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Customer Experience That’s Got Our Tails Wagging

January 21, 2019

Customer Experience That’s Got Our Tails Wagging

It’s not often that a brand manages to deliver to all 5 elements of what makes a great customer experience. But Bones & Harmony, a Melbourne-based doggy day-care is one of those rare cases that manages to achieve just that. When I recently took my dachshund Sarah for her first of doggy day-care experience, Bones & Harmony delighted us (both human and dog) by hitting the high notes on all 5 drivers in BrandHooks 5C’s Model.

With 8 million pet owners in Australia and an annual spend of $12 billion on our furry friends it’s a booming industry and we’re seeing more and more day-care and pet hotel businesses popping up around Melbourne and all throughout Australia.

Here’s what Bones & Harmony are doing to provide an excellent CX to both dogs and their paw-rents to stay ahead of the pack in an increasingly competitive market:

Choice:
Firstly, Bones & Harmony offer different tariffs, just like a yoga studio would, depending on whether your furry friend will be more of a casual visitor or a regular. You get discounts for multiple dogs, plus when you buy a 10- or 20-day pass it never expires – giving you the flexibility to choose which days work best for you and your dog. At Bones & Harmony you also have a range of extras to choose from, allowing you to tailor the day’s experience exactly to what you think is best for your furry friend. Is your dog super energetic? Book in an extra 30-minute walk to tire him out. Or is he/she more of a sensitive soul? Book in a 20-minute one-on-one cuddle session with one of Bones & Harmony’s staff members.

Customisation:
As a nervous first-time dog-parent you might worry what your dog gets up during his or her first day at doggy day-care. But worry no more – the team at Bones & Harmony send you an update on your first day, letting you know how your dog is going, which in my case went something like “Sarah is really warming up to the other dogs now and she made a great friend in Dudley the other sausage dog, she is doing really well and is starting to get involved in all of the activities”. Plus, you can follow the Bones & Harmony Instagram feed for regular photos and videos of all the dogs, guaranteed to make for some great distraction when you’re trying to get some work done…

Consistency:
Dogs are creatures of habit, and so are their owners. Every morning when you drop off your dog at Bones & Harmony, a team member will meet you at the door, take your dog off you and lead him/her into the day-care facility. A consistent drop-off experience helps calm your dog’s nerves and as a result you as the owner can be reassured your dog will have a good start to the day. The days at Bones & Harmony are also structured around 3 zones – the day starts with lots of activity and play in the Dognasium, then they train their senses in the Mind-Booster Pen and at the end of the day they get to relax and calm down in the Zen Zone while sniffing lavender oil from a diffuser and listening to low tempo music.

Convenience:
Convenience is key when you’re a busy ‘working paw-rent’ looking to squeeze in the early morning day-care drop off alongside some gym-time, quick read of the paper and some food prep for your work lunch. So, Bones & Harmony are offering their doggy valet service – simply book online the night before, then in the morning just drive next to the roller door entrance, no need to get out of the car – simply hand your dog over to the team member and drive off. At pick-up time, just drive to the same spot and a team member will pop your dog back in the car. Plus, any day-care bookings, payments and updates can be done via an intuitive online-portal, allowing you to upload vet info, vaccination updates and changes to your dog’s dietary requirements all from your iPhone.

Care:
You get a warm and fuzzy feeling when you first walk into Bones & Harmony. The team members exude a genuine care for animals and as the dog owner you feel assured your best friend is going to be looked after with a great level of care. At Bones & Harmony all new dogs have to pass a 30-minute ‘temperament test’, making sure the newbie fits in and contributes positively to the social dynamics. Plus, Bones & Harmony don’t shy away from giving back to the community – once a week, it’s time for dog therapy where a special selection of dogs gets to meet residents of the local aged care facility, bringing joy to the residents and making them smile.

Bones & Harmony make great customer experience a priority, and it shows in every single interaction you as the customer have with their brand. Do you work for a brand and wonder whether you’re hitting the 5C’s of CX? Take BrandHooks CX challenge today – it’ll only take a few minutes and will provide you with useful insights to help you optimise your customers’ experience and therefore your brand value: Click here to get started.

Written by Corinna.


This opinion piece originally appeared in CMO written by Nadia Cameron. View the original article here.  In this article Nadia Cameron speaks about the significance of brands tapping into Australia Day.  In the article Pip Stocks gives her opinion about polarising positions on Australia Day advertising.  Is Australia Day too tainted a concept for brands Continue reading

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