Why Capital One, Jetblue and Trader Joe’s are surprising leaders in customer experience

When I read about customer experience strategies and innovations, the same brand names often came up. There’s a collection of brands, such as Amazon, Disney, Airbnb and Netflix that are held up as the shining examples. They are leading the way for other companies, and it is true that they often do inspirational things.

However, there are also many companies that are doing fantastic things in customer experience, that perhaps don’t get the attention they deserve. Here I have picked out five interesting examples, that will hopefully also give a little inspiration for others to follow.

Trader Joe’s use employee experience to make customers happy

Trader Joe’s is a grocery store chain that you will find across America. This is, of course, an incredibly competitive market. So in order to differentiate themselves, the company decided upon a strategy, to prioritise employee experience through fantastic benefits and personal development opportunities.

Some people questioned if customers would care about employee happiness, but part of this strategy is designed to empower team members to go the extra mile to offer a warm, personal experience to customers. A great example of this came when a store manager delivered groceries, within 30 minutes, to an 89-year old gentleman who was stuck in a snowstorm, despite the store not usually offering a delivery service. How many major grocery chains would go outside their processes to offer such a human touch?

Capital One celebrates everyday heroes

The leadership team of the American bank holding Capital One prioritises servant leadership, communication and transparency for customer experience. As well as focusing on their own teams personal growth and wellbeing, they lead the way when it comes to listening to customer feedback.

One initiative they run is their “Everyday Hero” concept. Each week, leaders share a story with the entire organisation about an individual who has done something extraordinary for a customer. One example was when the customer service team received a panicked call from the wife of an 87-year-old dementia sufferer who had gone missing.

The ‘everyday hero’ at Capital One told her that the man’s card had been charged at a gas station just five minutes earlier, then spotting that he was in another county, called that county’s sheriff’s department and briefed them about what happened. Not only did she help ensure the gentleman was safe, but also stayed on the line with the lady to provide emotional support until help arrived. Another shining example of a human touch that makes an outstanding customer experience.

JetBlue humanising low-cost flights

The low-cost airline industry is one that is battling many frictions in the typical customer experience, we’ve all experienced it! So it was interesting to hear JetBlue’s VP of Customer Support Experience, Frankie Littleford, say that his mission is to “bring humanity back to air travel” as part of their CX strategy.

As part of this strategy, JetBlue has a “People Officer” who surprises customers on flights and in airports with rewards, and hosts fun games on flights to give away flight vouchers and tickets. It is also his job to hand out doughnuts and refreshments to customers waiting at long check-in lines – putting smiles on people’s faces even at those friction points.

Wells Fargo becomes a ‘Partner in Life’

As a financial services company, Wells Fargo is always looking for ways to build trust and become a true Partner in Life for their customers. When they launched this Control Tower app, their data revealed that nearly a third of Americans have recurring subscriptions for services they haven’t used for over a year. They were able to help thousands of customers understand and manage their finances with a tap of an app.

Their ‘Partner in Life’ strategy also extends into their network of small business clients. Through research into the issues business owners are facing, they started to build a comprehensive bank of videos, articles and other information. This was designed to help people with both the commercial and the human challenges of starting, running and growing a business.

Stitch Fix driving value from customer feedback

It is often said that data is the key to creating an outstanding customer experience, and clothing company Stitch Fix is a fantastic example of this. By analysing surveys, social media and user data and studying the industry, Stitch Fix is able to send clothes to subscribers that are personalised to the individual’s taste.

The company has an interesting business model where clothing is hand-selected by expert stylists, but the real strength of the customised service is built upon the way they use direct customer feedback. Customers decide which items they want to keep, then the company sends a survey so that they, including the stylists, can learn what the customers did and didn’t like. This is to allow each customer to directly impact and shape the ongoing experience they receive.

Steven van Belleghem is one of the world’s leading thought-leaders, speakers and authors on customer experience. His latest book, The Offer You Can’t Refuse is out now. See www.stevenvanbelleghem.com

Prepared and Edited by Ebony Ximines-Parke