Emotional Intelligence

I have decided in my USP..my unique selling point which i have yet to discuss with Alice if it is good…Emotions…applying emotions intelligence to everything…that will be my underlying fundamental in everything i do..in any form of my training. I will start off in 2 areas: Emotional Selling..aka Selling with a heart or  Applying emotional intelligence to service ..aka Service with a heart..i have yet to come up with a name to replace emotional intelligence…too commercialized…

Task:

Everyday, i will focus on a business which is successful and known to many, be it FMCG, hospitality, ..many more …if possible, with little budget spent on advertising …but focus more on a branded customer experience..it can be an online business..like Amazon…or airline industry like South West Airline..and more importantly..the customer service personnel only form a section of the total customer experience..i will determine it’s success through identifying 5 key areas to a full customer experience.

Branded Customer Experience is made up of:

1. Customers Service Personnel..this can be absent in some organizations but they still succeed in customer loyalty…( to be elaborated in my IKEA case study)
2. Consistency in delivering the brand values
3. Product Experience
4. Unique shopping experience- i term this as differentiated shopping experience- can be environment based..ambience- music they play , the decor, facilities provided..say children playground..etc
5. Visual – Through advertisments, tall beautiful models, iconic representations-(i will focus less on this area)

If you were to realise…1, 3, 4, 5 is all about stirring up the emotional side in People..experience at the very beginning is about emotionals…

Case Study 1: Ikea….(China)

Brand values: Competitive Pricing, good value for the money products, effective and practical product applications, unique shopping experience.

1. Customer service personnel: Limited CS,Seldom you see them available..usually surrounded by people or engaged.
2. Consistency in delivering brand value: Well, the price to me as a middle class is reasonable (pass in competitive pricing), products look trendy and in style (pass in design)…provide alternative ideas on how to decorate my house..(pass in effectiveness)…consistent in delivering its brand values
3. Product experience- Best of all, i can try out the products　（ＰＥＡＫ Experience is experiential )- move table and chairs..to come out with many combi and possibilities…and for those who are not creative, they teach you how you can utilise a similar item and have a dream home of your own– excellent in this area! Signage and labels are attractive..informative..
4. Unique shopping experience- Yes, with a one way floor design, you are forced to walk thrug every single display..no short cuts..so most likely u will spend hours just to buy an item…toilets..so- so..queues are esp long…BUT…they have a safe and ok looking kids’ playroom..so parents can shop in peace…serve decent meals..have a signature dish- swedish meat balls..recently they even add in 鱼香肉丝 to customize to local taste..not forgetting the always there RMB 3 big Hot dog… and RMB 9 set meal-they are very popular with young families…and to end it all…the RMB 1 ice cream at the exit before you leave- for a hot summer day! What an experience to end a day! (Closing/ End experience)
5. I can’t remember the last time i saw a TV ad on IKEA…yes they do have very large posters – on sale items to tempt you further ..and most importantly, they always make home decor , not a chore..but something that you can do with a pinch of salt…not to mention, before you make payment..they will try to pursuade you through the warehouse  AGAIN..to stir the  “last minute impulses” on the sale items..or to remind you that you should buy it..if your rationality is working against your emotional impulse..

Thus, despite the long queues when making payment, super far away…and only 1 flagship store, little TV advertising budget, little customer service..IKEA still succeed in making us shop with them…through the 5 key areas i have highlighted…

About PEak and End Experience:

Daniel Kahneman, noble prize winner psychologist, points out that people only remember 2 things in an experience- how they feel at peak (good or bad) and how they feel at the end. Peak -end experiences summarizes the whole experience process and are stored in our brains at sub-conscious level. This feelings eventually direct our next purchasing decisions, the pleasure n the pain throughout the entire experience barely registers in our memory- remember only peak -end..so same for frist and last impressions!

So, to succeed in creating that WOW experience, is to optimize and focus on the branded customer experience …which is to deliver your most unique brand values, meet or exceed the needs and expectations of your target customers with postive peak and end experiences!