CX Day Committee Profiles
Aimee Lucas, CX Transformist and Vice President, Temkin Group 
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
So many to choose from! I appreciate little details that bring a smile to my face – like a thoughtfully packaged delivery when I order online. I ordered a bag from Alesya Bags – arrived beautifully wrapped and boxed with a card in a small envelope nestled inside that read, “Thank you for buying a bag, you fabulous person, you. We truly hope this purchase not only completes, but transforms your outfits.” It made such an impression I took a picture of the packaging and kept the card, and have since shared the picture and story with many of my friends.
Annette Franz Gleneicki, Director, Customer Experience Management, Confirmit
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
I’ve blogged about this twice now because I’ve been twice in the last two years: Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus exemplifies a great customer experience!
Ben Easaw, President, Revesis, LLC
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
During a CX strategy session with a client that is the largest provider of drapery and event services across the nation, I asked the CEO who his customer is. The company has been around for about 25 years and deals some of the top tier events and clientele. I was surprised to see him sit back in his chair, really think hard for a moment and say, “I have no idea.” Later in the engagement he told me that was a watershed moment for him when realized he could not define who is customers were.
Deirdre Sommerkamp, Senior Project Manager, Consulting Services, Qvidian, Inc.
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
One of my favorite customer experience moments happened six months after a consulting engagement. I received a phone call from a customer who informed me she received a promotion and felt it was because of the impact our work had in their organization. She was grateful for our expertise as well as how easy it was to do business with us.
Denise Bahil, AVP Client Insights & Decision Support, Scottrade, Inc.
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
I recently ordered kids’ shoes from Twig. Shortly after the shoes arrived, Twig’s co-owner emailed me. After thanking me for my purchase, the email went on to say:
“Our job however, is not complete. We want to make sure you are entirely satisfied with the shoes. Are you noticing any red marks on your child’s feet that may be caused by an incorrect shoe size? Is your child tripping more than usual? If so, please reply to this email, and let us know.”
Knowing that my children may not recognize a poor fit, Twig equipped me with the knowledge to identify it. I know where I’m ordering my kids’ shoes next time!
Ginger Conlon, Editor-in-Chief, Direct Marketing News
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
My daughter and I went to American Eagle Outfitters in Times Square to shop for jeans (for her). The associate who helped us was so knowledgeable, helpful, and enthusiastic that we purchased far more than we’d planned. She clearly loves the brand and enjoys working there, and it showed in her whole approach and attitude.
Jeannie Walters, Chief Customer Experience Investigator/CEO, 360Connext
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
I used to make a monthly business trip and have to drive to a rural part of Oklahoma. I arrived around 11:30 at night after a 2 hour drive, exhausted and hungry. There was no room service or kitchen, but after about 2 months, the night clerk started recognizing me and would put aside some of the food they put out during their evening reception and save a little plate for me. It was the warmest welcome I could receive at that time, and I’ve never forgotten how meaningful it was to have someone recognize not only me, but what I really needed in that moment. I always stayed in that hotel for that trip, and even after that night clerk left, they made sure I felt welcome every month.
Jennifer MacIver Edwards, VP Customer Programs and Operations, Thunderhead.com
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
I had a doctor who did not take my insurance, yet proactively provided me coverage, and did not ask me to pay the difference. He cared about his patients and the integrity of his work so much that he made a business decision to forgo the extra money. It is authenticity like that, where people and organizations are empowered to help others and make a difficult situation a better one, that I draw on when solving particularly difficult customer experience challenges. I ask myself, how would you want to be treated?
Jim Rembach, Chief Spokesman, Customer Relationship Metrics
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
One of my favorites happened when my wife was pregnant with our second child. She was about 7-months along and began to experience pre-term labor issues. We were out of town. Yikes! So we had to go to a small hospital in rural South Carolina. Pulling up to the hospital you could tell the outside had not been updated since the 1950s. Our tension increased. Once we were checked in we were escorted to the maternity ward. When the doors opened it was like we were teleported into another world. Everything was brand new. They even had chandeliers in the hall way. Eventually all turned out well and we got a memorable lesson in not judging a book by its cover.
Jim Tincher, Customer Experience Practice Lead, SMS Research Advisors; Heart of the Customer
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
I was tasked to create a customer experience program at a Health Savings Account provider (one of the lowest-engagement products ever!). After analyzing focus groups, the world’s worst satisfaction survey and employer interviews, I led the creation of a quarterly education email. Not only did we get terrific comments from both account holders and employers, participants deposited nearly a half million dollars as a result of an educational article on tax savings. My boss summed it up perfectly when he said, “Hey, this customer experience stuff works!”
Karl Sharicz, Customer Experience Lead, SimplexGrinnell
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
Visiting Chicago, I recalled a song by the Rolling Stones titled 2120 South Michigan Avenue and I plugged it into my GPS and it took me to what was the old Chess Records Studio, now a museum. It was closed but being a musical fanatic and musician I was thrilled to even be there. I rang the bell in any case and a woman came down and let me in and gave my wife and I a personal tour along with trinkets and memorabilia to take away. And, the woman happened to be the daughter of blues legend Willie Dixon!
Lonnie Mayne, President, Mindshare Technologies
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
One of my sons had taken a fall while dismounting his bunk bed, which resulted in an urgent trip to the hospital. In the middle of this very negative experience, one member of the hospital’s nursing staff singlehandedly reminded us how good life is among friends. Lance Evans talked my son through his recovery and put the entire hospital at his service. When Lance left the room after his first visit, my son immediately said, “Dad, he’s cool!” Lance’s warm, informal, and respectful manner turned a frightening hospitalization into a comfortable visit with a new friend. I’ll never forget it.
Nancy Porte, VP, Customer Experience, Verint
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
Recently, I bought my daughter a pair of nice earrings as a “congratulations for your new job!” gift. After a few months, she noticed that they were irritating her ears. We went back to the store and the manager noticed that, although the earrings were gold, the earring backs were made of plastic. She offered my daughter gold earring backs at no charge. And she didn’t stop there. Just to assure the earrings weren’t defective; she presented a brand new pair of earrings identical to the first pair! Impressive service – and two new, loyal customers!
Rhonda Basler, Director, Customer Engagement, Hallmark Business Connections
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
Elf Duty Breakdown: My standard procedure for buying Christmas gifts for my children is to order everything online, ship it to my husband’s office and wrap it there. A couple of years ago, I was wrapping everything on Christmas Eve and realized I was missing a toy. When I called Amazon and told “Bob” that I was missing something, he looked at my account and quickly said, “Oh my. You have two children, only one bow and arrow and tomorrow is Christmas morning.” I had not told him what I was missing or why it was important, but “Bob” figured it out by looking at my order. I was so impressed that he had such empathy, that it didn’t matter to me that on Christmas Eve his only solution was to help me find a local retailer who had it in stock.
Sheryl Warren, Corporate Vice President, New York Life Insurance Company
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
After a 7-hour delay at one airport I arrived at my local airport to more inclement weather and limited car service. Five minutes into my 30 minute ride the driver took an unfamiliar turn, 2 minutes later we were stuck on a flooded highway for 2 hours. The driver acknowledged the unlucky turn, empathized with my frustration and exhaustion then insisted that I have one of his chocolate bars. He miraculously transported me to a small town outside Cancun, Mexico where he planned to retire; where the homes were small and the people were friendly and happy. I didn’t eat the chocolate bar then but 7 days later when I was stuck in another bad situation, sheer hunger; I enjoyed it while thinking about that memorable experience.
Tim Keough, Vice President, Pershing LLC, a BNY Mellon Company
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
Early in my civilian career when I was a manager at a leading rental car organization, a customer reserved a Cadillac on Christmas Eve, but we did not have any available. He continued to be very distraught despite being offered several other premium cars at a significantly discounted rate. He finally explained that he was going to propose to his girlfriend that evening and he had the entire evening planned out…including the Cadillac. We found a Cadillac and had it delivered to his address. The importance of truly understanding your customer’s needs was forever seared into my mind.
Valory Myers, Marketing Research Director, Defender Direct (Protect Your Home)
What is one of your all-time favorite customer experience moments?
My niece, who is the second oldest of 6 kids, was excited to be celebrating her 7th birthday, but was a little worried that the event might get lost in the shuffle of our family vacation to Disney World. When we arrived at the hotel, she was blown away to be presented with a special “It’s my birthday” badge with her name on it. She proudly wore it all week and experienced magical moments from cast members and characters calling her by name and wishing her a happy birthday to a sweet treat at every dining experience! Consistent delight!