Real-world examples of customer journey transformation, CX governance, and EX / CX integration, demonstrating how Experience Engineering® helps clients achieve measurable outcomes.

CASE STUDIES

Client Challenge:

La Quinta Management (LQ) is one of the largest owner/operators of limited-service hotels in North America with more than 800 hotels in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. They had been struggling to differentiate their brand and achieve strong customer loyalty in the highly competitive budget hotel market. LQ Leadership concluded that the key to differentiation would be to tap into their guests’ deeper emotional needs and elevate what had been relatively generic to customer service.

Experience Engineering® Solution:

With Experience Engineering® (EE) as their partner, LQ embarked on a journey to reframe and transform the Customer Experience. Using our three-phased approach, we collaborated with LQ to:

• LEARN. An audit of the LQ guest experience was conducted; identifying gaps between the actual guest experience and what they truly desired.

• CREATE. The insights that EE uncovered during the LEARN phase served as the foundation for the development of a robust experience of design. This experience design became “the playbook” for LQ frontline team members.

• DO. The new experience design led to the roll-out of a fresh, branded experience and guided new hotel construction as well as training/education efforts.

Business Impact:

The work that La Quinta and EE completed together produced a positive impact in a variety of areas including:

• Marked improvement in Guest Satisfaction scores

• An increase in guest referrals

• A reduction in guest complaints and dramatic increase in compliment letters and calls

• Improved team member engagement as evidenced by Employee Satisfaction scores

Client Challenge:

Penske Truck Rental is the largest truck leasing and rental firm in the world, delivering services to both consumer and commercial customers. To maintain and grow their market position, Penske embarked on a major initiative to re-brand and re-design the look and feel of store locations and facilities.

Experience Engineering® Solution:

Using a proven three-phased approach, Experience Engineering® (EE) collaborated with the Penske Truck Team to implement a plan designed to support their re-branding initiative. In summary, the three phases consisted of:

· LEARN. Several research techniques were applied to understand deeper customer attitudes in both the consumer and commercial markets.

· CREATE. Utilizing the insights discovered during the LEARN phase, Experience Designs were developed to Intentionally establish key experience touch points.

· DO. The Experience Designs were then implemented, and experience education efforts were systematically rolled out across the Penske organization, engaging virtually every employee.

Business Impact:

Through EE’s end-to-end methodology, Penske soon discovered that a strong emotional connection with customers indeed fueled revenue growth. In the first 6 months of implementation, Penske realized:

· A 40% close rate improvement from inquiry to reservation, creating a much more efficient sales process

· An increase of 1.4% in vehicle utilization, driving $22 million to their bottom line.

Client Challenge:

Declining Sales for multiple years

Experience Engineering® Solution:

Understand the unconscious motivations of customers as the foundation for intentional changes in the experience. Design pilot stores filled with clues reflecting how customers want to feel, resulting in a more memorable, “sticky” experience (Sticktion)

Business Impact:

Within 3-5 months, pilot locations reported

40% increase in sales

20% jump in customer satisfaction

increases in employee engagement and job satisfaction

Penetration of the Cell Phone Market in the Czech Republic

Client Challenge:

A Canadian group of investors launched a competitive cellular phone company to challenge established providers and gain market share, which could lead to a buyout by one of the competitors.

Experience Engineering® Solution:

Explore emotional and rational preferences, as well as conscious and unconscious ones, across various segments. Using these insights, we developed experience cues that positioned Oscar as the most preferred provider.

Business impact:

Within 20 months, the company was acquired by Vodafone at a high multiple as Oscar’s market share grew by double digits. Vodafone adopted the cues and methods that formed the foundation of Oscar’s strong differentiation, creating an emotional connection that boosted market share and reduced churn.

Increase Brand Loyalty

Challenge:

Move beyond functionality and gain a deeper understanding of customer experiences to increase brand loyalty.

Solution:

Incorporate ClueScanning® education and workshops with management, documenting the Clues that were integrated into an Experience Design. Conduct periodic Congruency surveys to ensure alignment with the Experience Motif - Appreciated, Confident, Unstoppable.

Results:

$40 million in increased savings, resulting from reduced damage, lower returns, and other factors, generated an additional $3.5 million through the insertion of Experience Clues, leading to an extraordinary increase in customer satisfaction.

Improve Brand Loyalty

Challenge:

Identified the unconscious drivers that established a bond between employees and the organization.

Solution:

Developed and implemented a brand experience program that created experiential markers integrated into the hiring strategy and “The First-day Employee Experience.”

Results:

New hire attrition dropped 7-10% in the regions where the experience design was implemented, and it has now been rolled out globally.