systems to match your guest’s preferences.

Personalized booking

The guest’s experience with your brand starts long before they check into your hotel. AI can deliver a more personalized booking service by analyzing customer data, suggesting specific hotels, or recommending add-ons that match their preferences.

This tactic has been used to good effect by the hotel giant Hyatt. It partnered with Amazon Web Services to use customer data to recommend specific hotels to its customers and then suggested add-ons that would appeal based on their preferences. This project alone boosted Hyatt’s revenues by nearly $40 million in just six months.

Tailored dining experiences

AI-powered software combined with machine learning can also create personalized dining experiences for specific tastes and requirements. For example, if a guest has dietary restrictions, AI can help you deliver customized menu options. You can also ensure regular guests get their favorite table and even personalize the lighting and music.

Complete journey mapping

With AI, you can even plan a guest’s entire stay based on their past behavior and preferences. You can provide them with hotel amenity suggestions, room types, airport transfer options, dining experiences, and activities they can enjoy during their stay. That can even include recommendations based on factors such as the time of the day and the weather.

The limitations of AI in hospitality

Despite its potential and successes in many areas, AI in hospitality still has limitations and difficulties. One challenge is the potential for job displacement as AI and automation take over certain tasks. This could lead to employee and union resistance and concerns about the impact on local economies.

Personalization, which is crucial in the hospitality industry, can be challenging for AI to achieve at the same level as human staff. Understanding and responding to complex human emotions and needs is still an area where AI has limitations.

There are also concerns about data privacy and security. AI systems in hospitality often rely on large amounts of customer data, raising questions about how this information is stored and used. Lastly, there's the issue of cost and implementation - integrating AI into existing hospitality systems can be expensive and may require significant changes to infrastructure and processes.

A delegation of EHL students attended the 2023 HITEC Conference in Dubai as part of EHL's Educational Travel Program. The conference, part of The Hotel Show, brought industry leaders together through panels, talks, and seminars. The students had the opportunity to participate in keynotes and discussions and assist with administrative responsibilities. The conference focused on leveraging technology for revenue generation and addressed challenges in the hospitality industry, such as artificial intelligence, green technology, and big data.

Reflecting on this experience, students concluded that technology isn’t the answer to everything in the hospitality industry:

“We saw how technology is being harnessed to enhance efficiency and the guest experience: analyzing big data allows hoteliers to gather more insight and thus proactively customize their guests’ journey. However, we recognized that hospitality professionals' warmth, empathy, and individualized care remain invaluable and irreplaceable. The human touch makes guests feel appreciated and leaves an indelible impression on them.”

Balancing automation and the human touch 

At its heart, the hospitality industry is all about serving people, and AI, when used carefully, can help you do that better. By using AI to personalize the guest’s journey, you can build customer loyalty, enhance satisfaction, and boost revenues. However, the human touch is still essential. By using AI to complement the human touch rather than replace it, you can create meaningful connections and deliver customer experiences that matter.   

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Case study: How is iGA Istanbul Airport implementing passenger-centric digital solutions?

Jan 3, 2024

estimated   mn.

Selahattin Bilgen, CEO of iGA Istanbul Airport, provides an overview of all new innovative digital services introduced at the airport – from AI-powered navigation and queue management to personalized journeys and e-commerce experiences.

iGA Istanbul Airport is at the forefront of introducing innovations in the global aviation industry, placing great importance on our digital journey, and enhancing the passenger experience. By observing trends in aviation and in airport management, we can recognize the integration of technology-driven advancements, both physically and digitally, to facilitate a smoother travel experience for passengers.

At iGA Istanbul Airport, we don’t just welcome innovation; we celebrate it. Our goal is to make innovation a core part of our corporate culture. In order to achieve this, we need to be proactive. We need to continue to seek new ways to improve our services, streamline our operations, and enhance the passenger experience.

Across all departments and teams, each individual plays a crucial role in this evolutionary process. Innovation transcends the mere conception of grand ideas, and fundamentally involves nurturing an organizational culture that values and amplifies every voice, so every team member feels empowered to share their ideas, no matter how big or small. It’s about creating an environment that values curiosity and encourages experimentation.

Emerging fields such as data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning are gaining prominence across airports, including our own. We are on a journey to become the world’s best digital airport and with that, we are focused on placing passengers at the center of the design process.

This led to the development of our mobile application, which has been tailored to enhance the indoor experience within our 1.4 million square meter main terminal building, the world’s largest single-roofed indoor space, as well as our six-story car park which accommodates 40,000 vehicles. This application promotes sustainable passenger movement, supports map infrastructure with location-based services, and delivers personalized travel experiences.

Here are a few of the processes we have implemented to embark on this challenge:

Digitalization of the terminal: better navigation, accessibility, and queue management system

The digitalization of the terminal has improved the accessibility and clarity of our services, making it easier for passengers to navigate their way around and enjoy a more seamless journey. Our commitment to passenger enjoyment begins before they even reach the airport and extends through the entire boarding process. The mobile application is constantly being updated to ensure that it meets the changing needs of the modern traveler. Our application offers digital innovations through features such as the profile creation screen, flight tracking, iGA Pass campaigns, and interactive functions to increase communication among users. In order to enhance the indoor experience at our terminal, passengers can enjoy real-time navigation, enhanced information gathering, and personalized recommendations. This has been achieved through seamless and simultaneous content management across our digital channels (web, mobile, digital kiosk), ensuring that our passengers have instant access to the most up-to-date information.

The queue management system (QMS) allows passengers to track their travel time through the check-in and security checkpoints via our digital channels and terminal screens. The home-to-gate feature streamlines the entire travel journey, from home to boarding gate. Car park users can make use of car park occupancy screens and a ‘Where’s My Car’ function to simplify their parking experience.

Personalized digital journeys for passengers: from location-sharing to boarding the aircraft. By embracing the digital era, iGA Istanbul Airport empowers passengers to create personalized digital experiences that guide them throughout their airport journey – from accessing flight and check-in information to boarding the aircraft. Leveraging these innovative features, passengers can create profiles, receive real-time flight updates, monitor their travel companions’ flight details, and easily meet using the application’s location-sharing feature. Additionally, the travel checklist feature enables proactive preparation for potential needs that may arise during their travels.

Biometric ID checkpoints allow seamless passage in various premium service areas for our frequent travelers, capitalizing on the personalized profiles they establish at designated transit points. In compliance with the Personal Data Protection Law, all data regarding the digital journey is securely stored.

E-commerce for a rewarding shopping experience

At iGA Istanbul Airport, AI and digital advancements are used to provide a shopping experience that is fast, comfortable, and enjoyable.  Using augmented reality, we created CİGA, a virtual shopping companion that makes the shopping experience more fun and exciting. İGA Pass Loyalty program members can also enjoy a 15% discount on purchases. Through our comprehensive services, we are aiming to elevate the retail experience, enabling passengers to make informed and conscious purchasing decisions.

iGA Pass: one-stop-shop for airport services

Our app can be used to purchase passenger services through the iGA Pass feature, in line with our commitment to provide passengers with a pleasant experience throughout the airport. Travelers can enjoy various services, such as lounge access, fast-track queuing, buggy hire, and more. We have collaborated with various partners, including airline and bank membership programs, allowing members to benefit from our services by using their boarding card or the QR code on the relevant mobile app.

AI and Virtual Assistant

Recognizing the growing importance of artificial intelligence, we make sure to integrate this technology into our Chatbot and Virtual Assistant tools. Our virtual assistant interacts with passengers using natural and human-like expressions, providing comprehensive information about flights, public transportation, queue management systems, and parking. Our bilingual virtual assistant can answer over 1,000 questions and is continuously evolving. Within the scope of this service, we have partnered with Türkiye’s leading technology companies to enable the Chatbot to guide passengers using real-time navigation and operate through four different channels: mobile application, airport website, WhatsApp, and the call center. In addition to our digital channels, we provide the same integration to our passenger guidance robots in the terminal and offer services to our guests with the support of artificial intelligence.

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Selahattin Bilgen

CEO of iGA Istanbul Airport

Selahattin Bilgen is the acting Chief Executive Officer of iGA Havalimani Isletmesi (iGA Istanbul Airport). Selahattin Bilgen has been the Chief Financial Officer of IGA Havalimani Isletmesi and its subsidiary companies since 2018. Mr. Bilgen has 20 years of experience in the fields of Banking, Corporate Finance and Project and Structured Finance. In 2022 he was awarded as one of “Turkey’s Most Effective 50 CFOs”, according to research conducted by BMI Business School in cooperation with DataExpert. He was also listed among one of “Turkey’s Most Effective Top Managers” research organized by Business Life Magazine in the same year. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Bilkent University and an MBA degree from Bogazici University.

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Prediction: The future of CX

Companies of all stripes have invested heavily in tools and technologies to help them understand their customers more deeply and to gain the advantages of superior customer experience (CX). Yet as leaders strive to form a more complete picture of customer preferences and behaviors, they continue to rely on aging survey-based measurement systems that for decades have formed the backbone of CX efforts. Companies use these systems to track CX performance through brand or relationship surveys, “close the loop” on customer feedback via post-transaction surveys, and even plot strategic moves by attempting to mine the feedback from their regular surveys over time. Entire teams dedicate themselves to managing questionnaires and boosting response rates—and the resulting metrics can shape everything from employee bonuses and executive compensation to strategic investment decisions.

The trouble is, executives increasingly recognize that survey-based measurement systems fail to meet their companies’ CX needs—although surveys themselves are an important tool for conducting research. In fact, this article draws on our recent survey of more than 260 CX leaders from US-based companies of all sizes. 1 The online survey, conducted in collaboration with AlphaSights and Gerson Lehrman Group, was in the field from November 18, 2019, to January 15, 2020, and garnered responses from CX leaders at companies spanning more than a dozen industries including financial services, healthcare, high tech, logistics, retail, and travel. Ninety-three percent of these respondents reported using a survey-based metric (such as Customer Satisfaction Score or Customer Effort Score) as their primary means of measuring CX performance, but only 15 percent of leaders said they were fully satisfied with how their company was measuring CX—and only 6 percent expressed confidence that their measurement system enables both strategic and tactical decision making. Leaders pointed to low response rates, data lags, ambiguity about performance drivers, and the lack of a clear link to financial value as critical shortcomings.

A few leading companies are pioneering a better approach that takes full advantage of the wealth of data now available. Today, companies can regularly, lawfully, and seamlessly collect smartphone and interaction data from across their customer, financial, and operations systems, yielding deep insights about their customers. Those with an eye toward the future are boosting their data and analytics capabilities and harnessing predictive insights to connect more closely with their customers, anticipate behaviors, and identify CX issues and opportunities in real time. These companies can better understand their interactions with customers and even preempt problems in customer journeys. Their customers are reaping benefits: think quick compensation for a flight delay, or outreach from an insurance company when a patient is having trouble resolving a problem. These benefits extend far beyond the people typically thought of as “customers”—to members, clients, patients, guests, and intermediaries. Early movers in the world of customer-experience analytics herald a fundamental shift in how companies evaluate and shape customer experiences.

In this article, we explore how data and analytics are beginning to transform the art and science of customer experience. We present new research that brings clarity and a fact base to the shortcomings of survey-based measurement systems. We then examine how a few leaders have implemented data-driven CX systems and in turn reduced churn, boosted revenue, and lowered cost to serve. We end with insight on how to get started, including four key steps for CX leaders as they transition toward data-driven insight and action.

The benefits are not automatic. Those just starting out will face stumbling blocks and organizational resistance. But with commitment, even companies with rudimentary CX systems, limited data, and a shortage of data scientists can begin laying the groundwork to transform their CX programs and their customers’ experiences.

The CX programs of the future will be holistic, predictive, precise, and clearly tied to business outcomes. Evidence suggests that the advantages will be substantial for companies that start building the capabilities, talent, and organizational structure needed for this transition. Those that stick with the traditional systems will be forced to play catch-up in the years to come.

‘Survey says’: The shortcomings of traditional CX measurement

While surveys themselves are a valid means of gathering customer insight, they fall short as a management tool for measuring CX performance and identifying and acting on CX opportunities. For organizations to lead from a customer-centric position, they increasingly need a comprehensive view of the full customer journey, as well as the ability to obtain deep, granular insight on what is driving customer experience. They need immediate and individual signals in order to take action “in the moment” and to create relevant experiences for each customer, and they need to demonstrate that the experience enhancements they would like to invest in will result in positive ROI. Survey-based systems have four major flaws that make those critical tasks nearly impossible (exhibit).

• Limited: The typical CX survey samples only 7 percent of a company’s customers, providing an extremely limited view of what customers experience and value. In fact, only 13 percent of the CX leaders we surveyed expressed full confidence that their CX measurement system provides a representative view of their customer base.
• Reactive: Surveys are a backward-looking tool in a world where customers expect their concerns to be resolved increasingly quickly. Nearly two-thirds of respondents ranked the ability to act on CX issues in near real time as among their top three priorities, but only 13 percent of leaders expressed certainty that their organizations could achieve this level of rapid insight through existing systems.
• Ambiguous: Surveys often fail to reveal the root causes of customer sentiment. In fact, scores can vary based on many outside factors, including geographical bias and industry shocks, making it difficult to perform reliable root-cause analysis using surveys alone. Only 16 percent of CX leaders said that surveys provide them with granular-enough data to address the root causes of CX performance.
• Unfocused: As one executive at a large financial-services company put it, “The association between survey-based scores and business outcomes is not well understood, and, as a result, many parts of the organization simply claim a business impact from their CX initiatives with no real evidence.” Several companies have recently come under fire for basing investment decisions on a survey-based score alone. Remarkably, of the CX leaders we surveyed, only 4 percent said that their system lets them calculate the ROI of CX decisions.

Predictive customer insight is the future

Since survey-based systems became ubiquitous, the world of insight generation has transformed through impressive advances in the ability to generate, aggregate, and analyze data. Companies now have access to a broad array of data sets: internal data on customer interactions (both digital and analog), transactions, and profiles; widely available third-party data sets that cover customer attitudes, purchase behaviors and preferences, and digital behaviors, including social-media activity; and new data sets on customer health, sentiment, and location (in stores, for example) generated by the Internet of Things (IoT). Other business disciplines, including marketing and revenue management, have already transformed through the aggregation and analysis of these vast data sets. The contrast is stark: Why use a survey to ask customers about their experiences when data about customer interactions can be used to predict both satisfaction and the likelihood that a customer will remain loyal, bolt, or even increase business?

Why use a survey to ask customers about their experiences when data about customer interactions can be used to predict satisfaction?

Some CX leaders have taken the plunge and have begun making use of the data on offer, drawing valuable insights that can prompt alerts and guide swift action to improve customer experiences. While the specifics may vary across companies and industries, this approach centers on a predictive customer-experience platform that consists of three key elements:

Customer-level data lake

First, the company gathers customer, financial, and operational data—both aggregate data and data on individual customers. 2 Financial data could include historical spending, prices, and loyalty-program-redemption behavior, for example. The company processes these data and stores them in a cloud-based platform. Comprehensive, connected, and dynamic customer-level data sets allow the organization to map and track customer behavior across interactions, transactions, and operations. Whereas surveys reflect the views of a subset of customers at a single point in the past, these rich data sets encompass the full customer base and span the customer journey, thereby shedding light on the root causes of performance.

The data lake serves as the foundation for developing a rigorous understanding of customer experiences. The platform should be reliable throughout the organization, with clear and consistent mapping across all data sources and unique identifiers for customers, product lines, and other critical business input.

Predictive customer scores

The company develops analytics—often using several types of machine-learning algorithms—to understand and track what is influencing customer satisfaction and business performance, and to detect specific events in customer journeys.

The algorithms generate predictive scores for each customer based on journey features. These scores allow the company to predict individual customer satisfaction and value outcomes such as revenue, loyalty, and cost to serve. More broadly, they allow CX leaders to assess the ROI for particular CX investments and directly tie CX initiatives to business outcomes.

Action and insight engine

Information, insights, and suggestions are shared with a broad set of employees (including frontline agents) and tools (such as customer-relationship-management platforms) through an application-programming-interface (API) layer. For example, agents can receive alerts and notifications about the actions they should take to personalize customer experiences and improve CX outcomes. The API layer serves as a single source of truth, fueling recommendation engines based on both the data lake and customer scores. Importantly, the predictive platform, unlike survey-based systems, delivers timely insights and spurs swift action, both by employees and through digital interfaces.

Predictive CX platforms allow companies to better measure and manage their CX performance; they also inform and improve strategic decision making. These systems make it possible for CX leaders to create an accurate and quantified view of the factors that are propelling customer experience and business performance, and they become the foundation to link CX to value and to build clear business cases for CX improvement . They also create a holistic view of the satisfaction and value potential of every customer that can be acted upon in near real time. Leaders who have built such systems are creating substantial value through a wide array of applications across performance management, strategic planning, and real-time customer engagement.

Predictive CX platforms become the foundation to link CX to value and to build clear business cases for CX im­provement.

One leading credit-card company wanted to adopt a more omnichannel strategy and boost its performance in digital channels. It focused on building a CX data and analytics stack to systematically identify, improve, and track the factors influencing customer satisfaction and business performance across 13 priority journeys. It started by gathering interaction, transaction, and customer-profile data with a journey analytics platform to identify drivers of satisfaction for each journey, as well as areas where it could improve. The platform included data on repeat interactions, lead times, and how often customers hopped from one channel to another. It also encompassed more subtle factors, such as whether the company effectively handled negative outcomes and what communications took place at various points in time.

This analytics-driven approach gave the company a quantified and systematic view into the problems, opportunity areas, and channel interactions across millions of customers, enabling the organization to support a systematic journey-improvement cycle. The team used the analytics platform to focus its investments and operational efforts on the journeys and specific moments that made a difference for customers, and it ultimately reduced its interaction and operational costs by 10 to 25 percent as a result of the CX and digital transformation.

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Prioritizing CX efforts through intentional strategic planning is another promising use case for data-driven systems that allow CX leaders to understand which operational, customer, and financial factors are creating systemic issues or opportunities over time. One US healthcare payer, for example, built a “journey lake” to determine how to improve its customer care. The journey lake syncs four billion records across nine systems, spanning marketing, operations, sales, digital, and IoT. The resulting holistic customer view enabled the organization to identify operational break points—thresholds where patients often ask to speak with a supervisor or move to another channel to resolve an issue—and proactively reach out to patients through the website, emails, and outbound calls to settle the problem. It also used the data to develop a smarter digital migration strategy, targeting customers who had minimal engagement on digital channels and coaching them to use more self-service functions. The organization substantially increased digital adoption by focusing on the most significant pain points, such as prescription renewals; it reduced its costs by decreasing (by more than a quarter) the frequency with which customers turned to other channels after starting with digital.

Finally, thanks to the near-real-time nature of analytical insights, these new systems create a platform for proactive daily customer engagement. One leading airline built a machine-learning system based on 1,500 customer, operations, and financial variables to measure both satisfaction and predicted revenue for its more than 100 million customers every day. The system allowed the airline to identify and prioritize those customers whose relationships were most at risk because of a delay or cancellation and offer them personalized compensation to save the relationship and reduce customer defection on high-priority routes. A combined team of about 12 to 15 data scientists, CX experts, and external partners worked together for about three months to build the system and lead this first application, which resulted in an 800 percent uplift in satisfaction and a 60 percent reduction in churn for priority customers.

How to turn data into insight and action

The transition to predictive insight will not take place overnight. As our research shows, most organizations still rely on surveys to gauge customer sentiment. Leaders now have the opportunity to take their CX programs to the next level—starting from where their organizations are now. Based on our research on organizations that have successfully made the transition, we have identified four key steps to jump-start such CX transformations.

1. Work on changing mindsets: The transition will inevitably involve challenges, not least of which will be a mindset shift for both teams and CX executives. Leaders may feel that predictive systems are outside their purview, the domain of the IT department or a data-science team. But times are changing, and today’s CX leaders need to focus on data as they once zeroed in on a single CX score. Some may point to the fact that their organization has already done regression analysis on a few key performance indicators. It’s time to think bigger and bolder, and to build a system—not dabble in data.

The role of the CX leader is evolving, which means that executives will need to reposition themselves within their organizations. When asked about the biggest challenge with the current system, one chief experience officer responded: “People associate CX with marketing, not technology.” That is changing as more and more companies take up predictive analytics, and it’s up to CX leaders to help encourage the change in perception.

The CX team should define direction and strategy, but ensuring buy-in and excitement among the affected stake­holders will be key to scaling impact.

2. Break down silos and build cross-functional teams: CX functions often fall into the trap of creating their own silos within a company. To begin the transition, CX leaders need to better integrate with the rest of the organization.

Data owners will inevitably span operations, marketing, finance, and technology functions, so convening across senior leadership will be vital to ensure efficient data access and management. (And, of course, data scientists—not CX professionals—will be the ones writing the algorithms.) The CX team should define direction and strategy, but ensuring buy-in and excitement among the affected stakeholders will be key to scaling impact.

One travel-industry client, for example, began its data-driven system with a focus on delivering real-time enhancements to its customer-service operation because the CX team had a strong partnership with the service organization and could prove value quickly. The initial effort involved close collaboration: CX acted as the business owner, the data-science team developed the product, and the customer-service organization acted as the first recipient of an initial minimum viable product. Outside the core team, an advisory board including the COO, CFO, and chief marketing officer stayed informed of the progress and advised on future use cases so that when the initial pilot was successful, the COO was already on board for an additional use case in his organization. Even in the case of smaller-scale initiatives—for example, where an organization hires contractors rather than standing up an in-house data-science team—these strong, cross-functional relationships at both the development and steering-committee level will be vital to creating and scaling the CX insight engines of the future.

3. Start with a core journey data set and build to improve accuracy: Most organizations face challenges with data quality and availability—and without data, this transition is a nonstarter. The good news is that organizations can get started with basic customer-level data, even if the data are not perfect. The first step is to collect individual customer-level operational and financial data. A combination of customer profiles, along with digital and analog interactions, is usually a solid jumping-off point.

Teams should create a detailed journey taxonomy, including all the potential drivers of satisfaction for their customer base. The taxonomy can be used for hypothesis generation, leading to new measurable attributes for inclusion in the predictive model. These attributes—called data features in machine learning—can range from numeric properties, such as a customer’s annual spend, to binary properties, such as whether the customer purchased a product online or in a store. Over time, understanding which features are significant in the machine-learning model—and comparing those with the team’s hypotheses—can help organizations to recognize where data may be inaccurate or incomplete and to adapt their data-acquisition strategy accordingly. If data for certain features do not exist, teams can explore options to acquire new data sets (for example, credit-agency data) or apply new instrumentation to generate required features (for example, IoT sensors to map customer interaction points in physical environments). As the machine-learning algorithm ingests more data and generates its own insights, the data sets will become more robust—proving useful across multiple enterprise applications.

Ultimately, companies can look to integrate data from sources across the customer journey, including chat, calls, emails, social media, apps, and IoT devices. Regardless of the source, all data collection, storage, and use should follow privacy and cybersecurity best practices . (Notably, our colleagues have found that customer-data protection can serve as a source of competitive advantage as consumers become more careful about sharing data and avoid or stop doing business with companies whose data-security practices they don’t trust.) Organizations should follow regional data regulations and remove any variables related to protected classes, such as race and religion. All identifying information should be encrypted and anonymized before it is analyzed. Finally, regular risk reviews can help detect algorithmic bias  in CX systems. CX leaders are responsible for knowing what their organizations are doing to protect customer data, mitigate bias, and promote fairness in their predictive systems.

In the early days, it is important to have a clear view for how the insights will be applied and to focus on a few specific use cases that will create immediate return.

4. Focus first on the use cases that can drive quick value: Data-driven, predictive systems offer CX organizations a unique opportunity to tie CX strategies to tangible business value. In the early days, it is important to have a clear view for how the insights will be applied and to focus on a few specific use cases that will create immediate return. As a simple framework, organizations can review major sources of opportunity, pain points, or both across existing customer journeys and think through how a predictive system might create new solutions or enhance existing ones that may have a direct impact on loyalty, cost to serve, cross-sell, and up-sell behaviors.

For example, one company applied its predictive system to its issue-resolution journey after realizing that its contingency funds—which had previously been allocated uniformly across customers—could be applied more strategically. The company developed an algorithm that could identify high-priority customers as measured by lifetime value and recent experiences (such as the extent of delayed service the customer had experienced in the past month), and it used the algorithm to allocate contingency funds toward dissatisfied, high-value customers. This first use case proved successful, saving the organization more than 25 percent of its planned budget and paving the way for future applications. Leaders should ask themselves what use cases present a clear opportunity to drive value through a proof of concept so they can build momentum and gain support.

After years of serving as the benchmark for defining and refining a company’s customer-experience performance, survey-based systems are heading toward their twilight. The future of superior customer-experience performance is moving to data-driven, predictive systems, and competitive advantages are in store for companies that can better understand what their customers want and need.

Rachel Diebner is a consultant in McKinsey’s Dallas office, where Mike Thompson is a partner; David Malfara is a senior expert in the Miami office; Kevin Neher is a senior partner in the Denver office; and Maxence Vancauwenberghe is a partner in the New York office.

The authors wish to thank Victoria Bough, Harald Fanderl, Abhishek Gupta, Oliver Jakubiec, Marc Levesque, Nicolas Maechler, Evelyn Milde, Iwan Tanuwidjaja, Kelly Ungerman, and Elsa Yan for their contributions to this article.

This article was edited by Julia Arnous, an editor in the Boston office.

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