Kick-start for the KLM Customer Experience Organization

The Challenge Because of high financial pressure and other reasons, KLM has chosen to transform into a customer experience (CX) focused company. This means that the customer should be set central in every phase of the airline’s processes, services, innovation projects etc. Therefore, new teams and organizational structures will be formed. Although this transformation is already happening, the daily practice of the future CX teams is still very unclear. The current very technical and process-driven way of thinking and working should be replaced by a customer centric approach. This challenge was described by KLM as “what will happen on the first day, when the CX organization is ready to start? How can we make sure that our way of working then changes? And what means ‘working in a customer centric way’?” Starting with this problem definition, the graduation assignment was described as: “Design a platform and strategy to facilitate the change of daily project practices to a CX focused way of thinking and working in KLM.” Research Findings After exploring the transformation of KLM, literature research, external and internal research were conducted. The literature study found e.g. that KLM’s strategy, to focus on customer intimacy as one of three strategic value disciplines, is a by competition imposed strategy into a ‘red ocean’ (Kim & Mauborgne, 2005). This is because competitors like Ryanair also start to focus on a tailor-made, intimate approach towards customers. The role of designers can be seen as creating the ‘New Workplace Experience’, while facilitating the internal change. The use of tools and methods as ‘boundary objects’ (Carlile, 1997, 2002, 2004) can help to research, visualize and create a CX by enhancing knowledge exchange. External research with 13 interviews in corporates and agencies focusing on CX, provided insights about the formation of a CX organization and the daily work in it. Results show that the mind-set to work customer focused is characterized by aspects like empathy and curiosity, a trial and error approach, handling uncertainties and team work with several stakeholders. Various skills are important to improve a CX, e.g. understanding abstract information while creating tangible results from it, basing decisions on CX data and working transparently beyond the boundaries of departments. Furthermore, a range of customer centered tools and methods was collected (e.g. storyboards, customer journey mapping and role play). After researching supportive project management, the facilitator role, and structural changes, in the next step the question of ‘how to introduce a CX focus in an organization’ is examined. The findings are clustered in top-down and bottom-up measures, such as spreading the CX vision in every department, while translating the story into ‘department languages’ (top-down). Bottom-up e.g. a project-based learning by doing approach can help to let employees find their own way to improve the CX. Informal routines within teams can help to trigger a new way of thinking and working. After the ‘ideal CX organization’ has been researched, a comparison with the internal status of KLM was done. As results several potential challenges for different positions and teams in KLM have been found. E.g. future CX Managers will have to find agreements with a wide range of stakeholders. In the cross-functional CX team, the various department representatives are challenged to ‘spread the CX virus’ to their project teams, which might not see their link to a CX. Those teams e.g. will also need to learn methods to research and communicate a CX. Designed solutions In an iterative process a range of solutions was created to trigger a CX focused way of thinking and working in KLM. A crowdsource campaign within KLM will lead to a digital toolkit to share CX methods. This makes tools & methods easily accessible, invites different departments and individuals to reflect on the own impact on CX, increases the knowledge exchange within KLM and uses practical examples to trigger a customer centric thinking among employees. By introducing the concept of CX Labs, i.e. physical spaces to co-create with customers, an inspiring atmosphere for teams and customers is created, which makes the change of KLM to a CX organization visible and tangible. This concept can easily be connected to trainings and other initiatives within KLM. It was developed and prototyped in the Non-Schengen KLM lounge at Schiphol airport. As means to implement the new rules of working in KLM, a new informal ‘Networker’ role was created and rotating leadership was proposed. These measures use the social aspect of organizational change, e.g. by making change a social event as Networker of a team. The boundary to learn via direct customers contact can be overcome with a playful approach, as well as the boundaries to address teamwork problems directly. Thus the dialogue between different parties can be eased with the proposed means. Overall the designed solutions and the CX Lab prototype were evaluated very positively and as useful measures to change daily practices towards being more customer centric. First steps were taken to implement them, e.g. with a follow-up CX Lab customer session in the KLM lounge.