All retailers strive, with varying levels of intensity, to build a seamless customer experience that will prevail across all time and touchpoints.
During a recent BIG Show Pavilion session, Anne Brouwer and Mara Devitt of McMillianDoolittle shared their 8C’s model of customer experience. And just to be even more helpful – they also shared with us some retailer examples that epitomized each concept. What an honor to be on this list!
McMillianDoolittle’s 8C’s of Customer Experience and the retailers who get it right:
Clarity (the right positioning): Whole Foods‘ customers are passionate ambassadors and the retailers’ well-defined positioning, helps them stay relevant in the marketplace. The brand stands for something that’s of high value to their targeted customer and this ensures lasting value.
Convenience (the right location and channels): Walgreens get this right by being close to their customers anytime, anyplace. They’re available whenever, wherever, and however, through all channels, including their drive through drugstores.
Choice (the right selection): Anthropologie and Crate&Barrel, with their great merchandise selection and their appealing presentation of that merchandise, both check the choice box. At the same time their pricing and value is always appropriately communicated – making getting ‘choice’ right, look effortless. It’s fantasy of ownership delivered.
Communications (the right design and layout): Covering all the bases and touching all the senses – Williams Sonoma gets full marks for easy store navigation, great signing at multiple levels and great store design. Furthermore, their clear product signing means customers are clearly communicated with.
Cast (the right team): The Container Store hires and develops brand zealots, who live the lifestyle and love the product. They invest heavily in training and hire, and coach their team to deliver to the highest of customer expectations.
Control (the right process): Giving customers the option to have their meal made to order, customized online and picked up in store is a key strength of Chipotle.
Consistency (across time, place and channel): Using exceptional precision across all functions and channels of customer experience and organization, J.Crew gets consistency right.
Connection (the right relationship): Sephora uses events, mobile apps, and social networks to stay front of mind with their customers.
What brands do you think should have made this list?
5 Comments
I think that DSW should have made the list for choice.
Great article. While I would love to know some of the other companies/brands that should have made the list, I would love, even more so, to add to the list of “C” words. What other words or strategies (that begin with C or not) create that great customer experience? And, I really love how each of the brands represented create a clear example of the strategy. Thank you! Shep Hyken, author of “The Cult of the Customer” (http://www.hyken.com)
How can we leave out APPLE! They are masters of product focus and reduced and condensed the buying of there products to just the essential experience!
I’d love to add Zappos to this list – they fit into all of the C’s and more. Also, culture could be an additional C – and is something that Zappo’s defined for executing great customer experiences!
I think Bed Bath and Beyond should have made the list in almost all categories, if not all, plus culture!
3 Trackbacks
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by friedmannrf2011. friedmannrf2011 said: RT @RetailsBigShow: 9 retailers who get customer experience right http://bit.ly/hqTHDr #NRF11 [...]
[...] In a recent session at a National Retail Federation convention, a pair of experts from the retail consulting firm McMillanDoolittle gave a presentation featuring retailers who get the customer experience right. [...]
[...] Strangeloop is at NRF this week (if you’re there, stop by booth 2843 and say hi to Nat, Kerry, and Kelly), so of course I’ve been following the NRF blog closely. This post yesterday jumped out at me: 9 retailers who get customer experience right. [...]