Grilled?

Catching up after a long weekend on Madeline Island, WI. A beautiful place to retreat and recover from the chaos of the business world.

The Brand Experience Lab referenced and commented Max Lenderman's post on the Weber Grill Restaurant. I wanted to continue the discussion from a customer experience design viewpoint.

Living in Minnesota for my entire life, I completely understand the importance of grilling. Heck, its an obsession up here in the Northwoods for many. Actually, people grill all winter long - yes, despite the sub-zero temperature!

So, this concept restaurant is genius, and it goes way beyond experience marketing. Weber has captured the grilling experience and brought it indoors. They have realized that it is more than another way of preparing food - it is a lifestyle for many of its customers. Having recently purchased my first Weber (yes, I was kind of an outcast before), I now realize what grilling is really about.

There is only one thing better than grilling - having someone grill for you! And if that person is a professional armed with special recipes, well all the better. For those who are passionate about grilling, an opportunity to have a grill chef prepare a meal on the same grill you have at home creates a fully immersive experience. With all 5 senses engaged, this experience transcends a marketing activity because it creates a memory that leaves the customer inspired and moved into thinking "I can do this!".

Sure, Weber will sell lot's of accessories, spices, mixes, and grills. However, I think they have moved past the marketing aspect, and into expanding the grilling experience. Walking out you have purchased a lunch or dinner, but in reality you have bought into the Weber experience.

They have replicated, and arguably improved (with the Smokey Joe's Bar), the backyard party. Kudos to the team at Weber! Key to this success are the following experience cues:

1. Engaging the 5 senses
2. Familiar, but enhanced experience elements (bar for drinks, menu items, etc.)
3. Inspiration and motivation - watching cooks prepare meals with the same equipment you have at home.
4. WOMability - yes, I made up the word (word of mouth-ability), but Weber did create something truly worth sharing.
5. The extension of a trusted brand into the actual experience it creates
6. A website that supports the experience - hear the sizzle, close your eyes and I'll bet the smell arises to consciousness
7. The not-so-subtle use of their logo at all the right high-touch points

Live Well

That is GNC's tagline.

General Nutrition Centers recently lost my business. How? Well, they made me do the work for them. Here's the story.

After running out of my multi-vitamins, I decided to go into the store during the membership week to save 20% on my purchase. So, I stopped at a store while running errands. If you don't know, most of the stores are independently owned (a key part of the story).

The sales associate rings up my purchase, and I proudly hand her my GNC card - she smiles, and then says "your card has expired". I think to myself, "no, that's not possible, I just renewed it at another store". So, I look for my key-chain version of the card - nope it too is expired. So, I asked the associate if she could look up my membership records because it appears I don't have the new cards. The smile left her face.

"Did you renew at this store?" she asks defensively. "No", I renewed at another store in the adjacent suburb. "Well, then you will have to ask them to look it up" replies the now cranky associate. Shocked, I asked if she could call them to look it up. "I doubt they will have time, you know today is the first day of the membership week?" she retorts.

Now dumbfounded, I stand in front of her without words to express my anger and frustration. They are too busy ringing up customer purchases, to look up my membership - what a minute, that's right, I am a member! I simply walk away from the empty store - yes, I was the only customer at this time...

Next stop - the other store. I go and ask the nice sales associate if she could help me. She winces, and turns to the computer - finally I think to myself. She reaches below the computer and pulls out a box of... membership forms. And the light bulb goes off - they can't look them up my membership because they are only in paper format at that original store. Sorted by month, then by member last name, the associate asks "what month did you renew?". If your like me, there are 10,000 things more important to remember than when I renewed a membership into a loyalty club... So, I pick the approximate month and she looks "nope, we don't have a record of that. Would you like to renew your membership?" she asks with a feigned smile.

Resigned, and out of time I simply purchased the products I needed, and exit the doors for the last time. Now, I shall live well - without the assistance of their store or products. Now for icing on the cake, yesterday I received a Renewal Reward card saying "You miss so much when you carry an expired GNC Gold Card" - not really...

Can you imagine a paper-based system for managing your most precious asset? And now leave it in boxes at the point of origin, so that it is not shared with all the stores.

I wonder what Jackie and Ben at the Church of the Customer would say about this loyalty program?

From an experience standpoint, it is about the worst possible combination of events:

1. a uncooperative sales associate
2. having a customer drive to another store - never offering to call and check
3. a terrible loyalty program management system
4. an attitude that the customer needs them, more than they need the customer
5. requiring your customer to do all the work (remember renewal dates, drive to another store, etc.)
6. Strict limited time membership buying requirements - 20% during the first 7 days of each month - again, I need to confirm to their needs vs. my convenience

A fresh look

Well, I decided to do a little face lift. Consider this the first step in improving the curb appeal of our blog.

In the weeks to come, we intend to add some images to make it a little more human. So, please be patient...

I welcome any and all feedback... But, please be gentle - remember, I am not a graphic designer!

Bi-polar marketing

A nice experience post by Church of the Customer yesterday. And since, Jackie asked for our thoughts, we couldn't resist. I love the phrase "bi-polar" marketing!

Ah, hotels and technology. I often wonder why so many have so much trouble with this issue. And I am not just talking about technology problems (although those are numerous in occurrence also). Hotels and coffee shops are struggling with strategy questions on how to deploy Internet access - especially wireless. Starbucks and Caribou coffee shops are two other examples that also frustrate me to no end with their "big partner" solutions.

The experience Jackie had at the Hilton hotel is all too common amongst travelers who need Internet access while traveling (by the way, isn't that the majority of travelers today?). So why do executives make decisions like this?

1. Because they are often too far removed from the experience, and often times are slow to react to shifting experience trends moving into their of their industry
2. Because they anticipate an easy profit center
3. Their not thinking about the experience - they cannot separate a salable service from a profitable experience
4. They have a worldview of what is included, and what costs extra within the experience

In Jackie's story notice how quickly the manager makes the problem disappear, but look what's right behind it - her memory of the experience. So, what could they do to improve the experience? Also notice that the person closest to the experience has his "hands tied".

Ok, so businesses all the time make short-sighted revenue generating decisions - and it costs them dearly. So, here are some quick ideas that hotels can consider to improve their business guests technology experience:

1. Provide a staged experience model:
- Install a couple kiosks specific for printing boarding passes (no charge in the lobby, clearly marked)
- Charge a simple one-time fee per stay for access to a full service business center (and a converted closet with poor ventilation, old computers, and an out of service ink jet printer does not cut it). Obviously, a member perk for repeat customers of the chain.
- Install a wireless hub in the lobby, restaurant, and bar (increased food & drink sales will more than cover the ongoing cost of the wireless hub).

2. Increase their room rate by $20 and include Free Wi-Fi access and printing.

3. Accept that this is a necessity for travelers, not a luxury and offer Wi-Fi throughout the building at no charge like Country Inn & Suites.

4. Change the entire experience and partner with a chain of coffee shops for a on-site coffee house experience including free Wi-fi.

Having stated these ideas, I would first spend a lot of time observing and interviewing customers to see "into" their technology needs. I would than design a program and clues around an entire "technology experience" based upon those findings. Next, integrate the "technology experience" into the whole life experience.

Hotels may discover that things they think are important really add little value to the experience, and the very things they are trying to upcharge for are simply mere irritants to their loyal customers.

Simply stated, you have to go beyond the situation when contemplating experience modifications - its about shifting context.

Any other thoughts from other business travelers? How about Mac users who travel? Leave a comment and join the conversation.

The Experience Journal Podcast: Show #1

Yeah baby...

After probably too much deliberation and far too many challenges with the RSS feed, I think we are now live. Come and listen to our conversation about customer experience design vs. marketing, and what people are talking about.

To subscribe to the RSS feed of our podcast, paste this URL (http://unlimitedoptions.libsyn.com/rss.xml) into a podcast aggregator like iPodder and you'll automatically receive each new podcast we post.

Listen now? Click here

Show Notes

Topics
1. Introduction - our podcast goals, explanation of our theme song
2. Blog role call - our take on what people are saying about customer experience and marketing
3. Interview with Peter McCellan, Founder & CEO of 401k Latte Company

Show Links
unlimited options, inc
401k Latte Company
Brand Autopsy - According to Bloggers
Seth's Blog
Seth's Liars Blog
Church of the Customer, Are customers letting your marketing in, or shutting it out?
Customer Experience Crossroads
Subservient Chicken
Hello World, The letter of complaint just got louder
Royal Bank of Canada, Flash story
George Masters
Purple Cow, Seth Godin
Strategic Coach

Show Music
Intro/close: Mr. Kane, La La La
Break: Robert Wade, Monkey Cymbals

Show length: 34:02
Podcast hosting provided by Liberated Syndication
Production & Technical Services: Polymer Studios, inc.
Tell us what you think! Add a comment below, or send an email to podcast@theexperiencejournal.com

A week up North!

Well, it is time for the summer trip up to Northern Minnesota. One of my favorite places this time of year. My family and I will be spending an entire week relaxing and playing. A nice break from the speedway we have been on for the last year.

I hope to have some quiet time to reflect on the year, and what I have learned. One thing for sure is that it has been a lot.

The biggest impact on my life has been a new perspective I have begun to look at the world from. As a customer I think differently, and watch for things that otherwise would have drifted into the backwaters of my memory. Now, I see each glaring failure by companies as opportunities to make the world a little bit better place to live and yes shop.

Signing off until July 11th....