Crm Branded vs de-Branded Customer Experiences at Ikea and Staples
Branded vs. De-branded:
Customer Experiences at Ikea and Staples
By Sampson Lee, G-CEM
I recently had two unpleasant buying experiences. One was at Ikea, where I went to buy office furniture, and the other one was at Staples, whose online store I visited to buy a magazine rack. Every time I shop at Ikea, I swear I won’t be back again. But I keep coming back. On the contrary, it seems unlikely I will buy again at Staples. Why, if both delivered unpleasant experiences, does Ikea still win my loyalty? The In-store Customer Experience at Ikea Do you like shopping at Ikea? It’s not for me. However, I would say I am a loyal customer of Ikea – I keep going back and most of my office and home furnishings are from Ikea. Why? From far away you can see the giant Ikea building in the corporate colors – yellow and blue. Assuming you drive, you’ll find it’s difficult to locate a vacant space in the car park. As you step into the entrance, you find that the interior decoration is pretty attractive and stylish. A free paper ruler, plastic shopping bag and trolley are available for you as you start your DIY tour. The unique “one way” floor design of Ikea forces you to walk through every single display area: living room, dining room, kitchen, study, bedroom, washroom, kid’s room etc. There is no shortcut to your destination. In most cases, you have to spend hours at Ikea even to buy a single piece of furniture. The products are great in look and style, for most items the price is reasonable (at least to me, in the Chinese middle class). The different displays stimulate my shopping impulses and give me alternative ideas on how to decorate my home. I move chairs and tables around and test different combinations, I try out the products – this is the moment I enjoy most in the store. And I have to admit, the signage and labels are attractive, informative and help me to distinguish and choose among different items from various categories.
Customer service is very limited and
Customer Experiences at Ikea and Staples
By Sampson Lee, G-CEM
I recently had two unpleasant buying experiences. One was at Ikea, where I went to buy office furniture, and the other one was at Staples, whose online store I visited to buy a magazine rack. Every time I shop at Ikea, I swear I won’t be back again. But I keep coming back. On the contrary, it seems unlikely I will buy again at Staples. Why, if both delivered unpleasant experiences, does Ikea still win my loyalty? The In-store Customer Experience at Ikea Do you like shopping at Ikea? It’s not for me. However, I would say I am a loyal customer of Ikea – I keep going back and most of my office and home furnishings are from Ikea. Why? From far away you can see the giant Ikea building in the corporate colors – yellow and blue. Assuming you drive, you’ll find it’s difficult to locate a vacant space in the car park. As you step into the entrance, you find that the interior decoration is pretty attractive and stylish. A free paper ruler, plastic shopping bag and trolley are available for you as you start your DIY tour. The unique “one way” floor design of Ikea forces you to walk through every single display area: living room, dining room, kitchen, study, bedroom, washroom, kid’s room etc. There is no shortcut to your destination. In most cases, you have to spend hours at Ikea even to buy a single piece of furniture. The products are great in look and style, for most items the price is reasonable (at least to me, in the Chinese middle class). The different displays stimulate my shopping impulses and give me alternative ideas on how to decorate my home. I move chairs and tables around and test different combinations, I try out the products – this is the moment I enjoy most in the store. And I have to admit, the signage and labels are attractive, informative and help me to distinguish and choose among different items from various categories.
Customer service is very limited and