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🤠 Hey, Hey, Howdy! 🤠

Happy first day of August! How are your end of month reports going?

I’m back in full swing after a much needed vacation. Of course I can never turn off my CX brain and It was kind of the cruise from hell between the IT outages and technical difficulties, don’t worry I go into full details below. 😉

You also probably know I can’t sit still for long so I’m looking for all my NYC CX peeps for a happy hour or maybe even a podcast episode or two next week! Send this to all your big apple friends and I’ll see you in August. 🗽🍎

TTYL! 💘

📷️ Digital Experience News 📷️

Sure, earning loyalty points is cool. I’ll never turn down a free meal or drink. But if I can earn said points by playing a game? Sign. Me. Up. 

Burger King is on a mission to increase guest loyalty, and they have done so through their new online and in-app game; Balloon Burst. The game gives loyalty members a way to earn points and enter a sweepstakes, all while having a bit of fun. 🎮

Earning points by spending money is cool and all and gives customers a reason to drop some extra cash. However, giving people a game to play gets them excited to open your app, thus increasing their loyalty and brand awareness. 

Preston Nix, director of loyalty and customer relationship management at Burger King, says that this gamification of their loyalty system has started to drive positive sentiment toward the brand. This increase in engagement has led to an increase in store visits, increasing profit for the brand. 

Now, I may be a bit biased, but I think games are the way to go 🕹️ CX can - and should - be fun! Should I throw it back to my streaming days with a live review of Balloon Burst? 🤔🤔🤔

What my cruise taught me about CX

Sooooooo, I recently went on a cruise with my family, and wow, it was something else—mostly for not-so-great reasons. My inner customer experience nerd couldn't help but notice all the ways the experience could've been better. Here's the short and sweet: it all came down to a lack of transparency and communication.

Our trip kicked off with an IT outage that messed up some of my family member’s flights. We made it to Orlando as planned (shoutout to Southwest!!), but some of my cousins had to scramble. Then, we got a text from Norwegian Cruise Line saying our cruise was delayed by a day due to the outage and maybe(?) some engine issues. The text was full of typos, which was... not great. They kept sending it without fixing the errors, which didn’t help build trust.

They sent an email later explaining the changes and offered compensation like $100 onboard credit and reimbursements for hotels and flights. It was a decent effort, but the mood was already tense. The lack of clear guidance left everyone stressed out and unsure what to do while waiting.

Once on the ship, our departure was delayed again with little to no announcements. It was frustrating not knowing what was happening. At one point, there was even a wild incident where two passengers got into a heated argument, and it escalated quickly. They were screaming at each other, and people started filming and it got to the point where other passengers had to step in to keep them from getting physical because there was no security in sight. It felt like forever before security finally showed up, and when they did, they strolled in laughing and with zero urgency. It was alarming and made everyone question the safety measures onboard.

The communication issues continued. People were antsy, especially when they weren’t getting any clear updates. They were cutting in line, trying to get off the boat, demanding refunds, and just generally not having a good time. At one point, they announced we were leaving soon, but there was a long wait for the Coast Guard to do some checks. Knowing all these steps were necessary, a heads-up would've been nice instead of leaving us in the dark. It just added to the frustration.

The cruise's app was another letdown. For $10, you could use onboard messaging, but it only worked if everyone paid for it. Plus, the app didn’t have push notifications, so you had to keep checking it manually. It was a hassle and not very user-friendly. On top of that, they were out of a lot of items, from drinks to food, which was surprising and disappointing.

Dinner reservations were another nightmare. With excursions canceled, everyone was stuck on the ship, and the dining spots were overbooked. It was just one thing after another. Despite everything, the staff did try their best, but it felt like they were waiting for directions rather than taking initiative.

The whole situation made me think about how important it is to handle these kinds of experiences thoughtfully. They offered 20% off the next cruise as compensation, but that didn’t sit well with a lot of people, especially those who might never want to cruise with Norwegian again after this trip. It felt tone-deaf to offer a discount on a future cruise when the current one was such a mess.

The damage to the cruises’s brand is immeasurable. There were hundreds of passengers turning to social media ripping on their experience and countless more telling their friends and family about their horrendous experience. How many first time Norwegian customers will refuse to ever take a trip with them again?

Here’s what I would do if I worked for Norwegian:

• Provide proactive updates on delays and reasons behind them - without typos!

• Clearly outline compensation options and perks for inconveniences

• Offer free or discounted excursions, activities, or entertainment

• Extend complimentary dining experiences and access to specialty restaurants

• Provide free drinks or enhance existing drink packages

• Offer free or discounted internet and onboard messaging services

• Organize exclusive events like extended karaoke hours or themed parties

• Offer free spa services or wellness activities like yoga sessions

• Distribute complimentary branded merchandise and in-room surprises

• Set up a dedicated customer service desk for handling complaints

• Ensure staff is well-trained and empathetic in dealing with dissatisfied guests

• Provide substantial discounts or free cruises for future trips

• Offer vouchers or credits for onboard spending on future cruises

• Ensure visible and proactive security presence during disturbances

• Send personalized apology letters or emails from senior management

• Offer a direct line of communication with a dedicated customer experience representative

Despite the chaos, the cruise was a good reminder of the importance of empathy and transparency in customer service. Businesses need to think creatively and proactively about how to make up for bad experiences. Sometimes, a little gesture, like extending an hour of karaoke or offering some free swag, can go a long way in making customers feel valued.

For me personally, the cruise was a much-needed break, despite the drama. It was great to unplug and relax, even if the experience was far from perfect and I’m grateful for the time off. I hope the cruise crew were also given some time to recuperate from the not so chill trip.

🎙️ LET’S LAUGH ABOUT IT 🎙️

CX Job Board 👩‍💻

Here are some jobs in CX we found this week. If you or your company is hiring, let us know and we can add It next week!

📆Upcoming Events 📆

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Don’t wait, book your free audit with the Inevitable Agency team!