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Dina Vance, Senior Vice President from Ulysses Learning, takes on our reader’s question this month. She offers several observations and best practices that are commonly overlooked in contact centers across the US. According to Dina, these are among the top of those best practices that can transform your contact center into a customer experience-focused operation that gets high marks. 

NOTE: We’re looking for more of your challenges. Email your contact center-related questions to: ChallengeSolved@ulysseslearning.com

Q:  What does it take to turn an everyday experience into VIP-level treatment?

Our featured expert for this month’s question is:
 Dina Vance
 Senior Vice President, Managing Director of North American Operations

 A:   Personalization, empowerment, feedback, and patience reserved for your grandparents!

During a recent trip, I had the opportunity to rent a car from two different companies, and the contrast between the two experiences was striking—one was efficient yet forgettable and the other left me with a lasting positive memory. My first rental experience kicked off the moment I landed at the airport. I hopped on a bus to the rental terminal and waited in line for what felt like a small eternity—about 15 minutes, give or take. When it was finally my turn, a clerk greeted me (yay!) and asked for my credit card and driver’s license, followed by a small mountain of paperwork to complete. After checking the availability of vehicles, they found one and told me to head out to the parking lot and locate my assigned space—F-12. Yep, you heard that right—F-12. No fancy car delivery, no red carpet, just me, my map skills, and a walk through the lot. Honestly, it wasn’t a bad experience, but it was about as memorable as a wet paper towel. It was efficient service, but very transactional.

For my second rental, I opted for a different company, mostly because they were a bit more wallet-friendly. The moment my plane landed, I received a text offering to pre-process my paperwork. A few taps on my phone and I’d entered my credit card and driver’s license info, picked up my car, and was ready to roll—without even stepping foot at the counter. Upon arrival, I was told my car would be waiting right out front. No F-12 this time! I was whisked away to my car and greeted by an associate who offered to help me with any features I might need assistance with. I asked for help connecting the Bluetooth and voilà! They walked me through it with the kind of patience usually reserved for people teaching grandmas how to use smartphones.

So, what’s the takeaway here? For the first company, good service met the basic expectations—yes, I got my car, my paperwork was handled, and I was on my way. However, it was not a great experience that ensured I’d remember and choose the brand long after I drove away. The second company gave me more than a car; they gave me an experience that stuck with me. And let’s be real, that’s the difference between getting what you expect and feeling like a VIP.

In today’s fast-paced, competitive business world, offering great customer service doesn’t cut it anymore. If you want to stand out and build real customer loyalty, you’ve got to go above and beyond by thinking of the customer experience. While “service” and “experience” are often tossed around like interchangeable buzzwords, they have some key differences that can make or break your business. Understanding this distinction is crucial for developing a strategy that keeps customers happy and secures long-term success.

What is Customer Service?

Customer service is answering the call when things go wrong. It’s reactive. You’ve got a problem, call customer service. They’ll swoop in and resolve it; whether it’s a broken product, a billing issue, or an account question. The goal is to solve the issue, get you on your way, and—hopefully—not have you come back with the same complaint again.

What is Customer Experience?

Customer experience (CX) on the other hand is the full shebang—the complete journey a customer has with your company across every touchpoint and interaction. It’s more than about just fixing problems; it’s about creating a relationship that makes them feel emotionally connected to your brand. From your first call to that follow-up email, CX covers it all. It’s about anticipating needs, making interactions smooth, and leaving a lasting impression that keeps customers positively talking about your brand.

Unlike customer service, which is reactive, customer experience is holistic and proactive. It’s about making the whole customer journey feel seamless, enjoyable, and—dare I say it—memorable. After all, who remembers the service rep who helped them once? But who wouldn’t remember the company that anticipated their needs before they even had to ask?

1. Understand the Entire Customer Journey: To elevate service into experience, first map out the entire customer journey. Look at every touchpoint—discovery, purchase, support, follow-up—and find ways to improve the experience at every stage. We recently did this exercise with some of our clients and it was a real eye-opener. We discovered that sometimes the easiest way to improve the experience was by correctly solving the problem, the first time—imagine that! Sharing this journey across the organization opens minds to what we can do in the moment for customers, which, spoiler alert, often leads to the "aha" moment of streamlining the process.
2. Personalize Interactions: Customers want to be seen as individuals, not just an order number. Personalization is key—whether it’s addressing them by name, remembering their past interactions, or offering tailored recommendations. As we always say, start with acknowledging. A personalized touch goes a long way in setting the stage for what’s to come. Just like that rental company that greeted me by name, welcomed me with a smile, and whisked me to my car—talk about making an impression!
3. Empower Your Team: A great customer experience hinges on your team’s ability to engage meaningfully with customers. Give them the tools, knowledge, and autonomy to go above and beyond. When your employees feel empowered, it not only boosts their satisfaction but also enriches customer experience. And here’s a little bonus: In my second car rental experience, the agent offered me an upgrade—just a casual $15 more per day and a 10-minute wait for a fancier ride. I didn’t take the offer, although I appreciated the gesture. That’s an experience, beyond just service! 
4. Continuously Gather Feedback: The best way to improve your customer experience is by listening to your customers. Regular feedback is essential—whether it’s surveys, social media comments, or just a casual chat. Use that info to make real improvements and show customers you’re always working to enhance their journey with you. 
5. Create Memorable Moments: Every interaction is an opportunity to surprise and delight your customers. Whether it’s a surprise follow-up email, an unexpected discount, or personalized recommendations, those little "wow" moments can make all the difference. Create experiences that exceed expectations and leave a lasting impression.

While customer service is like the trusty Swiss Army knife of problem-solving (it fixes things, gets you back on track), customer experience is the superhero cape that takes it all to the next level. It’s more than solving problems, it’s about making every single interaction with your brand memorable, enjoyable, and worth talking about.

To make the leap from customer service to customer experience, frontline teams need to understand that every interaction is an opportunity to create something special, not just check a box. It recognizes the full value of each moment and turns it into a positive memory that’ll have customers grinning (and maybe even bragging to their friends).

By focusing on experience over service, companies can transform casual customers into loyal fans; driving satisfaction, growth, and perhaps a few happy tears along the way. In today’s world, a great customer experience isn’t just a nice bonus—it’s the thing that keeps your brand in the race. So, let’s face it: if you’re not focusing on the experience, you’re missing out on the real magic.

All my best,
Dina

 

 

 

 

In her current capacity with Ulysses Learning, Dina is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company and also serves as the chief client relationship executive, working with Fortune 100 clients and other progressive organizations to redefine the way customers are cared for. Under her leadership, Ulysses has been recognized for its work in transforming customer service, sales and coaching cultures through the development of emotional intelligence or “EQ,” enabling reps to confidently, consistently and expertly handle each customer interaction. The company has focused expertise in serving the healthcare, insurance, utilities, and financial services industries. 

Before joining Ulysses in 2001, Dina was responsible for the ground-level startup of two contact centers to serve bankers including Fortune 100 clients First Chicago, Harris Bank, American Express and Citibank.  This led to her role as call center lead consultant and division manager for an international learning organization prior to Ulysses. Outside of work Dina is actively involved in local volunteerism and enjoys cooking, gardening and nature walks.

Dina can be reached on LinkedIn or at dvance@ulysseslearning.com; for more details on Ulysses Learning visit www.ulysseslearning.com

Challenge Solved! Is sponsored by:

Ulysses Learning was founded in 1995 as a joint venture with Northwestern University’s world-renowned Learning Sciences department. Since then, Ulysses’ continued focus on research and development has earned it prestigious awards and recognition and, most importantly, the respect from its clients who rely on Ulysses for innovative performance improvement solutions that change with their rapidly developing and evolving environments.

Contact centers achieve profound business results ahead of schedule with Ulysses Learnings’ artful blend of patented simulation-based e-learning, facilitated exercises, coaching, and technology-driven tools, that redefine the way customers are cared for and transform customer service, sales, and coaching cultures. Ulysses has one of the only training systems proven to build EQ with its proprietary Framework with Freedom© approach, enabling reps to develop skills to empathize with others, build stronger customer bonds, and improve team dynamics with confidence, consistency, and excellence.

Ulysses Learning is a multi-year recipient of the Gold Stevie© Award for the best contact center customer service training.

Begin your contact center transformation now. Phone 800-662-4066 or visit www.ulysseslearning.com to get started.