Qual­ity Man­age­ment and Cus­tom­er Ex­per­i­ence (CX)

Course content

The course is structured to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of creating, delivering, and maintaining exceptional customer experiences in today's competitive market. Initially, the course focuses on designing engaging and memorable customer experiences that stand out in the experience economy. Students will explore how to differentiate their offerings by crafting unique experiences that tap into consumer emotions and foster strong connections. They will learn how to influence and enhance customer perceptions and behaviors by studying theming, sensory engagement, co-creation, and participatory design.

Building on this foundation, the course then shifts to the principles and tools of quality management, as highlighted in the "Quality Management for Organizational Excellence" framework. This framework emphasizes that quality is not just a goal but a continuous process involving every aspect of an organization. By integrating these principles, the course demonstrates how quality management is essential for sustaining and enhancing customer experiences over time. Students will delve into the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach, which focuses on customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, and employee involvement. They will learn to apply specific tools such as service blueprinting to map and optimize service delivery processes, customer feedback systems to gauge satisfaction and identify areas for improvement, and root cause analysis to resolve underlying issues that could detract from the customer experience.

The course also introduces key concepts and strategic management tools, which translate customer needs into specific design requirements. Through these quality management tools, students will understand how to maintain consistency and reliability in service delivery, ensuring that the high standards set during the design phase are met and even exceeded in practice. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to blend creativity with strategic quality management, enabling them to create innovative customer experiences that are consistently delivered with excellence, driving both customer loyalty and organizational success.

The course will employ a blended learning approach by combining traditional classroom instruction with online and self-directed learning activities. This will enable students to learn at their own pace while deepening their understanding of topics. The blended learning approach at the beginning of the course enables students to familiarize themselves with the critical concepts of customer experience and quality management. It contributes to a more homogenous student knowledge base, essential for the subsequent face-to-face classes. The digital resources provided at the beginning of this course allow students more flexibility and the ability to engage with course content multiple times. This repetition is essential for an in-depth understanding and learning of customer experience principles and quality management practices before face-to-face classes move towards more detailed aspects of developing and enhancing customer experience strategies and implementing effective quality management systems.

Preliminary assignment:

Readings:

Ritson, M. (2024, June). How Starbucks devalued its own brand. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2024/06/how-starbucks-devalued-its-own-brand 

Activity:

 Answer the following questions:

1. How has Starbucks’ shift from a focus on customer experience to efficiency and volume contributed to its self-commoditization? Provide examples from the article that illustrate how these changes have impacted the brand’s identity.
    
2. According to the article, how have physical changes in Starbucks locations, such as the removal of comfy chairs and the reduction of in-store amenities, affected the customer experience? Discuss the implications of these changes on customer satisfaction.
    
3. How has the redesign of Starbucks' loyalty program contributed to the brand’s devaluation? Evaluate the article’s critique of the program’s shift from focusing on experiential value to a more transactional approach.
    
4. What role does employee experience play in the degradation of Starbucks’ brand, as discussed in the article? Analyze how the changes in employee roles and working conditions have influenced the overall customer experience.

1. What strategies does the article suggest for Starbucks to recover its brand value and return to its experiential roots? Summarize the proposed solutions and evaluate their potential effectiveness based on the article’s insights.

Course Content

Class 1: Introduction to the Experience Economy

Class 2: Understanding the Customer Experience

Class 3: A Comprehensive Approach to Experience Design & Theming the Experience

Class 4: Developing Experiences: Design Thinking Workshop I

Class 5: Developing Experiences: Design Thinking Workshop II

Feedback activity: Mini Case Study: Designing a Memorable Experience for a Boutique Hotel 

Class 6: Setting the Stage: The Role of Senses and Perception in Experiences

Class 7: Guest Talk: New Technologies and Customer Experiences

Class 8: Quality Management for Organizational Excellence and Global Competitiveness

Class 9: Strategic Management, Ethics, and Corporate Social Responsibility

Class 10: Customer Satisfaction, Retention, Loyalty, and Total Quality Tools