The Impact of Customer Experience for Your Business with Ruby Mora of Blueprint CX

Episode 54 • 18th November 2024 • Beabosscoaching • Beatriz Rivera

Hi everybody and welcome to another episode of the Be A Boss Coaching Podcast. In this episode, I interview Ruby Mora. Ruby Mora is the founder of Blueprint CX. Blueprint CX specializes in helping small businesses, startups and corporate support operation teams optimize and enhance their customer experience.

With over a decade of experience in customer service and operations, she is an empathic data driven CCXP certified customer experience strategist and servant operations leader. Haven't been one of the earliest operations employees of a hyper growth startup. She played key roles in shaping, scaling and optimizing various call center departments and functions.

In addition to leading Blueprint CX, Ruby currently works for a tech startup managing the support customer experience of a specific customer group.

Ruby is passionate about crafting exceptional customer journeys and helping businesses build strong, loyal relationships with their customers. I'm so excited for you to learn more about Ruby, understand customer experience, and know how you can employ your customer experience into your overall business strategy.

Enjoy the show.

Alright, so we are officially recording. I am so excited. Thank you so much, Ruby for agreeing to come on to the be a boss coaching podcast. I have had such a lovely time working with you. And I'm sure we'll get into it and talking about our work together and what we've done. So far, I, I still plan to work with you.

And, uh, but To get us going into the conversation. I'd like you to introduce yourself. And, and then we can just get started. Tell us a little bit about you and we'll, we'll take it from there.

Great. Yeah. Thank you for having me. And I've also loved working with you. So it's been such a great experience being able to support your business and yeah, happy to continue working together and excited to see where this continues to go. Um, so I guess just to start, I'm Ruby Mora. I am a customer experience professional and consultant.

I am the founder of Blueprint CX, which is a customer experience and operations consultancy that's focused on helping small businesses and startups in up leveling their customer experience and streamlining their business operations. And I guess just a little bit about me. Um, outside of that, uh, I have a pet rabbit.

His name is Dewey and I like meditating, thrift shopping, um, spending time outdoors. So that's just a little bit about me.

Awesome. Well, I'm glad you told us that because I was going to ask you. If you could share anything that maybe you haven't shared before that you'd like listeners to know So that's really cool. So I didn't know you had a pet rabbit. You said his name is Dewey

And he

Oh my god, so cute He's nine Wow. Oh my god, I That's a very long time to have a rabbit.

I remember I had a rabbit for a really brief time and he ran away. So, yeah, it was, I was really young. I was, I don't know, probably 14 or something. That is so cute. But, and then you also said you like thrifting.

yes. One of my favorite stores. I don't know if it's I don't know exactly where the others are located, but there's a store called Savers here that I really like to go to. Um, yeah, it's just one of my favorite things to do. Like, a lot of what I wear is, is thrifted, just cause. I don't know. There's something about like finding things that other people have worn, whereas like if you go into the store, it's like, they're all the same pieces and it just feels special.

Mm hmm.

Yeah, I hear you. I love thrifting too. I have a shoe repair shop with my dad and because of that, because he's, he's very, he's a great person. He, he, it's not just shoes, it's shoes, bags, belts, things like that. But usually when I go to a thrift store, I go straight to the shoes and the bags because I know if I find something I like, I can for sure, 100%.

Fix whatever's wrong with it, and uh, so I like having, knowing that I have a dad who, who can do that, but it just makes thrifting so much more enjoyable, but also, like, finding unique and clothes that you would never find anywhere else. Um, so yeah, totally get that for sure. Well, thank you for sharing. You said you love meditating too, right?

You said meditating?

Yes. I do a lot of meditation, just like mindfulness practices. And then I also like doing EFT, which is like the tapping, um, meditations. So yeah, it's just something I've been doing for a while. I feel like it helps a lot with like, everything, you know, having your, your mindset and being able to be in control of your actions and your emotions.

I, yeah, I feel like that's just helped me a lot. So it's something that I, I practice on a daily basis.

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for sharing. I, I'm curious and you know, we, so just for listeners who, who are tuning in. I, I've been working with Ruby, but I, what I'm really excited about talking to you about today, Ruby is just getting to know you as a person. And, and I know we'll talk about customer experience and why that is so valuable in business, but I'm, I was more looking forward to getting to know more of you and getting to see who Ruby is.

So can you tell us, uh, First, how you got into customer experience. But, um, if you can take it back to even maybe before you got into customer experience, what was something that maybe was indicative of the fact that You might be going into customer experience or I mean Tell me more a little bit like where did you go to school?

And did you go to school for customer experience? That that's my other question too.

Sure. Yeah. So I guess, um, there wasn't really something that was an indicator. I mean, I did it before graduating college and before getting a full time job. I did always work in customer service roles and I always really liked it because I, I feel like you just have these experiences with people that are so brief and they're so mundane.

But like, in that experience, you have the chance to make someone's day. And that always felt really nice to me that like, doing something really small could just like, Make somebody's day better. And so that always made me really happy and it was something that I liked. So I guess in a sense, I always knew that it was something that I, that I enjoyed and was good at.

Um, but I actually, when I went to, um, school, that that's not originally what I had gone in for. So I went to, um, UC Berkeley. Originally I went in, um, with a focus on biology and, um, I did that for a little bit, um, and then ended up switching my major over to American studies because I, by being there and just getting a lot of additional information on the way that our societal structures impact people and the way that the country is run just through the, um, extra classes that I took that were, you know, the extracurriculars to my major.

I just realized that there was so much that I didn't understand before about how we're also impacted by, by all of these things that we kind of just take for granted. And so, um, I went into American studies and I was thinking at that point that maybe I would do something in public policy or something like that.

, But then when I graduated, , I ended up just getting a job just cause I needed a job. , and it wasn't specifically in what I thought I was going to do, but it was just. Something that, that it was like an entry level position that I was able to do. And, um, ultimately that position wasn't a good fit cause I, you know, was having to commute a lot and it didn't pay very well.

So I ended up leaving and starting at the company, uh, where I grew into a customer experience position. So it kind of just happened because I started, In an entry level role. So at that new company, I started as a customer service agent. And again, it was something that I was looking at as. At first, just a, a job, like just a job to have while I was still figuring out exactly what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go.

But I realized while I was there, how happy it made me to be interacting with customers. Because again, I, I'd always really liked that, but when you're a customer service agent, it's a lot more fast paced. So you're doing it constantly. And me being an introvert, I feel like I always would get in just.

normal social interactions day to day, uh, I would be kind of closed off. And so I wasn't having, having all of these like really great interactions with strangers. But then when I was like on the phone with customers, it was like very nice moments of people being friendly and happy and getting to make them feel good.

Um, so I, Just really loved that job. And so I continued to stay in it. And it was, um, when I started, it was a very small startup. So it grew very quickly while I was there and being on the customer service team, I got to actually build out a lot of the different procedures and structures and functions and set the standards for what the, um, customer service was supposed to be like.

And so I continued to take on more and more there. And. Then grew into a role where my focus was primarily on operational optimization and customer experience. So yeah, it wasn't, it wasn't originally the plan, but it kind of just happened. I, you know, I went into something, giving it my all and I ended up finding something that I really loved.

And while I was. They're growing at, at that company, there were opportunities to branch out into different areas of, of the company. And of course I could have, you know, left to go to another company as well, or like switch careers, but I just enjoyed it so much that I didn't want to work anywhere else.

Like I didn't see myself working in any other part of the company and just wanted to continue to work. build out that experience because especially when you're working at a startup, you get to really see your impact. And so I could see directly how the things that I was doing and when I was working on were directly impacting customers in it at a large scale at one point.

So it was just, Really exciting. And it kept me feeling motivated and engaged. And so I continued to work on that. And then after about five years at the company, I ended up getting really sick. Um, I got long COVID so I had to take some time off to recover. And as I started getting better, I, um, decided to take on a consulting client, which then led me to starting Blueprint CX.

And. Now, um, we're here, I'm, you know, I have Blueprint, I have some clients, I'm working with you and then I am also still working full time at a different company now, um, in customer experience. So it wasn't the plan, but it's something that I really enjoy, uh, that makes me happy. So, um, yeah, I'm just continuing to, to follow that path because it, it does feel fulfilling to me.

Oh,

sharing. I You know, I kind of had a sense. You might be an introvert I'm an introvert too for sure. Um, but I I like that even though that is You identify as an introvert you still much enjoy interacting with customers right and and and building a um A phenomenal customer experience and really being intentional about that, and I think it continues to speak because I've been having conversations with other fellow introverts as well, who are identifying as introverts, right?

But have, um, a, there's a passion for impacting people's lives in a positive way, in a deep way, and in an intentional way. And I think it makes sense that you, as an introvert who is very Passionate about your work. You're passionate about the experience of others. Um, so it makes sense to me and and you're very good at it.

So, thank you for sharing how you came into the world of customer experience and how that can impact the growth of a business. I know you alluded to it a little bit in terms of the way that it unfolded at the startup that you were that you were working at. Uh, and The other thing that I just want to mention before I move on to the next point is you are the second person I talked to that went to UC Berkeley.

Um, and that it was my dream school and I still hold the resentment that they rejected me for undergrad. So, so I, I, I'm so proud of you. I'm so glad that you went to UC Berkeley. Um, what was that experience like, by the way, just like, To live vicariously through you, what was your experience in UC Berkeley?

well, to be honest, it was it was hard. Um, I, you know, I, I come from a, you know, I don't come from a background that a lot of the students do. You know, a lot of them went to really good high schools and have, you know, families that signed them up for all of these extracurricular activities. And I went to a project improvement school.

So my high school was like, not a great high school. And so when I started there, I felt so behind because I felt like, um, I didn't, No, like I hadn't learned how to study and I hadn't learned, you know, just how rigorous school can be because the school that I had gone to when I was, you know, in high school, it wasn't at that same.

Like, it wasn't that same level of rigor. So it was definitely an adjustment for me. And I know for a lot of other people, um, to go into that kind of environment. It's. very competitive. Um, but it is a really good school. I feel like it taught me a lot. I feel like it really broadened my perspective on the world and, um, just gave me a lot more of an understanding of other people that I don't think I would have gotten.

If I, if I hadn't gone there, um, and it's, of course, it's a really beautiful campus. I, I really loved being there and getting to walk around and all the trees. Um, but yeah, so I feel like it's, it's kind of a, my experience is kind of complicated just because I, I did feel like I struggled there for a bit adjusting to, to the rigor of the school.

Yeah. I hear you. I hear you. I, uh, I had a similar experience going to, just going to college also, and I went to an all women's school and also had gone to a high school that didn't really teach us how to study also. And, uh, I remember this one fact that I think it still holds true today, where it's for every hour of classes that you take.

You're supposed to study, I think, seven hours for like, for every hour. So I thought that was insane. And, um, and so college in general was hard for me as well, but, I think it's always, I like to hear the perspectives of other, other students who went to college, especially, College like UC Berkeley or UCLA or like other types of schools that, you know, have, this status, right?

And I always get curious about what their curriculum is like, what their, what their expectations are of the students. And, um, but I mean, I think. Every student or every person has their own, unique experience. And, um, but I can, I can relate to the, the rigor of, or feeling underprepared going into a new, academic structure and, way of studying basically.

Well, thank you for sharing. Okay. So I want to, you, I want to talk about customer experience. I'd love to talk about customer experience because, uh, you know, I'm a small business owner and I don't know if you feel like in your experience that you, a lot of new entrepreneurs or new or, or small business owners think about customer experience.

As they begin to build and run their business. I think it's a, uh, common, it's, it's common to think about in environments like a start, like a startup as like how you began working with a startup and really building out customer experience. But I'm wondering what your experience and like what you've seen is the trend Are people talking about customer experience in the entrepreneurship, solopreneurship, small business space?

Is that something that you've seen, or it's widely talked about, or what, any thoughts on that?

Um, to be honest, I don't have a lot of data on that. Um, I, I haven't done much research on that, so I can't speak to whether or not it's happening very broadly. Um, but what I will say is that it is, it's a lot more difficult to make some of the decisions or to apply some of the strategies when you're working with a much smaller customer base.

because you just don't have the information that you might have if you had, um, you know, hundreds or thousands of customers. So I think it, it is a challenge that, um, you know, especially when, when starting out, there isn't a lot of volume of reviews or, um, feedback, or even a conversations that you're having with customers.

So I think it is challenging to do, and it is challenging to make decisions. strategic, um, decisions around how to mold your customer experience when you don't have that. So I, I think for that reason, it might not be as big of a focus. Um, but I do think, especially from just interacting with the community, it seems to me like in one form, it is a really big focus in the sense of like, Wanting to really take care of your, your customers or clients like I definitely have seen that.

So even if you're not able to use a lot of the same strategies or use a lot of the same data, I have seen that, especially because, um, you know, a small business that's just starting out really wants to do well, there is, um, that big focus on making sure that what you're doing is, um, Your, your best work and, um, I do think, and, and this is something that I noticed and that I know happens at a lot of companies as businesses grow, that's really when quality starts to suffer and one of the customer experience actually starts to go down and you have to start being a lot more intentional about it.

Because. then companies want to start to save money in some places, or there's just, um, so much work to go around that it's hard to focus on each individual experience. So I think even if it's not something that you're intentionally focusing on trying to build the best customer journey ever, it still is.

it's still something that I think by virtue of wanting to Do you succeed and do really well at the beginning of, um, starting a business that it is, it is happening naturally. It might not be as polished and there might still be some things that you just don't know to focus on. But I think, I think there is that aspect of just The fact that the, that the quality is high because you're really focusing on those customers.

And you also have the ability to, because you have less customers, maybe to focus on the ones that you do have and provide them with the best experience that you can.

Yeah. Thank you so much for saying that because as someone that I That talks a lot about strategy, that thinks strategically about the different ways that I'm running my business or, or projects or things that I'm just doing within my business. Um, I think a lot about quality and you said quality, thinking about quality within the customer experience for me encompasses the. One of the biggest ways that we can improve our quality as a business, but also once we even before we have customers and and but once we have customers, the creating a customer experience that's exceptional can only make your business, better. I mean, I, when I was thinking, I mean, I'm a, I'm a solopreneur, right.

And I do everything on my own. I do, right. I do the podcast on my own. I, I do the coaching. I, uh, do all the marketing. I do all, I grow my own email list. I do everything. And so, uh, As I was thinking about ways to improve my business, not just through what I show, like not just through, you know, my website, which I did invest in as well, by the way, I invested in my website, but not just making quality content.

Creating better videos, I thought about my customer experience and, uh, I, I know that being that I've been in corporate spaces before I, I knew what customer experience was, but I think at some point I, especially in the beginning, it was something that I didn't feel it applied to me just in the moment. Um, but.

In the very beginning, but then I realized that investing early on in it. In the, especially even in analyzing how my customers, even before they become customers, analyzing that journey and what their experiences, even before they actually become my customer. I, I realized that, uh, I really wanted to focus on that aspect of the quality of my services and, and improving the quality as a strategy, as, as. Hopefully being able to receive more clients or, uh, whatever goals I was trying to reach. And, I realized that it's in the smallest details. It's in like how we, how I, not just the coaching, but how do I share resources and what is their onboarding experience like, and what are they seeing even before deciding to.

Become my client. Um, and so I I'm wondering being someone that's an expert in customer experience that's worked in in customer experience What would you say to someone that? It's just starting their business. Like, what are some of the, ways that we can define customer experience so that we're thinking about it in a way that we're raising the quality of our of our business and and and actually being intentional and strategic with our business?

Um, the way that we run it, like what, like, Is there a way to think about it from a small business owner perspective, but then that maybe it's just starting out or maybe doesn't have the hundreds of clients that, you know, like you said, other other companies might have, um, is there a way to think about it on, , on a smaller scale?

Yeah. Um, even if you don't have a lot of different clients or customers, you can still always think about What, what is that one customer or those few customers? What is that experience that they're having? What is the journey that they're having when they're interacting with your business? And, and you, you kind of hit on this when you were talking about the different areas where you were trying to be intentional, the customer journey is.

It's the entire , the entire span of them interacting with your business. So it's everything from when they discover your brand to them, navigating your website, making a purchase, receiving support, um, them reaching out to you. It's, it's every single time that they're interacting with your business in some way.

So you can still take a look at and, and try to map out what that What that journey looks like, and then use that to try to define what you want it to be and see where you can improve. So I think it comes back to a combination of empathy and strategy, the empathy piece being, being able to put yourself in their place and seeing the experience.

Um, That they're having with your business from their point of view. And again, that's the entire experience and to end emails that they get what it takes for them to request or, uh, receive, , whatever service or product you're selling every single thing that they need. Every single place where, where they're touching, your business.

And you want to have a firm understanding of what it is like for them and also the perspective and the story that they're coming to you with. So who are they and what did they want and what have they experienced before? What are their motivations? So that's, that's the empathy piece. And then the strategy piece is being able to.

Yeah. Evaluate and then use what you find to make improvements. So, um, something that you can, that you can start using is, is developing a customer journey map. So outlining each point of that journey. So, so, like I said, that might start with them finding you on social media. That might be the first point on the journey.

And then, um, Um, you can do this exercise, with yourself by just thinking through what are the different steps that it takes for somebody to work with my business. So maybe the, the first point there is them finding you on social media. Then the next point is them going onto your website. And then the next point is them, um, scheduling a call with you.

So just go through, think through all of the different steps that it takes for them to interact with you. And the, the different times that you might be sending something to them and map that out. And for each point, you want to try to identify what actions are they taking at that touch point. So maybe they click on something, they see something, um, they make a payment.

Just what, what action do they have to actually take at that point? Then what thoughts are they having? So, um, this again comes back to trying to put yourself in their position. So what might they be thinking? For example, when they see your post on social media, maybe they're the thought that they're having is, Oh, I have a small business and I struggle with these things.

Or what are they thinking when they are going to schedule a call with you? Maybe they're thinking that they, um, Um, need to start, receiving consulting services, just what might they be thinking at that point? next, what emotions are they feeling? So maybe, um, they feel understood or they feel excited or they feel frustrated, whatever emotion they might be feeling at that touch point.

Then for each touch point, you also want to identify the pain points or the opportunities. So maybe if we're going back to that social media example, they find you and it takes too many clicks for them to move forward from that point and reach your website. That might be an opportunity. , or if they receive some sort of, um, resource from you that they purchased, uh, maybe the file isn't a file that's usually compatible with, with people's, um, systems.

So just trying to think through what are, what are the pain points here? What makes it difficult or frustrating? And once you're done mapping all of those different points on the map, you can see where you have opportunities that you can begin to tackle. So you can see, which touch points are people probably the most happy, which touch points are people probably, um, having some sort of challenge.

It is difficult to do this when you don't actually have the concrete data that tells you, okay, people said that they're feeling this way, or they left us these comments about how it feels to go through this part of the process. But even without that information, you can use your intuition. Like you're a highly empathetic person, and I'm going to guess that a lot of your listeners are too.

And you have the ability to see something from someone else's perspective and imagine what they might think and how they might feel. Okay. It might not be a hundred percent accurate, but you, you do have that ability. And the key there is just to try to remain objective and try to go into it with the intention of setting aside, whatever ideas you have about your business or how you want it to be.

And really thinking through if I was a person not related to this business, and I had this interaction, how would this make me feel? What would this make me think? What might I find challenging about this? And once you're able to do that, then you know, what that experience is like for your customers, that experience that they have with your business end to end.

And you can start to decide, is this what I want it to be like, or would I like it to be different? Would I like to do things in a different way? Do I want, um, them to, uh, go through it, through a different path. Do I want to be using a different system? Do I, um, not like the way that this email sends or the way that, that the messaging in the email sounds like you, you then have that, that, um, overall perspective of what that experience is like.

And you can start to chip away at making those improvements and making it an actual intentional process.

Oh, uh, I can't hear. Oh, you're muted.

Oh, sorry.

I, uh, sometimes I mute myself just because like if you're talking and my dog randomly starts barking but uh as you were talking, thank you for sharing all that I think what I love about the way that you explain or Talk about customer experience Ruby is that I, I can really visualize it. Like it just makes sense to me.

And, uh, I mean, it might be also because I, that to me feels as if I'm a really going into the nitty gritty of my business, which is very comfortable, right? I enjoy doing the zooming in into a particular areas of my business. I, That's a strength of mine. And, um, but it zooming out and looking at the big picture, like that is something that as an entrepreneur, I'm I'm honing in I'm practicing.

Um, but I think if, if you have a strength, if you have a strength in being detail oriented and that can, that is an area that I see as like a way to improve that quality and to be strategic around how to, uh, get new clients and really focus on the, the experience of, of potential clients. And I like. When you said touch points because that illustrates to me All of the different ways that people can potentially be connected to my business and like who I am um, and i'm thinking about oh my god, like Because I have a podcast because I have a youtube channel.

I have a website I have I go on linkedin I go on social media There's all these I I realized that i've created so many different touch points that people can, can find me through, um, but then thinking about, well, if they were to find me through YouTube, am I, is the experience from there, The journey from there What I want it to be what is it easier for you know, and and it's I think that's why I enjoy Uh, I reached out to you And so just for like my listeners or for for anyone listening.

I reached out to ruby to help me to Through a lot figuring out my customer's journey because I had created so many touch points essentially that I Was uh feeling like oh, I really need to focus on Once people are aware of who I am and are aware of what I do or find me through wherever they find me through, how do they then continue to interact with, with my content or, or with whatever they found online?

Um, and, and so we've been working through, through that and, and as even then, what does it look like for them to onboard? Um, so. Yeah, like I I just wanted to to name that because that that's just been really helpful. , and it's something that especially I think the way that I see customer experience is, I think it feels more urgent when it's for service based providers.

I don't know if you would, if that, if that feels true to you.

Yeah. Yeah. I, I think so because you're interacting a lot more because you are delivering a service. Like you are actually having some sometimes very extended periods of time where you're interacting with them. Whereas if it's a product it's. There is an experience there. There are definitely things that you want to think about there, but it's a lot more detached.

And

yeah,

especially if you are delivering a service like coaching, um, you have hours and hours of interaction there that, yeah, I think, I think there is a lot more of a need there to be intentional and really thinking about what those interactions are like.

yeah, yeah. And it's, it's so crucial, right? Just because the, the, the act of, of, or the services, I, I deliver my services, right, through talking, through talking to people. Coaching, right? Um, that's an experience in itself. But I think that all the other ways outside of me, the ways in which they find me and then book a call, like, it sounds it. It's actually it makes the experience like holistically, just In the way that I see it, any potential client's, uh, perception of your business improves, I, in, in my opinion, and, um, And if a customer experience is, has been thought about so intentionally, and the, and the impact of that intentionality and thought is felt and experienced, In literally the ways in which they interact with my business and even from finding me on youtube to looking at my website to downloading a free resource to booking a call to scheduling the call to having the call to then having like all of that if if all of those points are seamless and exceptional for that.

For that potential client. I think, uh, it it can really propel you as a service provider as a service based business into a different into a competitive. I would think a very competitive, status because, uh, you. Are improving the quality of your business, and it's something that we can't see it. You can't really see it.

You just have to kind of think about it. And, uh, and hopefully the intentional work that you put into your journey or the customer's journey is then a Felt and experienced once it you be once that the processes are in place. The systems are in place um So yeah, thank you so much for for talking through all of that ruby I I want to just quickly and I just want to before we begin to wrap up is Is there a way that you think we can think about customer experience?

where depending on the stage of business that we're in like When would you say would be? Most optimized time to think about customer experience, right? Because I feel like I mean, I guess we could argue it You It should be at the very beginning, right? But I'm wondering, like, if you have any thoughts on where in Our journey as an entrepreneur and as we begin to build our business like at what stage of our business Do you think would be the best time to think about it or to start thinking about it?

I, I would say I would say all of the time, but I think at the beginning is, is a is a really good time. I don't think it needs to be. You know, obviously there's so many things that you need to think about when you're starting a business. So I don't think it needs to be your, you know, your only priority or your number one top priority, because there is so much that you're doing, like you're building out your product or your service and your, you know, your presence, like there, there's a lot to do.

So I'm, I'm not going to say that that. Uh, needs to be your main focus. But I think even if you can, as you're building out, um, your products and services and your website and all of that, if you can at least have it, you know, in the, in the back of your mind that you're, that what you're building, is going to, it's all going to be perceived by, by somebody else.

Um, and are trying to think about what would this look like for the person that I am trying to, that I'm targeting, um, then it'll help at least with building in a way that it is

It might not be completely optimized, but it at least is is starting to put in the pieces, um, of having a good experience for them. I don't think it needs to be super polished. Um, I don't think that there is, you know. There's a lot that you're figuring out. You don't even know what your customer journey is going to look like, probably until you have a few clients anyway, because things are, you know, you're, you're trying things out and things are changing.

So I think as long as while you're figuring out how your pieces are going to go together, you are using that as a point of evaluation. Like when you're after you had your first client and you're going back and thinking, how can I improve this? And you're thinking. About, um, what it was like from their perspective, and maybe not going through the entire customer journey flow, because that would be a lot of work if you did that for every single, every single customer.

Um, but if you at least use that as a, as a factor for rebuilding or restructuring what you're doing at the beginning, I think that would help with making sure that you are developed, delivering a good experience from the beginning.

as someone that is always thinking about, okay, how can I, um, make sure that my clients get the best out of what I'm offering, right? Um, I think about, yes, of course, I want to provide the best type of coaching experience that I can provide. But I also want to create an experience that feels so exceptional, like, wow, like they thought about making sure that, you know, if I have follow up calls or follow up emails with my client, that they, like, there, there's An intentional process behind that, that they're, like, receiving it, not just, not just, um, from, because I told them that they were going to receive it from me, but, like, Everything comes together to create a holistic, great experience is what I'm, what I'm trying to say. Um, and in working with you, that's the, that's how my brain has been thinking.

I think there's always ways that we can improve.

Mm. Mm.

Are our systems and our processes and and, um, our efficiencies in our business. Um, but even like I'm I'm not even thinking about it because I know we were going to talk about, um, operational efficiency, right? And like, sort of figuring out ways.

I know that we've talked about about it in just like the work that we've done together around, um, Things that take up a lot of time for me right in in the work that I do with clients and When even when i'm not coaching with them what I do outside of our meetings that take up time and um and that is important, but I i'm also thinking about it.

Like if we were to add that plus the fact that I want to make sure that I follow up and that everything is You Built and put in place and taking that like very intentional time in the beginning to really think about this in a way that um Not just makes my work much easier down the road, especially if I get new clients Right, but it continues to create The experience only continues to get better and better for the, for the client, , is what, what excites me, , about this, about this work and, , and I'm thinking also about it from this perspective of like, it's so much more expensive to, get a new client than it is to keep a client.

And to continue have working with the same client, like imagine having clients that love everything about working with you, not just like who you are as a person, but just like the whole entire experience of interacting with your business, that they continue to work with you throughout it. years, that is so much more cost efficient than like getting a new client, which is just another like benefit of, of thinking about customer experience just from like what I've learned from, from working with you as well.

Um, and, and thinking about this in my, in my journey as an entrepreneur and the ways that I want to. Create beautiful, not just exceptional services and how to market, but then like the, the holistic experience of it all. Um, yeah, I just wanna, I just wanna say all that. You've taught me pretty much all of that.

Yeah,

Thank you. Thank you. That means a lot. And yeah, I mean, you're so right. It does, it does cost a lot more to acquire a customer than it does to keep one. And that's part of why it is so important. Like one of the, a lot of the, the, um, or important metrics that some companies will focus on are like retention, because like you said, it costs a lot more to try to get new customers than it does to keep them.

And. That is why it's so important to focus on, on providing them a good experience, because if you do, then they're more likely to stay. And if they, if they are really, really happy, then they're more likely to also refer you. And,

yeah,

yeah, that's why I, I, I think it is really important to, to focus on from the beginning, um, you know, even if it's not as, uh, strategic or as.

You know, focused on, on all of these tools that you have available. Thinking about delivering that, that best experience, the best, um, if you're, if you're a service provider providing the best service and being really, even just being really kind and, um,

yeah,

compassionate towards them, can go a really long way.

In in these first few interactions that you're having, because at the end of the day, customers are just people and I think being able to really remember that and think about them in that way as as people who have feelings and experiences and needs,

I don't know too much about customer experience, right?

Like I'm, I'm not, uh,

I never worked in, in that arena, but, when I first met you, and it's been, I think, I don't, I think it's been a year, maybe it's been about a year ago that I first met you, and when you, when you first were talking about it, um, I mean, you, I have, I had a, a, some basic knowledge around it, but, I think that as a small business owner, you think, I wasn't sure if it was something important to think about because, like you said, there's so many things That we think about, like, as, as new business owners, we're learning so much, we're learning about marketing, we're learning about, , social media, we're learning how to sell ourselves and, and, and even just the mere idea of, of getting comfortable with, telling people who we are and what we do, like, even just that.

It by itself is a whole other challenge as well. so thinking about the customer experience, For some reason like it it has this vibe of you know, it's important, but you don't know how important it is until you start to Take action and learn a little bit more and start to get comfortable around What entrepreneurship brings to you?

What are the skills that you have? Then you begin to incorporate other, areas that you know can really help your business, right? But you don't know how until, um, you get to that point. And, learning about customer experience from you, that, that's been my journey with it.

Because. Yeah, like you said, maybe we don't have, , I don't have hundreds of clients, you know, I, I have a few clients that, like, come in and out throughout the year, right? But, Even if I don't have hundreds of clients and all of this data to work with I have touch points and I have an idea of what my clients could potentially be feeling and and thinking about at this point in their interaction with me or at this point and so I think I think customer experience is a is the concept, but really it's just being empathetic, it's being, Not just empathetic, but being people oriented, providing value.

I talk a lot about value based strategy and providing value in your strategy. And , it's really about creating that value for your customers and your clients. And delivering it through the experience of engaging with your business. It's just one way of, of improving that quality or thinking about quality and, bringing that into the overall strategy of your business.

And you're up and, and, because like I said, I, I, in, vested in a website. I invested in, quality, photos and, you know, really thinking about my programs. And then I was like, I think I should. Think about my customer experience. I want my customers not just to perceive my brand as a brand to trust, but now they can trust me through their interactions, engaging with my content and my business.

And so, um, That's the way that I thought about it and and how I bring it into my overall business strategy for me And so i'm really glad that I'm working with you, Ruby, because you're really good at making me understand it from, a different lens and from, and like really looking at it and, analyzing different parts of the customer journey that I could really improve on.

Um, but then also making my life easier, um, by, by figuring out ways to, to save me time, but still continue to deliver quality service and a quality experience. Um, so. I'm just grateful to you for, for working with me on, on this. And I hope other people also start thinking about customer experience. We just say that, like, I mean, we just say that you, other people should be thinking about customer experience or can really start thinking about it as an element or a way that they can include in their overall business strategy.

Absolutely. Yeah. I think without a doubt, it's something that you should always be thinking about because Without customers, you don't really have a business like you, you need customers to have a business. And, um, at the end of the day, they are in the, they're, they're in the deciding position. Like, they get to decide if they're going to choose you and your business.

So making sure that you are giving them a good experience, giving them a reason to come back, um, That, that, that should be a big focus because otherwise you are, you know, you're, you're losing customers. You are maybe getting a bad reputation. Um, so it's really important to, to be focusing on, on that. Um, and, um, I think if I would, if I would, if I, if I had one thing that I would say is, is probably the lowest lift thing that you can do as a small business, it's really just leading with empathy and leading with, um, compassion, thinking about your customers as people with lives.

Um, and that, and remembering that you're really only getting a small snippet of their day and they're coming to you with this entire world and life and experience outside of that. Just remembering that or remembering that the experience that they have with you could be impacted by all of these different things going on that have nothing to do with you.

Uh, I know it's, I know it's a lot of pressure to think about the fact

hmm,

coming to you with, you know, potentially having had a horrible day. Um, but I think it's, I think it's actually really empowering because for me, the way that I like to is that it's an opportunity to make their day better.

Like you could have that impact on them because how many times have you been having a really bad day and then you interacted with a service employee and they were really nice and really helpful and it just made you happy. Like I've had

hmm, mm hmm.

or I interacted with the company and they did something and It was just a really delightful experience that I had on their website and that made me feel better because it's like wow this thing Went well, I'm having a hard day, but this thing went well, and it was you know an enjoyable experience So

yeah,

if you can try to just think about them In that way and feel empowered by your, your ability to have that impact on them.

I think it'll really help guide you in the way that you choose to shape that experience that they're having with, with your business.

yeah. Thank you for saying that. It reminds me of um, I got reminded of, so some people, I actually don't share this a lot, but I actually manage an Airbnb Mm. my aunt. Customer experience plays a huge role

when I think about, like, just that experience and, and the ways in which they go into Airbnb, like, thinking about then that entire journey, I'm realizing, like, if I were to analyze the entire customer experience of a Airbnb customer, like, that is, um, It's so valuable.

And for me, I, so I managed this Airbnb and it's just a side thing that I do with my aunt. It's like, uh, side money actually, which helps. But, um, just being extremely responsive and friendly with them helps tremendously. It just like, it, it's, it helps so, so much. Um, but that, and it's, it just reminds me of that because. No matter how, like, other parts of a person's day could be, you know, there could be terrible parts of their day, and then they interact with you, or, or something went wrong in the Airbnb, and they, like, tell you, and you'd, like, provide a really Pleasant response and like are very considerate that just alleviates that customers, unpleasantness and it just makes everything better.

And I think that I just thought about that randomly. But Yes, it's so important to think about your customers, think about your clients. And like you said, I love what you said about even if this, if we could think about it at like the simplest level is just being empathetic and putting yourself in your client's shoes.

, thank you so much, Ruby, for, for sharing everything that you shared with us today. And. If we wanted to, to get in touch with you, talk more about customer experience, learn more about customer experience, where can people find you and connect with you?

Yeah. Thank you for having me. Um, you can find me on LinkedIn. So I'm on LinkedIn. com slash in slash Ruby dash Mora. Um, and then blueprint CX is also on LinkedIn, uh, LinkedIn. com slash company. Slash blueprint dash CX. Um, yeah, my, my, uh, journey has, has been pretty slow to start, so I don't, I don't quite have a website yet, but, um, it'll, it'll be there when, when I'm ready to launch that.

I'm not quite at that stage yet of my journey.

But this is just proof that you don't need a website because you have a client. I'm a client, I'm your client, and you have other clients. So, um, you know, you're, I'm sure that it would, you know, it would probably help, but, you're so good at it that I, when I thought about it, I immediately thought of you. , and so I'm glad, I'm so happy that I was connected with you and that we can continue working because so for all anybody, like, if you've interacted with or onboarded, , into my, my programs or have interacted with any of my email lists, for example, or bought from me, know that the experience is changing and it's because of the work that I'm doing with Ruby.

So, um, I'm excited to continue working with you.

Thanks. I'm

excited to continue working with you

Thank you.

Share Episode

Shownotes

Transcripts

Follow

Links

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube