Customer experience is more than just what happens when a customer makes a purchase. It also includes what happens behind the scenes with a company’s internal structure and processes. Customers want to support organizations that listen to them and that value the environment and their employees. This week brought three stories highlighting the need to create a great customer experience on all levels.
Delta Makes $1 Billion Commitment To Fly Green
Most major airlines have made goals and promises to lower their carbon footprints, but Delta Airlines recently pledged to invest at least $1 billion to become fully carbon neutral—the largest financial commitment of any airline. The money will not only go to eliminating single-use plastics and switching to environmentally friendly fuel, but will fund clean air research and projects. The airline industry is notorious for its high levels of pollution and contributes 2% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions.
Aviation has lots of room for improvement to become more environmentally friendly, and Delta is moving in the right direction. A lot of other airlines have made big promises, but Delta is putting its money where its mouth is to contribute such a large amount of money. The $1 billion over the next decade should hopefully lead to major changes for the entire industry, which is great news for customers who increasingly want to help the environment and support companies that do the same.
Even With Technology, Customers Want Catalogs
The growth of technology in recent years has many companies moving from their traditional printed catalogs, but new research from Harvard Business Review may change that. Response rates from catalogs rose by 170% between 2004 and 2018. Digital catalogs and traditional printed catalogs both help brands increase sales. Perhaps surprisingly, among the groups most excited to receive catalogs in the mail are millennials.
This story shows that even with all of the new technology at our fingertips, some of the best experiences can come from sticking with what has worked in the past. To be effective, brands really need to know their customers and what they want. Catalogs help customers see how they would use a product and how it would fit in their lives, which creates a more immersive experience that customers crave.
Apple Ordered To Pay Employees For Security Checks
This week, Apple was ordered by the California Supreme Court to pay employees for being searched before they leave retail stores. California law requires that employees are searched after they clock out to prevent theft. In many instances the searches are short, but Apple employees reported that the checks can take up to 45 minutes on busy days and that they weren’t being paid for that time. Even though Apple said employees can avoid the searches by not bringing bags or purses to work, the court ruled in favor of employees.
Employee experience is a powerful contributor to customer experience. In Apple’s case, having disgruntled employees from having to wait without pay could leak over to the customer experience and create poor customer interactions. Companies that take care of their employees tend to have better customer experiences because they show they care about their people and will do what’s best for them.
Customers care about all aspects of the experience, including what happens with a company behind the scenes. These stories highlight the need for companies to be transparent in their internal goals and processes, as well as tuned into what customers want to provide a seamless experience from start to finish.
Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and the author of two books including her new book The Customer Of The Future. You can learn more by signing up for her newsletter here.