10th Customer-Experience Conference

(Best Practices: Chapel Hill, North Carolina) -- Many companies believe that they deliver superior customer experience, but far fewer customers agree with this assessment. Because the many elements that add up to the customer experience can have such a profound effect on business performance and profitability, many businesses are actively planning and managing the design and execution of these elements.

From sales contact, customer segmentation, and marketing approaches to call center operations, customer service levels, ease of online interactions, and knowledge management, businesses are seeking to improve the design of the customer experience and employing quality tools to do so.

At this conference, presentations and roundtables will focus on how quality thinking and processes are being applied to what many business leaders are coming to think of as the critical frontier in delivering and sustaining customer value.

We will examine how companies can improve their operations, competitive positioning, and profitability by intentionally managing the design and value of the customer experience.

Attendees will gain insight from listening to business leaders who have faced the challenges associated with design specification, measurement, and execution.

Best practice case studies
The following companies will be presenting best practice case studies on delivering quality customer experience.

Toyota: “Rejecter Studies: Building Customer Loyalty, Retention and Advocacy,” by Ron Broughman, corporate manager

In this case study, Ron Broughman, corporate manager from Toyota Motor Sales USA, presents the success story of a strategic customer experience tool undertaken to drive increased sales, close rates, and customer advocacy by retailers.

• Impact and results of rejecter studies on manufacturers and dealers

• Identifying customer shopping patterns: Why customers shop and purchase from a dealership

• Impact of “time” on customer experience

• Understanding the direct correlation between shopper satisfaction and close rates.

• Building greater loyalty, retention and loyalty through customer treatment

Hewlett Packard: “Achieving Results through Business Performance Chain,” by Gina Chen, program manager.

Hewlett-Packard takes customer experience seriously because they know superior customer experience leads to business results. HP Business Performance Chain helps identify and prioritize the processes that have a quantifiable effect on customer loyalty and related financial performance. Investments and improvements in areas identified through BPC led to proven business successes.

IBM: “User Design Center: What companies should do, but most don’t,” by Darryl Turner, vice president of client advocacy

Build it and they will come. That’s the expectation of companies when they build a Web site or any application you expect clients to use. But what’s the customer experience once they get there? Too often, that experience is less than stellar, and users get frustrated because they can’t easily navigate through the site or understand the content once they get there. That’s why it’s critical for companies to get users involved early in the development cycle—to avoid the pitfalls of not meeting customer expectations. In this session, Darryl Turner discusses best practices at IBM that ensure positive customer experiences.

Johnson & Johnson: “The Dimensions of Customer Engagement,” by Mark Suseck, executive director

Wells Fargo:To be announced by John Getz, senior vice president and marketing manager

For more information, visit www3.best-in-class.com/bestp/domrep.nsf/pages/6136413197559A13852571C5005FF83B!OpenDocument/p>

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