Customer Service

Moving Beyond Customer Service to Customer Experience

May 27, 2014August 3, 2014by Victoria Macdonald4 Comments

I recently wrote “Missed Moments in Customer Service” about a failed shopping experience at a luxury store. I analyzed each step of the interaction to see what the salesperson could have done to provide better service. Now, several weeks later, the details of that interaction have faded and what I’m left with is simply this—I had a disappointing experience. The encounter didn’t fit with my expectation of the brand. That’s when I realized luxury brands need to move beyond just providing luxury service, to creating a complete luxury experience.

What makes a luxury experience?
Luxury is the opposite of ordinary. Nothing about the luxury experience should be mundane. Everything about the interaction should be delightful and memorable. Here are some suggestions for turning luxury customer service into luxury customer experience:

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The Devil Sells Prada, Uncategorized

The Devil Sells Prada… and burns the customer!

May 20, 2014August 3, 2014by Victoria Macdonald4 Comments

How rude can you go? Will nasty open your wallet?

Should the Devil Sell Prada? Retail Rejection Increases Aspiring Consumers’ Desire for the Brand, is a new study that will appear in the October 2014 Journal of Consumer Research. The study (co-authored by Dr. Darren Dahl, a marketing professor at the Sauder School of Business and Prof. Morgan Ward of the Cox School of Business) found customers who receive poor treatment from sales associates in a luxury retail environment are more likely to make a purchase.

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Customer Experience, Customer Service, Uncategorized

Missed Moments in Customer Service

March 27, 2014July 8, 2016by Victoria Macdonald8 Comments

I’ve spent several years in customer service and sales training in the luxury industry. So when I go shopping, I’m particularly aware of the service. Customers should expect good service; but when service fails in a luxury setting, it’s particularly troublesome. In this case, I went into a luxury retailer to purchase a pen refill. When I left the store, I not only had my refill, but also a list of “missed moments:”