Many
people have hobbies, some more adventurous than others. Sometimes I bump into
my neighbor, Jean, in the elevator of our building. A stout 70-something woman,
she is often carrying a rifle as she is on her way to shooting practice. Of
course she’s only taken up rifle shooting as a hobby since she gave up fox
hunting on horseback. I don’t indulge in shooting practice, golf or tennis or even
power walking, but I am in fact a power shopper. That’s my hobby, so to speak. Along
with my wife, we can furnish a house or load up on wardrobe essentials for each
season in record time and make a sport out of it. I would even dare to say that
I could be a gold medalist in power shopping. We are savvy, know what we like
and are loyal to brands that treat us right. The consumer part of me loves the
act of shopping, but the customer experience expert lives for the experience
itself – from a sharp and quipy exchange with the vendor of hot dog cart to a
hot deal on a bar cart from a knowledgeable purveyor of mid-century furnishings.
In
my line of work, I am inundated with customer experience stories. I hear all
about them from clients, friends, family and I dissect them – the good, the bad
and the ugly. Most importantly I experience customer experiences firsthand as
an avid consumer. So, this got me thinking…I’m in an interesting position to
combine those two very different lenses and provide insight on who’s winning at
customer experience and who might need a trip back to “How to treat a customer
101” class.
This
post will be the first in an ongoing series where I share my own personal
customer experiences from online to waiting in line, from paying a cable bill
to being handed a playbill. I will be naming names, sharing bright spots and the
dark side of my customer experiences too, and shining a spotlight on how all customer
facing businesses can deliver a great and differentiated customer experience to
every customer, every time. Aggressive? Maybe, but it’s all part of my mission
to help businesses in every industry deliver a customer experience they can be
proud of, and promote loyalty with their customers.
In
my first installment depicting the yin and yang of customer experiences, I want
to share a recent experience I had with two retailers, on the same street, in a
similar business. You’ll find out who won my loyalty and who lost it.
Brooks Brothers vs. Men’s
Wearhouse
Recently,
I was traveling home from a business trip and landed on a Friday afternoon at
Chicago O’Hare International Airport. I passed the Brooks Brothers in the
airport terminal and spotted a great looking sport coat. I like the quality and
style of Brooks Brothers’ clothes, specifically when buying clothes for work. When
I took a closer look at the sport coat, I saw that it was even discounted 50%,
taking it from $599 to $298 (SCORE!). Truthfully, I would never be in the market
for a $600 sport coat because my weight fluctuates dramatically and frequently,
so I steer away from buying very expensive clothes that I know will only fit me
for the next 90 days.
I
needed a 38-Short (I am on the downside of the yo-yo diet right now) but the
airport location only had a 40-Short. The sales associate helping me said he
didn’t have it in my size and that was it. No suggestion of perhaps checking
another location. He did however offer to alter the larger size with me paying
for the alterations. That completely defeats the victory of a great sale. So I
left sans sport coat and went about my day. Being a savvy customer I should
have asked him to check another store but I was in a rush to get home after a
long week, it would have been a great impulse buy but it was not to be.
The
following Monday, I was out and about near my home on Michigan Avenue in
Chicago. Since there is a Brooks Brothers just steps from my home, I decided to
pop in and see if they had the sport coat in my size. I found a sales
associate, told him about the coat, he found it and it fit like a glove, no
alterations needed! When I asked the sales person to confirm that the jacket
was 50% off he told me the sale ended Friday and it was back to the full price.
When I explained that I was really interested in this coat because of the great
sale and explained I had just tried it on a few days earlier he turned on his
heels abruptly and walked away without responding and leaving me in the dust of
his dismissive attitude. I thought surely he was returning, he must have had an
irritable bowl situation and he would be right back. Not the case, after
waiting a few minutes for his return I started to make my way toward the front
of the store and found him waiting on another customer. I left, again sans
sport coat, but this time also feeling disgusted.
I
should also add that this was not my first fail with Brooks Brothers. At
another location, I had purchased a $180 sweater. I followed the washing
instructions to a T and still it shrunk, dramatically. When I brought the
sweater back to exchange it and explained the situation, the woman helping me
said “that’s what you’re saying happened, how do I know if you really followed
the instructions? We’re not taking the sweater back.” Oh my, really? That’s nice.
The sweater was a week old and went from a men’s size medium to a Ken Doll’s
size medium, and I’m being called a liar to boot…fun. I literally called the
corporate office in NYC from my cell phone while standing at the sales counter
at the store, and got someone there to help me get the situation resolved.
I
have to say that I did have one recent very positive experience at Brooks
Brothers’ Naples, FL location, where the sales associate was super helpful and
engaged. It was 1 out of 4 experiences so it was hard to celebrate. It does
however highlight the inconsistency issues that plague many multi-unit
businesses, and in this case, the Brooks Brothers customer experience.
Now
I had a hankering for a well-priced sport coat and was on a mission. I walked
down the street to Men’s Wearhouse. I don’t particularly like the clothes
there, I had a belief that I could do better elsewhere in the area of quality
and selection. But it was close and I was on a mission so I went in and that’s
where I met Frederick. I mention him by name because from the beginning, he was
one of the most friendly, personable and engaging sales associates that one
could ask for. From his greeting to check-out he spent time getting to know me
and advising me, asking me great questions about my needs and showing me other
items I might like in my size, paying attention to every detail of our
interaction and delivering a friendly, personal, differentiated customer
experience. You’ll never guess what happened. Not only did I purchase a great
sport coat at the price point I wanted, but also ended up spending $2400 on an
entirely new work wardrobe!
Now,
admittedly, the clothing is not the same quality as what you find on the racks
at Brooks Brothers, but Frederick was so engaged and engaging and took the time
to build a relationship with me that he was able to find the clothing items
that would work for me. He calls to let me know when alterations are ready. He
calls to check that everything is okay with my purchases after the fact. Because
of his level of attention and commitment to me as a customer, I am literally
there every other week, to purchase clothing from HIM. I also have to admit
that this is not the first successful experience that I have had at Men’s
Wearhouse either. I have had a consistently good customer experience in their
stores across the country. Today I have to walk 6 blocks further from my house
and pass Brooks Brothers to get to the closest Men’s Wearhouse and I am happy
to do it. Amidst all of the ways Brooks Brothers could prevail, I choose Men’s
Wearhouse every time because of the experience Frederick, and his colleagues
across the chain, provides me. You may actually say that Brooks Brothers drove
me right into the arms of Men’s Wearhouse.
You
should know that I am not alone as a consumer. Everyday, your brand is
interacting with people just like me
- in stores and online. They have the opportunity to knock it out of the
park and wow us with the customer experience. They can also come up short. Creating
a great customer experience and delivering it consistently across your business
is job one!
Need
help figuring out where you fall? Let’s chat about it. Tweet with me at @GMagenta.
Email me at gmagenta@rootinc.com
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