Today is a special day. It’s World CX Day! A day to celebrate the organizations, frontline heroes and customers that are at the heart of awesome experiences. As a company obsessed with customer experience, today is kind of a big deal. So to celebrate, three members of the AskNicely team share their most memorable customer experiences to inspire, enlighten and encourage every people-powered business to get excited about CX.
Meet Yesi, our Customer Experience Manager. Yesi found herself in a stressful situation ahead of a family road trip. What begins as an alarming story, ends with a car full of smiles, roadtrip snacks and a few compulsory “are we there yet's thanks to a friendly, empathetic and responsive auto glass repair service.
Imagine the stress of having a shattered car windshield just before a planned road trip…
“We had just finished up with lunch at home, and our boys went out to play in the garage. A few minutes later I hear a really alarming noise, and I rush out to find our car’s windshield had been shattered. We were planning to head out for a road trip to visit family the next morning, so you can imagine my panic about the condition of our vehicle.”
Yesi frantically started searching for auto glass repair services that could help. She rang several places, with only one picking up on the first try. She explains how calm, empathic and understanding the frontline associate was.
“They empathized with me as I frantically explained the situation and the urgency to have this fixed as soon as possible. They also understood the limitation of not being able to drive my car in its current condition.”
On a single phone call, the company shared a quote, an estimated time of arrival and reassured her that the car would be road-trip ready by the morning.
“The technician came to our house and within the hour the windshield was fixed!”
We asked Yesi what made her experience so awesome. Her standouts were:
Yesi's takeaway from this memorable experience is clear: "Responsiveness in communication and service goes a long way!"
And how has it changed her perspective? Yesi shares, "I am hoping we never need their services again simply because that would mean we had another broken windshield – but we've had the opportunity to recommend them to friends and strangers on multiple occasions." highlighting the ripple effect of awesome CX.
When holidaying in Tenerife, our account manager Bryce found himself with a short time to explore the island and little knowledge of where to go and what to do. He opted for a private tour so that he could spend less time behind his laptop and more time in front of the breathtaking surroundings of Tenerife. The experience turned out to be one that he’ll never forget thanks to Ivan, his incredible tour guide.
Unlike typical tourist guides, Ivan's approach was all about customization and spontaneity. He paid close attention to Bryce's preference for avoiding tourist crowds and adjusted the itinerary accordingly. The result? A day filled with volcanic hikes, secluded lunches in hidden gems, and breathtaking views. The standout moment was when Bryce found himself sipping a beer in the heart of a remote volcanic gorge, surrounded by nature's grandeur.
“Ivan - our guide - made the experience feel special and not so packaged or touristy. Taking on my feedback that I’d rather not be in swarms of tourists, he altered our planned itinerary to still see the “best bits” and more off-the-beaten-path spots.”
When asked what made the experience so awesome, Bryce explains that it all came down to Ivan. He was knowledgeable, responsive to his requests, and created an environment that felt relaxed, personalized and unlike the typical tourist experience.
He learnt that awesome customer experiences are all about listening.
“When people tell you what they want - listen. I’ve had times when I knew the script and was ready to repeat it. But by simply listening and adjusting, I can deliver a better experience.”
We asked Bryce about how the experience changed his perception of the service provider. He explains, “I’d previously thought of the provider as only a package holiday company. The excursion side of the business was news to me and made me change my preconceived notions. I’m sure I’ll book with them again in the future.”
Bryce's answer reminds us that an awesome experience inevitably leads to repeat business – when we have a memorable experience, we’ll always come back for more.
The CEO of AskNicely, Kirsten, recounts a memorable customer experience that unfolds during a summer vacation, involving a cat sitter and a pool turning green…
“My husband and I were away during the summer and a friend was house & cat sitting for us, when the pump on our swimming pool stopped working, rendering the water green with algae and making it both unusable but also causing potential damage. Our friend was in a bit of a panic. We were away and our pool installer had retired – leaving us with only the option of looking for someone using digital tools and online reviews – which was a little daunting.”
From afar, Kirsten identified a few options, and one provider got back to her within minutes. They offered a reasonable quote to inspect the issue, and once on site they communicated with Kirsten and her husband in real time to discuss their options. Like Yesi’s experience, the technician had the issue resolved within hours. The technician also went the extra mile by ensuring the house-sitter was informed and comfortable that everything was running smoothly.
“Order and cooling pool enjoyment were restored!”
For Kirsten, the recipe to her memorable customer experience was:
Kirsten's takeaway from this experience is that "Speed & communication matter just as much as the quality of workmanship." As for her changed perspective on the brand, she says, "They are on speed dial, and we'd recommend them in a heartbeat!"
In these three stories, we see the common threads of responsiveness, proactive communication, personalization, empathy, and collaboration – all of which are facilitated by the frontline associates and technicians. They remind us that memorable customer experiences start with the true empowerment of the frontline.
We see this in our customer success stories time and time again. Take DebitSuccess for example, one of the largest full-service direct debit management services in Australia and New Zealand. They were tackling an issue that many people-powered businesses face: inconsistent service delivery. Frontline staff in offices throughout the globe were delivering varying levels of service, which subsequently resulted in varying levels of customer satisfaction. Without consistently delivering 5-star customer experiences, DebitSuccess was losing out on repeat business, referrals and ultimately revenue growth.
The solution was clear, they needed to coach, empower and provide customer feedback to their frontline staff to reach a consistent level of service, delivering on the things that mattered to their customers. Using AskNicely, DebitSuccess now celebrates and coaches their frontline teams at scale, with customer feedback tied to individual performance. In a single glance, every worker can see their own customer experience score, ranking, shoutouts and areas to improve. No longer are frontline team members told to ‘create memorable experience’, but they have a benchmark for what a memorable experience actually looks like, and are equipped with the skills and support they need to blow every customer away.
You can read the full DebitSuccess customer story here.
As we mark World CX Day, let these stories serve as a beacon of inspiration for people-powered businesses everywhere. The path to excellence in customer experience lies in the hands of those on the frontlines, and to create memorable experiences we must set them up for success. By doing so, we can cultivate lasting relationships, spark customer advocacy, and ultimately thrive in a customer-centric world.
Want to get involved in World CX Day? Learn more here.
