Customer Experience Design by Ine Van der Stock

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE DESIGN based on the principles of Community Based Product Development

-STEP MODEL

ABOUT

CAFÉ HERMAN

CAFÉ HERMAN aims to establish an inclusive, multicultural European network of new-style urban diversity centres under the umbrella of a publicprivate partnership. The private partners are migrant / minority entrepreneurs with diverse cultural roots; the public partners are government related organisations active in the social economy. Café Herman is changing the rules: it is a big step for both the public and the private partners to move from the social economy to a social enterprise pursuing economic and social profit. The project is supported by ‘European Social Fund – Agency Flanders’ for the period 2013-2014. More info at: www.viaviatourismacademy.com

About this booklet This booklet supplements the Customer Experience Design workshop given by the ViaVia Tourism Academy. The Customer Experience Design workshop puts the focus on DISCOVER DREAM - DESIGN - DELIVER in a product or service process. The workshop and this additional booklet constitute a toolkit for:  discovering the core values and assets of a business /

person / city / community

 designing products / services for potential customers  optimising the customer experience  co-developing future products / services  marketing your products / services

Step 1

DISCOVER DISCOVER = THE ART OF APPRECIATING. Define the ‘good things’ or successes that can be strengthened, managed and marketed to generate local benefits. We use the customer-centred approach: A DNA OF A BUSINESS / PERSON / CITY / COMMUNITY… What is the DNA of your business / yourself / your city / your community*? What is unique about your business / yourself / your city / your community*? What are the strengths of your business / yourself / your city / your community*? Who are you? Who do you want to be? How would you like to be seen by customers? Exercise

Write down 5-10 keywords that you associate with your business / yourself / your city / your community* à Be specific!

Goal

To define the core values & assets of your business / yourself / your city / your community* and to match these with all of your business ideas.

B CUSTOMER PROFILING WITH PERSONAS Who are your (potential) customers? Who are they? What do you know about them? Where do they live, how old are they, what kind of jobs do they do, what are their hobbies…? Exercise

For each type of customer, write a fictitious but realistic story about the daily life of this customer in no more than 20 lines. Give him / her a name, a job, a family situation, hobbies… Write down why he / she might be interested in the DNA of your business / yourself / your town*

*Delete what is not applicable

Goal

Your customers become ‘personas’ by giving them names. And your customers receive ‘profiles’ by writing down their (fictitious) stories. These imaginary customers help you to design new products & experiences.

C MOODS & MOTIVATIONS** Customers have variable moods and different motivations when buying a product or service. Their drivers are their relationships to themselves and others, and their relationships to their environment at a specific moment. CARE – The customer’s mood: • Relax, take care of myself and others, enjoy, easy-going… • High service level wanted DARE – The customer’s mood: • Discover, active, explore, learn, off the beaten track… • Service level isn’t so important SHARE – The customer’s mood: • Connect with others • Recreation, active by doing things together Exercise

Goal

1. List several product elements of your business / yourself / your town / your community for Care, Dare and Share moods. (Tip: use your DNA list) 2. Make a new list for each of your personas, and add the products from exercise 1 to this list. Add products for Care, Dare and Share moods for each persona. (Tip: Try to get into the head of your personas and their stories) To combine the DNA of your business / yourself / your town / your community with the personas who are your (potential) customers.

** Remark: This is only applicable to services with a recreational impact, to fun services. Based on the CareDareShare Concept of BeXpertise / Tourism Flanders 2006.

Step 2

DREAM DREAM = ENVISIONING AN IMPACT. IMAGINE THE EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR CUSTOMER. We use the Customer Journey Canvas: BEFORE – The customer experience: • Thinking, dreaming about an experience • Researching, planning… and making a decision DURING – The customer experience: • The experience itself • From the moment of arrival until the moment of departure AFTER – The customer experience: • Remembering the experience • Going back home and dwelling on the experience, telling it to other people Exercise Goal

1. List the different steps of an experience your customer would have before, during and after a purchase from your business / the use of your community services / a visit to your town*. 2. See where you can improve the experience. To influence all steps of a customer’s experience, including before and after their visit.

*Delete what is not applicable

Step 3

DESIGN DESIGN = CO-CONSTRUCTING THE DESIRED FUTURE. We use the 5 building blocks to design WOW experiences: 1. Custom-made products: • Make a product / service that is personally relevant to your customer • Make something exclusive or create a product / service together with your customer 2. Authentic experiences: • Offer a real experience, taken from daily life, not a fake experience • Integrate things you normally would not do 3. Intercultural encounters: • Offer an experience together with others • Let your customer reach into your community 4. Learning experiences: • Engage all senses • Integrate participative learning experiences 5. Challenges: • Foresee some feasible challenges • Get in touch with the local traditions Exercise

Goal

1. Try to improve an existing experience of your customer using the 5 building blocks. 2. Design new “memorable customer experiences” (a WOW experience) for 1 of your personas. Think about the 5 building blocks. Think about Care, Dare, Share. Think about Before, During, After. To design WOW experiences for your customers and exceed their expectations at all times.

Step 4

DELIVER DELIVER = ACTION. DESCRIBE PERSONAL COMMITMENTS, START THE IMPLEMENTATION, INCLUDE REFLECTION AND EVALUATION. START THE PROMOTION. We use Story Selling: 5 steps to create a sellable story: 1. Define the uniqueness of the experience for your customer 2. Create an image (metaphor, comparison, sayingâ&#x20AC;Ś) 3. Shape this image into a story 4. Put your story into a sellable format 5. Name / logo / slogan: T-shirt test Exercise

Goal

1. List the words that describe the uniqueness of your experience. (Tip: think about your DNA) 2. Choose the 3 most important words in your list of uniqueness words. Explain why they are unique + try to give them an image (1 image per word, or 1 image for the 3 words together). 3. With the chosen images (linked to the 3 unique words) start to create the story of your experience. 4. Make sure your story is short and simple. (Tip: your grandmother has to understand the story. And you must be able to tell it to a stranger in an elevator before he gets off) 5. Give your experience a name in order to communicate it. (Tip: think about a name, logo, picture or drawing that would look nice on a t-shirt) To be able to sell your experience by emphasising its uniqueness. Once you have completed the 5 steps of Story Selling, you will have a name for your experience, a story and an image. Ready to use for your communication.

This booklet supplements the ‘Customer / Tourist Experience Design’ workshop given by the ViaVia Tourism Academy

Design: Frisco bvba