Ever had a ‘life’ moment that teaches you something bigger about how you run your business? Mine happened in Waitrose. It reminded me of the importance of customer experience in your interior design business. How customer service, customer experience, and customer success each play a different role – and why understanding the difference can transform the way you work with your clients.
Here’s what happened… and how you can apply it to your interior design business.
What ‘Grocery Jenga’ reminded me about customer experience in your Interior Design Business.
You might recognise this familiar tale.
I normally shop at Aldi and top up with ‘extras’ at Sainsbury’s (conveniently en-route from Aldi to home). This week though, I went into Tesco.
I immediately felt a little anxious, unsure of the store layout and where to find the groceries I needed. It was noisy and distracting, and I came out without a couple of things I needed for dinner.
Of course, I didn’t realise that I had forgotten key ingredients until I was half-way home. Rats. I decided to detour to the closest supermarket to my house – Waitrose.
I do love Waitrose. It’s calm aisles, well stocked shelves, pleasant staff. Not so much the prices. It’s a bit too expensive for the ‘big shop’ – meaning I reserve it for treats. Still, needs must. I zipped in for my missing items.
Cue the unavoidable truth: if I confidently enter a supermarket knowing I don’t need a basket, I will inevitably pick up more than I can easily carry, and perform a kind of juggling, balancing act to the nearest till.
Have you done this? Wedged a packet of mixed salad leaves under your arm pit, stacked tubs of yoghurt against your chest and – oooo, that humous looks nice, let me just grab that…do you know I think we’re low on mayonnasie – I’ll get a jar, and, oh, my favourite fresh bread… I’ve even asked a complete stranger to bag a loaf and load it on top of my tower of groceries. True story.
This day was no different. I thought I had it under control, but the bag of fresh pasta was slippery. It shifted towards the shiny floor.
I paused to re-set. Putting down the 24-can pack of diet-coke (yes, I know). It was at this moment that a member of staff appeared around the corner and, spotting me mid food shuffle, immediately asked “Can I help you madam?”.
“Erm, I only popped in for one thing. Should have got a trolley…erm, yes, please.” I mumbled to the floor, expecting him to produce a basket from thin air. But instead, he swept in, no sign of judgement at my lack of planning, grabbed the drinks and ushered me to an empty check-out – which he opened especially for me. He discreetly pressed the button on his headset to report that “I’m just hopping on the till to help a lady who was struggling with her shopping”.
I felt seen. And very well looked after. And thankful. Suddenly, there’s so much more than just the price of goods in play. This is experience leaves me warm, and glowy, and more likely to shop here.
This got me thinking… what actually happened here? Was it just good service, or something more? There’s a subtle, but important, difference between customer service, customer experience, and customer success. Once you understand how they work together, you’ll never look at your client journey the same way again.
The different customer experiences in your interior design business
I’ve worked in customer service (as a global program manager for Customer Service and Support at Microsoft) and there’s an important (and slightly nerdy) distinction between customer service, customer experience, and customer success.
- Customer service is reactive. It’s how we respond when someone’s struggling (or complaining).
- Customer experience is the overall journey. Everything a customer sees, hears, and feels when they work with you – from your website to how you hand over a project.
- Customer success is proactive. This is the magic. It’s about anticipating what the client might need before they even realise it.
My experience in Waitrose ticked all three. It was great service – a friendly face jumping in to help, and it was a lovely experience – calm, human, helpful. It was also customer success in action. Mr Waitrose spotted what I needed before I asked, and elevated the experience.
A basket would have gone down well, but escorting me to the till and helping me complete my task with ease? That’s gold.
What these differences mean for Interior Designers?
What can we learn from this as interior designers? I think we often obsess about the obvious moments. The design presentation, the installation, the ta-da at reveal. All are important, but it’s the little things you can do that will build long-term loyalty and repeat business. It’s how you make your client feel.
The customer experience in your interior design business should be front and centre of how you work. If not, go back to the drawing board and make sure you nail these elements first. These are essential for building your reputation and a thriving interior design business.
Customer Service: The reactive moments
Customer service: The reactive part – how you respond when your client has a question, concern, or wobble.
Consider if it’s easy for a customer to ask a question. Have you created a relationship, and built rapport, so that if your client has a concern they’ll feel comfortable to raise it with you? This is so important – the sooner you know about problems, the quicker you can find solutions and fix them.
Do your customers know the right way to voice their worries (via email, on-site, by phone or WhatsApp)? And do you have a solid process in place to handle, and document, any complaints or issues your client experiences?
What do your Terms & Conditions say about parting ways should things go belly up? Make sure it’s clear how each party can terminate the contract – and what monies remain due.
Customer Experience: The end to end client journey
Customer experience in your interior design business: The whole journey – every touchpoint from first enquiry to final invoice, and how it all makes your client feel.
It’s key to remember that renovation (especially where building work is involved) is foreign to most clients. They might not have done it before – don’t assume your customers know what’s going on.
Everything from initial enquiry, welcome pack, design process to handover should be clear and easy to follow.
Examine how you serve your clients. Perhaps reach out and ask past customers how they felt working with you? Or show a friend or business contact your documentation – is it obvious to them what you mean and how things work? It’s easy to slip into renovation or design jargon without realising it.
Each touch point between your business and your clients should be friction free. If you have a team, or sub-contractors, are they also dealing with your clients the way you want them to?
You can weave great customer experience into all of your processes and outputs. This might include regular check-ins, or scheduled email updates, and extra touches like branded folders and literature, as well as how you present mood boards and design packs.
Post project it can include a further check-in, and customer surveys and requests for feedback. You might also consider a documented complaints procedure and/or a vision of how you want clients to feel working with you.
How about documenting targets that set out your standards (or service level agreements as we called them at Microsoft)? For example, how long it takes you to respond to an initial enquiry, or to follow up an email from a client. Or the anticipated timeframes to move from one part of the design process to another.
Many designers include this customer journey (and what to expect) in an info or welcome pack that clients receive when they sign up. Communication and transparency are key. For you, as the designer, having a defined process and target timeframes will keep you streamlined and working efficiently. Added bonus – a project that runs on time, gets paid on time – meaning you can better forecast your income.
Customer Success: The Proactive Magic of the customer experience in your Interior Design Business.
Customer success: The proactive part – anticipating what a client might need before they know they need it.
My personal mantra is that a client should never ask you for information, or be chasing for an update. Here are three ways you can focus on customer success:
- Anticipate the wobble.If you know your client will likely panic before planning permission, or feel overwhelmed at install – tell them in advance. Prepare them, walk them through it, and be their calm in the chaos. Don’t wait to be asked.
- If you see your client struggling with decisions, too many emails, or budget anxiety – jump in. Offer to summarise, simplify, or make a choice for them.
- Make it feel easy. Even when the process is complex behind the scenes, your client should feel like it’s seamless. That’s ‘experience’ design – not just interior design.
Great design gets you hired, but great customer success is what can get you re-hired.
Questions to reflect on
It’s worth asking:
- Where can I add more ease to my client’s journey?
- What are they feeling (not just thinking) at each stage of the project?
- How can I be one step ahead, and support my client through my design process?
- How do I make it fun for my client – even during a stressful build?
If you enjoyed reading about the importance of placing your customer at the centre of your work, you might also enjoy this article on how to get repeat business (and why its gold). Or how about Six Smarter ways to Manage your time?
How I can help you
If you want support shaping the customer experience in your interior design business – this is exactly the work I can do with you in my mentoring and coaching packages.
I’m Lisa Honiball, Business Coach & Mentor. I provide calm business guidance to established Interior Designers.
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