Over the weekend I stumbled across the Porter Davis World of Style Showroom in Port Melbourne and was blown away by the flawless execution of a great customer experience; a customer experience that other brands can learn from. In it’s own words – the World of Style experience isn’t about sitting down in a static showroom and making selections from photos. Instead, it is designed to engage your senses and excite you with a huge range of different possibilities, and the showroom certainly achieves this, by taking each different customer on a personalised journey of their very own.

A recent Infosys survey reported that 78% of consumers are more likely to be a repeat customer if a brand provides them with targeted, personalised offers. And this is something the consumer is willing to pay for too. According to a RightNow Customer Impact Report, 86% of consumers are willing to pay up to 25% more for a better customer experience.

While personalised experiences have often been discussed in the context of retail, the World of Style Showroom demonstrates that the same principles can be applied across any category. At the entrance is a wooden station with iPads where you can complete a quiz that determines your interior design style. There are two parts to the quiz – the first determines your overarching style (Contemporary, Designer, Resort or Classic), while the second narrows this down into 4 sub-styles inspired by famous international cities. After navigating through the quiz I was excited to find out that my style is Contemporary inspired by New York, Berlin, Bondi and London. I was then given a card for each of the sub-styles, outlining the key features that define it. This process was both educational and engaging, helping me navigate a category that I enjoy but have very little understanding of.

What impressed me the most about the World of Style showroom is that the customer is at the centre of the experience – every element is anchored in, and personalised to, each individual customer’s needs. So as the brick-and-mortar becomes less about price and product, and more about experiences, what can customer-facing brands learn from the World of Style Showroom when it comes to personalisation? Let’s have a look:

• Technology can be utilised to identify needs, as well as simplify and enhance the overall experience.
• The path through the store is an often overlooked but crucial consideration, which can be manipulated to take customers on a more relevant journey.
• Education and inspiration are a powerful way to strengthen a customer’s connection with the brand by creating an opportunity for more meaningful future interactions.

So with so many opportunities for personalisation (think communication, customer service, and store experience among others) what are you doing to understand and acknowledge your customers individually?