a case study on customer service

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Customer Service Case Studies: Real-Life Examples Of Service Scenarios.

Are you looking for real-life examples of customer service scenarios that can help you improve your own customer service skills? Look no further!

In this article, we will explore a series of case studies that highlight different aspects of effective customer service. These case studies will provide you with valuable insights into how to handle challenging situations, resolve issues, and create positive experiences for your customers.

Customer service plays a crucial role in the success of any business. It is not just about answering phone calls or responding to emails; it is about building relationships and exceeding customer expectations. By studying real-life examples, you can gain a deeper understanding of the importance of effective customer service and learn strategies to enhance your own skills.

In each case study, we will delve into different scenarios and examine how businesses successfully handled them. From resolving product quality issues to dealing with difficult customers, these case studies will showcase various approaches and solutions that you can apply in your own work.

Get ready to dive into these insightful stories that demonstrate the power of exceptional customer service!

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

• Effective customer service is crucial for the success of a business.
• Empathy and proactive customer service are essential aspects of providing excellent customer service.
• Prompt resolution of product quality issues, with notification and compensation for affected customers, helps maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Handling difficult customers with a calm and empathetic approach, offering alternatives, and empowering them to make choices can build trust and loyalty.

The Importance of Effective Customer Service

You can’t underestimate the impact of great customer service – it’s like a warm cup of coffee on a chilly morning, instantly making you feel valued and appreciated.

In today’s competitive business landscape, providing effective customer service is more important than ever. Customers have numerous options at their fingertips, and one bad experience can send them running to your competitors. That’s why empathy plays a crucial role in customer service.

When customers feel understood and cared for, they’re more likely to become loyal advocates for your brand. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. In customer service, this means putting yourself in the shoes of your customers and genuinely listening to their concerns.

By showing empathy, you demonstrate that you value their emotions and are committed to finding a solution that meets their needs. This not only helps resolve issues effectively but also builds trust and strengthens the relationship with your customers.

Proactive customer service is another essential aspect of providing exceptional support. Instead of waiting for customers to come to you with problems or complaints, proactive customer service involves anticipating their needs and addressing any potential issues before they arise.

This approach shows that you’re dedicated to delivering an outstanding experience from start to finish. By taking the initiative, you can prevent problems from escalating and create positive interactions that leave a lasting impression on your customers.

The importance of effective customer service cannot be overstated. Empathy allows you to connect with your customers on a deeper level by understanding their emotions and concerns. Proactive customer service demonstrates your commitment to going above and beyond expectations by anticipating needs before they become problems.

By prioritizing these aspects in your approach to customer service, you can foster loyalty, build strong relationships with customers, and ultimately drive success for your business.

Case Study 1: Resolving a Product Quality Issue

Resolving a product quality issue can be challenging, but did you know that 86% of customers are more likely to repurchase from a company that resolves their complaint? When faced with a product quality issue, it’s important for companies to take immediate action and address the problem effectively.

One notable case study involves a product recall due to safety concerns. The company promptly notified customers about the recall through multiple channels such as email, social media, and website announcements. This proactive approach not only ensured customer safety but also demonstrated the company’s commitment to resolving the issue.

To further enhance customer satisfaction during this challenging time, the company offered compensation to affected customers. The compensation included a full refund for the recalled product as well as additional discounts on future purchases. By going above and beyond in compensating their customers, the company not only mitigated any potential negative feelings but also showed genuine concern for their customers’ wellbeing.

In addition to addressing individual complaints, the company took steps towards preventing similar issues in the future. They implemented stricter quality control measures throughout their production process and conducted thorough inspections before releasing any products into the market. This proactive approach reassured customers that their concerns were taken seriously and instilled confidence in the brand’s commitment to delivering high-quality products.

By resolving a product quality issue promptly and ensuring customer satisfaction through compensation and preventive measures, companies can not only retain existing customers but also build trust with new ones. It’s crucial for businesses to recognize that effective customer service goes beyond simply resolving complaints; it requires taking responsibility for failures, implementing meaningful solutions, and continuously improving processes to prevent similar issues from arising again in the future.

Case Study 2: Handling a Difficult Customer

Navigating through challenging interactions with clients can be a test of your company’s ability to handle difficult situations. Dealing with angry customers requires a delicate balance of empathy, patience, and problem-solving skills.

One real-life example of a company successfully managing a difficult situation involved an irate customer who had received a damaged product.

In this case, the customer contacted the company’s customer service department immediately after receiving the damaged product. The representative on the phone remained calm and empathetic throughout the conversation, acknowledging the customer’s frustration. They apologized sincerely for any inconvenience caused and assured the customer that they would resolve the issue promptly.

The representative then offered several options to address the problem, including sending a replacement or providing a refund. By presenting these alternatives, they empowered the customer to choose what solution best suited their needs. This approach helped defuse tension and created an atmosphere of collaboration rather than confrontation.

Ultimately, by effectively managing this difficult situation and prioritizing customer satisfaction, the company not only resolved the issue but also built trust and loyalty with their client base.

Case Study 3: Going Above and Beyond for a Customer

Exceeding expectations and leaving a lasting impression, one company went the extra mile to ensure a memorable experience for a dissatisfied client. The customer, let’s call her Sarah, had purchased a high-end laptop from this company but encountered numerous technical issues soon after receiving it. Frustrated with the product’s performance and the lack of support she received initially, Sarah reached out to the company’s customer service department for assistance.

To address Sarah’s concerns promptly, the customer service representative assigned to her case took immediate action. Recognizing that resolving her technical issues alone would not suffice in restoring Sarah’s trust and satisfaction, they decided to go above and beyond what was expected. The representative personally followed up with Sarah daily to provide updates on their progress in fixing her laptop. They also offered additional compensation for the inconvenience caused by sending her a complimentary accessory package.

In addition to their exceptional level of communication, this company created a personalized experience for Sarah through small gestures that left an indelible mark on her overall perception of their brand. One example was when they surprised her by upgrading her laptop’s warranty without any additional cost. This unexpected act not only demonstrated their commitment to providing quality products but also highlighted their dedication towards ensuring customer satisfaction.

By going above and beyond in addressing Sarah’s concerns and surpassing her expectations at every turn, this company exemplified outstanding customer service. Their proactive approach not only resolved technical issues efficiently but also left a lasting impression on Sarah concerning how much they valued her as a loyal customer. Through personalized attention, generous compensation, and unexpected upgrades, they not only ensured Sarah’s satisfaction but also fostered a long-term relationship based on trust and loyalty. This case study serves as a powerful reminder that going the extra mile can make all the difference in customer satisfaction and retention.

Case Study 4: Turning a Negative Review into a Positive Experience

If your business has ever received negative feedback, it’s important to know how to turn that experience into a positive one.

In this case study, we will explore how a business addressed a customer’s concerns and transformed their perception from negative to positive.

By taking the necessary steps and going above and beyond, the business not only resolved the issue but also improved their reputation in the process.

The negative feedback received by the business

Despite your best efforts, your business was bombarded with a barrage of scathing feedback that left you reeling. Customers expressed their dissatisfaction with the quality of your products and the poor customer service they received.

These negative reviews not only affected customer retention but also posed a threat to your brand reputation. The negative feedback highlighted areas where improvements were needed. It pointed out flaws in your product design, manufacturing processes, and communication channels.

While it may be disheartening to receive such criticism, it presents an opportunity for you to address these issues and enhance the overall customer experience. By acknowledging the shortcomings and taking immediate action to rectify them, you can regain customers’ trust and loyalty while rebuilding your brand’s reputation.

The steps taken to address the customer’s concerns

After receiving the negative feedback, we quickly took action to address the customer’s concerns and improve our products and services. We understand that addressing customer complaints is essential for maintaining a positive reputation and ensuring customer satisfaction.

Our first step was to reach out to the customer directly, expressing our apologies for any inconvenience caused and assuring them that their concerns were being taken seriously.

To resolve the customer’s issues, we implemented a thorough investigation into the matter. This involved examining the specific details of their complaint, evaluating our internal processes, and identifying any areas where improvements could be made. By conducting this analysis, we were able to pinpoint the root cause of the problem and develop an effective solution.

Once we identified areas for improvement, we promptly made necessary changes to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future. This included updating our training programs for staff members involved in customer service interactions and enhancing quality control measures throughout our production process. We also communicated these updates transparently with all relevant stakeholders to ensure everyone understood our commitment to resolving customer issues.

Addressing customer complaints is not just about solving individual problems; it is about continuously improving our overall products and services. By taking immediate action upon receiving negative feedback, we demonstrate our dedication to providing exceptional experiences for every customer.

We remain committed to resolving any issues promptly while striving to exceed expectations in delivering high-quality products and top-notch service.

The transformation of the customer’s perception and improved reputation

Now that the steps have been taken to address the customer’s concerns, let’s discuss the transformation of their perception and the improved reputation of your business.

By promptly addressing the customer’s issues and providing a satisfactory resolution, you’ve demonstrated your commitment to customer satisfaction. This level of responsiveness not only resolves the immediate problem but also leaves a lasting impression on the customer.

As a result, their perception of your brand is likely to improve significantly. They’ll appreciate your willingness to listen, understand, and take action to rectify any issues they may have faced. This positive experience can lead to increased brand loyalty as customers recognize that you value their feedback and are committed to delivering exceptional service.

To further enhance customer satisfaction and foster brand loyalty, consider implementing these strategies:

• Personalized follow-up: Reach out to customers after resolving their concerns with personalized messages or phone calls. This gesture shows that you genuinely care about their experience and want to ensure their ongoing satisfaction.
• Proactive communication: Keep customers informed about any changes or improvements related to the issue they encountered. Sharing updates showcases transparency and builds trust in your ability to continuously improve.
• Loyalty rewards program: Offer incentives or exclusive benefits for loyal customers who continue choosing your brand despite any initial challenges they may have faced. Rewarding their loyalty encourages repeat business and strengthens long-term relationships.

By investing in improving customer satisfaction and building brand loyalty, you can create a positive reputation for your business while fostering long-term success in an increasingly competitive market.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key elements of effective customer service.

Effective customer service requires several key elements.

One interesting statistic is that 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience. This highlights the importance of providing exceptional service.

Effective communication plays a crucial role in customer service as it allows you to understand the needs and concerns of your customers, while also conveying information clearly and concisely.

Empathy and understanding are equally important, as they enable you to connect with customers on an emotional level, showing them that their satisfaction is your top priority.

By incorporating these elements into your customer service approach, you can create positive experiences that leave a lasting impression on your customers.

How can companies measure the success of their customer service efforts?

To measure the success of your customer service efforts, you can utilize various customer satisfaction metrics and conduct thorough customer feedback analysis.

Customer satisfaction metrics, such as Net Promoter Score (NPS) or Customer Effort Score (CES), provide valuable insights into how satisfied your customers are with the service they received. These metrics allow you to quantify customer sentiment and identify areas for improvement.

Additionally, analyzing customer feedback through surveys or social media monitoring enables you to understand specific pain points and address them proactively.

By consistently measuring these indicators and taking action based on the results, you can continuously enhance your customer service performance and ensure a positive experience for your customers.

What are some common challenges faced by customer service representatives?

Handling difficult customers and managing high call volumes can be incredibly challenging for customer service representatives. Dealing with irate customers can feel like trying to calm a hurricane with a feather, as their frustrations can reach astronomical levels. It requires an extraordinary level of patience and empathy to navigate through their anger and find a resolution that satisfies both parties.

Additionally, managing high call volumes can feel like juggling flaming swords while walking on a tightrope. The constant influx of calls puts immense pressure on representatives to provide quick and efficient assistance without compromising the quality of service.

However, despite these Herculean tasks, customer service representatives rise above the challenges by employing exceptional communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction.

How can companies improve their customer service skills and knowledge?

To improve their customer service skills and knowledge, companies should invest in comprehensive training programs that provide employees with the necessary tools and techniques to handle different scenarios. These programs can include modules on effective communication, problem-solving, and empathy to ensure that representatives are equipped to handle any customer interactions.

Additionally, implementing feedback systems that allow customers to provide their input and suggestions can also be beneficial. This feedback can help identify areas for improvement and enable companies to make necessary adjustments in their processes or training programs.

By prioritizing ongoing training initiatives and actively seeking customer feedback, companies can continually enhance their customer service skills and knowledge, leading to improved overall customer satisfaction levels.

What are some best practices for handling customer complaints and resolving issues?

When it comes to handling customer complaints and resolving issues, think of yourself as a skilled navigator guiding a ship through stormy waters. Customer feedback is like the wind, sometimes gentle and other times fierce, but always pushing you towards improvement.

Conflict resolution is your compass, helping you find the right path to address concerns and turn unhappy customers into satisfied ones. Actively listen to their grievances, empathize with their frustrations, and offer swift solutions that demonstrate your commitment to their satisfaction.

By taking ownership of the problem and going above and beyond to resolve it, you can transform a dissatisfied customer into a loyal advocate for your brand.

In conclusion, effective customer service is crucial for businesses to thrive in today’s competitive market. As demonstrated by the case studies discussed, handling product quality issues, difficult customers, and negative reviews with empathy and proactive solutions can turn potentially negative experiences into positive ones.

One interesting statistic that highlights the impact of great customer service is that 86% of consumers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience (Source: PwC). This statistic evokes an emotional response as it emphasizes the value customers place on exceptional service. By investing in providing top-notch customer service, businesses not only create loyal customers but also have the potential to increase their revenue.

To ensure success in customer service scenarios, it is essential for businesses to empower their employees with proper training and resources. By equipping them with problem-solving skills, effective communication techniques, and a genuine desire to help customers, companies can build strong relationships and foster trust. Additionally, embracing technology solutions such as AI-powered chatbots or self-service options can streamline processes and provide faster resolutions.

In summary, delivering exceptional customer service requires a proactive approach that focuses on resolving issues promptly while exceeding expectations. By prioritizing the needs of customers and going above and beyond to provide personalized solutions, businesses can create memorable experiences that result in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. Remember, investing in superior customer service is not just about satisfying your current customers; it’s about attracting new ones who’re willing to pay more for an outstanding experience.

The eSoft Editorial Team, a blend of experienced professionals, leaders, and academics, specializes in soft skills, leadership, management, and personal and professional development. Committed to delivering thoroughly researched, high-quality, and reliable content, they abide by strict editorial guidelines ensuring accuracy and currency. Each article crafted is not merely informative but serves as a catalyst for growth, empowering individuals and organizations. As enablers, their trusted insights shape the leaders and organizations of tomorrow.

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6 Interesting Customer Service Case Studies to Inspire You

July 18, 2023

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An 11-year-old boy’s experience with LEGO customer service changed the company’s brand perception. It’s not only brought in more customers but also justified their lead position in the market. Here, we will discuss a few more interesting customer service case studies.

One good service can not just help one customer but also influence future customers. Reading others’ stories will help you understand ways to overcome new challenges.

I will start with some popular ones.

Popular customer experience case studies

Customer service is not just limited to providing product-related support anymore. We have passed the line way back. As the market gets more critical, everyone is running a few extra miles. Even the top companies in the field are not compromising anything. 

Let’s start with JetBlue’s customer service case study.

JetBlue sets an example of how you can use social media to provide excellent customer service. They have multiple teams at different levels that are active on Twitter. And there are many examples of it.

Here is one: Paul once tweeted that he couldn’t find Starbucks at the gate while boarding the flight. JetBlue immediately responded with an alternative, which was free for him.

Another challenge that JetBlue faced was the winter storm in early January of 2017 . They had to cancel a lot of flights at that time. And because of this, thousands of people were impacted.

The challenge here is that JetBlue cannot change the weather or ensure a safe flight during a storm. But they can provide up-to-date information.

So, they started to tweet updates about the storm and the flight schedule the whole time. As a result, even though the passengers were frustrated, they were happy with JetBlue’s service.

Zappos has a good reputation for providing the best customer support. And it has a lot of interesting customer service case studies. One particular service case created a lot of buzz in the market.

Zappos’s service agent talked with a customer for 10 hours in one call. And, surprisingly, Zappos took it in a positive way. The call wasn’t even about any service. 

This long call started with where and how that customer lives. Then, eventually, it turns into clothing and fashion-related conversation. Finally, the customer ended the call with the purchase of a pair of UGG boots.

It breaks all the records and wins a long-running battle. Which one is better, automated calls or live agents? And without a doubt, it’s the personal touch that steals the crown every time.

This customer service case study is a bit more heartwarming. 11-year-old James Groccia has Asperger’s syndrome. He was looking at an expensive LEGO set for his birthday. It’s the exclusive Emerald Night Train set.

James saved money for two years. The money came from his birthday gifts and his participation in research. But he was heartbroken when he found out that it was unavailable.

His mother looked everywhere possible. On Amazon, eBay, or any other platform, it was either out of stock or too expensive. Eventually, with the help of a social worker, James wrote to LEGO.

It was a huge surprise to James that LEGO wrote back. And not just that, they surprised him with the exclusive Emerald Night Train set just before his 11th birthday.

It wasn’t easy for LEGO as well. It was a discontinued set and a collectible. They had to track it down for him. This extra mile not only made that customer happy but also established a brand perception that cares about its customers.

WPManageNinja’s customer service case study

While we were looking for customer experience stories, we talked with our Support team head, Mr. Kamrul Islam , here at the WPManageNinja office. He shared a few interesting case studies with us.

“I made a full website using your table builder plugin.”

Our support team faces and solves a lot of interesting cases every day. So, from a lot of stories, we have chosen three interesting stories to share with you in this blog. And, we are not going to be technical here at all.

So keep reading.

Story #1: Fluent Form

Let’s start with a simple one. One of our clients creates a ticket with an issue through our Fluent Support helpdesk system . 

Ticket created from customer’s end

I am a Fluent Form user. And I want to create a booking form using your form builder.

Thanks a lot for contacting us. Let us get into it and see what we can do for you. We will get back to you ASAP.

Booking system plugins are typically used for appointment booking. However, our support team needs to find a way to use our form builder plugin to accomplish this task.

But instead of saying, “This is not possible,” to our client, they get to work. Started figuring out a workaround for this. For obvious reasons, a form builder cannot provide a booking system facility, but the team finds a way to use it as a basic date booking system.

Our support team used two date-picker blocks from our Fluent Form builder and used different blocks to pick the starting and ending dates. Our team got in touch with the customer and gave him the solution.

But the customer knocked again.

Ticket continue

I am happy with the solution, but I’m facing an issue. I picked one date from the “Start from” calendar drop-down, but I can still see the previous dates are active in the “End at” drop-down. I want it disabled.

Here is a screenshot.

We can certainly help you out with this. We will get back to you shortly with a solution. We really appreciate your patience, and thanks a lot for being with us.

As our support specialist stated, they provided a solid solution. They had to write some custom code to implement a new feature in the client’s system.

That customer not only gave us a 5-star rating for our service but also became one of our loyal customers.

Story #2: Ninja Table and Fluent Form:

Speaking of adding custom features, it’s one of the regular jobs for our support team. Support agents, from time to time, write custom codes to fulfill customer requests.

Once, we got another ticket about a dynamic integration between two of our products. And the request came in multiple layers.

Hi, I am ruining a multi-user-based site, and recently I purchased the Ninja table for my site. I bought this to list my users information in a single table. But after a few tries, I failed to do it. Can you help me?

Thanks a lot for connecting us. We can help you with your issue. We will get back to you ASAP with a solution. Thanks a lot for being with us.

Our support agent needed to create a table from the site’s SQL data that contained user information.

It was an easy fix. Ninja Table has that feature built-in. Our expert agent wrote a few lines of script to pull users’ information. It created a table from SQL data.

The tickets continue.

Now I can see all the users’ information in a single table. But now I want to display only logged-in user information in the table. The rest of the user’s information should be hidden for that user.

Sure, we can do that for you.

So, the support agent created a custom shortcode to embed the table on the display page. That custom shortcode restricted other users’ information to the logged-in user.  

But the client came to our support team again.

Hi, I’m very happy with the output. But now I need one more thing from you. I need another column in the table with a form link in it. If a customer clicks on it, it will open a new page with the form on it. And I need it to be prefilled with the information from the table. I don’t want my customer to fill out the form again.

We can certainly help you with this. Our engineers will get into it and get back to you soon with a solution.

Our support team has two challenges in solving this ticket.

• A table created using SQL data has a limitation. You cannot add a new column to the table without touching the SQL data. Altering SQL data is not a good idea at all. So, adding a new column in the table with a form link is difficult.
• Pull the data from the table to prefill a form with logged-in users data. And then make the prefilled input box uneditable.

Our team starts with the first challenge. We cannot create a new column without altering the SQL data. But then they figured out a way to replace particular data with the desired data. And in this case, the desired data is the form page link.

So, they used a column from the SQL data set that did not have important information. Using the custom scripting, they replaced the SQL-pushed data with the form page link. Part one is solved.

For the second challenge, our team used Fluent Form. They integrate the Fluent form with the Ninja table. With the help of some custom scripting, they were able to pull the data from the table into the form’s input box.

The client was really happy with the outcome. Just because of this service, the client bought all of our products. And there is no need to mention that the client became one of our advocates.

Story #3: Ninja Table

Customers can show you totally different use cases for your product. This particular story is the best example of this statement.

Hi, I am using your Ninja Table plugin on my site. I need to link a Google Sheet with the plugin. Is it possible?

Thanks a lot for connecting us. We have a built-in integration facility for Google Sheets in the table settings.

At this point, the WP Manage Ninja team sent a step-by-step video tutorial to show how to do the integration. and the client was happy with this.

But shortly after that, clients connected with our support team again with multiple queries.

I need your help to customize the table. I want to make it look different from a regular table. Specifically, I want to hide the header and border and resize the columns and rows. I also want to know if I can apply custom styling to the data from the Google Sheet and if an image inserted in the Google Sheet will appear in the table. So somehow, I don’t want it to look like a table.

Thanks again for connecting with us. All of your requests are possible. However, it would be helpful if we could have access to the site table on your site. This would allow us to provide you with a better suggestion.

The client shared a link to the site with the support team. The whole team was a bit confused.

Hi again. Thanks a lot for sharing the site link with us. But we may need a little more information about the site. And please specify where you want to put the final table. Also, can you please give us a link to the actual table?

I gave you the link to the table.

We are very sorry; you just gave us a site link. We cannot see any tables here.

That is the table.

May you please elaborate? What do you mean by that?

I made a full website using your table builder plugin.

After some inspection of the site, our agent realized our client had made a fully functional website using our table builder plugin. We were just amazed by this type of use case.

The client also linked the table with a Google Sheet, which we helped them with previously. This means that they do not need to log in to the WordPress dashboard to change any data.

The client can simply make changes to the Google Sheet from their phone, and our table plugin will automatically update the data on the site.  

This is so far one of the most unique and clever use cases we have seen for any of our products.

Takeaways customer service case studies

Up until now, we have shared six different customer service case studies. But these are not just stories. These case studies tell us what excellent service is. It teaches us how we can go the extra mile and how it can impact our customers.

Essential qualities of the best customer service reps

So, here are a few takeaways from these case studies:

• Be responsive. Respond to the customer, even if it’s a tweet. Be quick and efficient.
• Be helpful. Go above and beyond to help customers. This could mean tracking down a discontinued product, giving a refund, or even just sending a handwritten note. Personalization matters in customer relations. A good gesture could be to send customers gratitude notes that have been carefully crafted to suit their tastes. You can design cards , for instance, which gives you ample room for creativity and personal touch. Even when they don’t know it’s not required. This could mean offering advice, making recommendations, or just listening.
• Be transparent. Be honest with customers, even when it’s not good news. Customers always appreciate a direct response, even when they are angry.
• Be personal. Take the time to get to know the customer’s individual needs. This will help you provide more personalized service. Which will make them feel special.
• Be human. Don’t hold your personality back; let your human side shine through. Show that you care about the customer and their experience. This could mean using humor, being empathetic, or just being yourself. The personal level of connection is effortless. This will make your service seamless.
• Go the extra mile. Go above and beyond to help customers. This could mean tracking down a discontinued product, giving a refund, or even just sending a handwritten note. Whether you need to write custom code, provide training, or even just be a sounding board, let it be.
• Be creative. If you can’t find a solution, that’s fine. Go out of the box and come up with a new one.
• Be patient. Sometimes, it takes time to find the right solution that works. Be patient with customers and stay with them until they’re happy with it.
• Be open-minded. Customers may use your product in ways that you never intended. Be open to new ideas.
• Be impressed. Be amazed by the imagination and creativity of your clients. When you see customers using your product in a unique way, make sure to let them know how impressed you are.

Final thoughts

Being a tech support specialist or service agent is a challenging job, no doubt. A customer can come up with any type of issue. Hance, the service providers have to be sound enough to deal with any surprises.

The service-dependent industries are constantly facing a variety of cases every day. That’s why customer service case studies are a must-read for support and service providers. And, on the other hand, these stories can bring in new customers.

Start off with a powerful ticketing system that delivers smooth collaboration right out of the box.

Md. Ariful Basher

Hi, this is Abir, a product marketing strategist, passionate product designer, and WordPress core contributor. Creating interesting content and products that ensure a 360-degree customer experience is my daily job.

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4 Customer Service Case Studies to Inspire You

Customer service case studies help attract new customers to your business by showing them how your company can help them. Instead of simply telling customers what you can do for them, you demonstrate it with storytelling and draw them in.

Last updated: November 24, 2022

6 mins read

If you’ve researched any brand it’s more than likely you’ve come across a customer service case study. Real-life customer experiences are a powerful way to advertise a brand and showcase the real interactions customers have when approaching a company’s customer service department.

Instead of simply telling a customer what it’s like to benefit from a company’s customer service, they demonstrate genuine examples of customers who have submitted tickets to their customer service team. 

On the surface of it, one company can appear much like another without powerful customer service case studies to demonstrate its impact. Customers will be required to actually sign up to your service before they can experience your customer support for themselves. 

What is a customer service case study?

A customer service case study is a strategy to show the experiences of customers that have actually signed up to use your product or service and have actually witnessed your customer service for themselves. 

Potential customers who are researching what your company has to offer will benefit from the case studies of customers that have already passed through the buying decision. Instead of a company simply telling prospective customers what they have to offer, they will be able to demonstrate their service in reality. 

A customer service case study goes beyond being a simple testimonial, however. It’s factual evidence of customers who have implemented your company’s product or service and a demonstration of its ability to actually deliver results. 

Why are customer service case studies important? 

Without customer service case studies, your business will struggle to show how it is helping its customers. A case study shows your prospective customers how the business has performed in a real-life example of customer service, and helps them imagine what it would be like to do business with your company. 

Customer service case studies show potential customers how your business has helped customers to solve their problems and further their business goals. Although there are other ways to market your business, customer service case studies are a solid way to reach out to new prospects and convert them into customers. 

Successful customer case studies showcase successful examples of customer service that persuade your prospects to actually buy. They show prospects how well your customer service actually works and highlights your product’s value. 

How do you write a customer service case study?

There are a few strategies you need to follow when writing a customer service case study. Having a variety of different case studies will enable you to reach more potential customers which cover a range of situations and needs. 

1. Focus on your personas

You need to consider the type of the customer that you want to attract with your customer service case study. Mapping out your personas is an important part of your marketing strategy because it helps you identify prospects with unique wants and needs. Your customer service may appeal to different types of individuals and it’s crucial to target each one specifically. 

2. Tell a story

At their core, customer service case studies are stories about particular customers. Simply raving about how great your company is wil be boring for your readers, and you need to take them on a journey. Stories need to have obstacles to overcome, and your case study should show how your product or service is the hero of the narrative. 

3. Emphasize benefits

The benefits of your customer service will help to appeal to customers that have a specific pain point to solve. Instead of focusing on products or features it’s important to show how your service will help them. Your customer service case study is likely to be a representative example of a customer that has similar problems to other prospects, and it’s important to help prospective customers visualize using your service. 

4. Highlight the results 

Highlighting the results that your customer service will help your customers achieve means focusing on the before and after of using your service. Genuine improvements to your customer’s business will help to convince them that your product or service is the answer. Showing the results of your customer service helps customers see how they can save or make more money after choosing your business. 

4 interesting customer service case studies

Quick heal and kayako.

Here’s the first interesting customer service case study from Kayako. There was a company called Quick Heal Technologies which was a provider of internet security tools and anti-virus software. They had millions of global users, but they were struggling to deliver outstanding customer service due to a high volume of customer service requests. 

One of their main issues was the absence of a system to track requests from different sources. Agents were checking many different platforms for customer service requests, and lacked a vital overview of the customer experience. They were losing tickets and suffering from incomplete information. There were delays in the customer support experience and the existing system couldn’t manage its workflow. 

Enter Kayako, help desk software. Their Shared Inbox Solution brought together the different customer service platforms such as email, Facebook, Twitter, and live chat. Quick Heal agents were able to support customers seamlessly and minimize the number of tickets that were dropped. They could significantly reduce their ticket response times and accelerate the time to resolution. Agents were able to much more effectively collaborate and reduce duplication of effort. 

Springboard and Help Scout

The next customer service case study is about Springboard, a platform which provides online resources and personalized mentors to help students build their dream careers. Their aim is to make a great education accessible to anyone in the world. 

So far, they have worked with 250 mentors to train more than 5,000 students over 6 continents. Their success has depended on their ability to create an open environment where students feel comfortable requesting feedback and discovering course information on their own. 

Springboard needed a solution that could help them build relationships with their students, even if it’s over email, and they decided that Help Scout was the answer. They chose Help Scout because it means they can have human conversations rather than treating their students like a ticket number. 

They make use of Help Scout’s help desk features to find key insights into students’ conversations, as well as their Docs knowledge base which provides answers to common questions. As a result, students are able to more effectively learn and overcome problems when they arise. 

We’ve got another customer service case study from an airline – in this case, JetBlue. They really know how to make their customers smile with small gestures and ensure they can win customers for life. 

One customer called Paul Brown was flying with JetBlue from the smaller terminal at Boston’s Logan airport. He realized that he couldn’t grab his usual Starbucks coffee because there was no Starbucks at the terminal. On a whim, he sent a tweet to JetBlue asking them to deliver his venti mocha, and to his surprise they obliged! Within minutes JetBlue customer service representatives had delivered the coffee to Paul’s seat on the plane. 

This example of customer service shows that JetBlue is willing to go the extra mile for customers and will ensure that the company can continue to attract more customers.

Gympass and Slack

Gympass is an international platform that gives companies and their employees 50% to 70% off a global network of fitness studios, digital workouts, and mental health and nutrition services. It was founded in 2012 and has experienced steady growth, now worth more than USD $1 billion. Users of Gympass have access to 50,000 gyms and studios in more than 7,000 cities, so they can work out while they are on the move. 

The problem with this growing company was communication across the globe. The company was overly reliant on emails which led to silos and employees missing out on vital information. The solution to this problem was Slack, a communications platform which is made accessible to all new employees so they have everything they need right from the start. 

Now, teams at Gympass work across a range of 2,000 Slack channels which are open to 1,000 employees. They can share documents, messages and information, keeping connected across locations and facilitating new projects like event planning. It’s enabled Gympass to build a strong culture of collaboration and ensure that every employee can find the information they need. 

Wrapping up

Customer service case studies help attract new customers to your business by showing them how your company can help them. Instead of simply telling customers what you can do for them, you demonstrate it with storytelling and draw them in. Showing your customers benefits and outcomes support them to make the decision to purchase. 

Before they actually have a trial of using your product or service, it’s hard for customers to know what it would be like. Case studies can give a valuable preview into what it would be like to work with your company and highlight customers that have already achieved success. 

Catherine is a content writer and community builder for creative and ethical companies. She often writes case studies, help documentation and articles about customer support. Her writing has helped businesses to attract curious audiences and transform them into loyal advocates. You can find more of her work at https://awaywithwords.co.

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Customer Experience

5 Case Studies to Improve Your Customer Service

As more and more customer transactions occur virtually, the quality of online help desks and customer service support is becoming an essential differentiator for companies. An estimated  73% of consumers say a good experience is critical in influencing their brand loyalties.

Customer satisfaction directly impacts the bottom line, too, as 84% of companies that work to improve their customer experience report an increase in their revenue.

Apart from the stats, it is important to look for examples of company success stories improving customer service and productivity. Having high-performance customer service is essential for any company, regardless of industry. Check out these five case studies that will help you improve this process in your business.

How Quick Heal optimized their customer service, extending support hours and responding to inquiries faster

Quick Heal Technologies is a leading provider of internet security tools and anti-virus software, serving millions of users worldwide. Like many fast-growing companies, they experienced bottlenecks in their customer service process due to the high volume of requests.

• No system to track requests from different sources. 
• Agents could not maintain a global view of the customer request, negatively impacting customer service.  
• High incidence of lost tickets and incomplete information.
• Customers were not happy with the support delays.  
• The existing system did not manage its workflow.

Quick Heal researched several options yet didn’t find a solution with the right blend of factors. That’s when the team signed up for a free trial of Kayako. Before the free trial even ended, Quick Heal decided that Kayako was the right solution.

Kayako’s Shared Inbox Solution creates a frictionless experience by unifying interactions from different sources like email, Facebook, Twitter, and live chat. The Shared Inbox Solution means QuickHeal agents can serve customers more efficiently while preventing dropped tickets and lost conversations.

Kayako Benefits for Quick Heal:

• Reduced ticket response and resolution times
• Improved collaboration and reduced duplication of effort
• Extended support hours
• Consolidated conversations from multiple sources

“Without Kayako, we would not be able to manage all of the incoming ticket requests in an organized manner nor provide the quality of support we stand for. Kayako is far more efficient than our previous help desk system.” Sushant Dashputre, Assistant Manager of Technical Support at Quick Heal

Are you ready to deliver Friction-Free Customer Service? Capture your customer’s entire journey in a way a support ticket or traditional help desk never could. Discover Kayako Single View

Increasing NameCheap’s agent productivity through a self-service knowledge base

Namecheap is a leading domain registrar and technology company that offers domain registration, hosting packages, and related services. Customer support is vital to Namecheap, especially because they serve many repeat customers. Scaling personalization in support is imperative to avoid customer churn.

• No optimized workflow for the high volume of requests led to customer complaints.
• Due to a complicated and overwhelming process when responding to customer tickets, Agents became stressed. 
• Low productivity for service agents.

Namecheap began to look for a reliable, unified customer service software solution. They had difficulty finding an option that fit all their needs. The Namecheap team then learned about Kayako and decided to try it.

After Namecheap integrated Kayako into their website, they saw an immediate improvement in agent productivity. They implemented a Self-Service Portal with tools like macro-libraries of responses, automated replies, and a self-help knowledge base to help customers get helpful answers anytime they need help.

Kayako’s SingleView gives agents a complete visualization of the entire customer journey, from initial purchase to most recent customer service inquiry for individualized customer questions needing personalized support. Kayako enables Namecheap to scale personalized customer service, the holy grail for companies with a high volume of repeat customers.

Kayako Benefits for Namecheap:

• Improved self-service knowledge base.
• Streamlined ticket management.
• Boosted productivity.
• Increased customer satisfaction.

“One of the things we most value about Kayako is how carefully they have thought about real-life support processes. In all aspects, Kayako provides us with value in buckets.” Nata Trusova, Director of Customer Support at Namecheap

How Envato manages multiple customer bases in one place and resolves tickets faster

Envato is a world-leading online community for creatives. The company’s steady growth since 2006 outpaced its existing resources for support requests. Envato tried building their own help desk and quickly saw that a DIY solution would be prohibitively expensive in terms of time and money.

They began to search for an existing customer service software solution that could meet their needs and fit their budget.

• Existing support system not keeping up with the volume of requests. 
• Support requests were hard to track, sometimes going to individual emails. 
• Envato managed multiple customer databases and needed a way to coordinate them.

Using Kayako’s SingleView dashboard, Envato could access multiple customer databases in just one place. SingleView provides a complete view of the customer journey so that customer service agents can provide personalized support to every customer.

Using features like Kayako’s ticket parsing rules, Smart Routing and internal collaboration tools helps Envato efficiently give customers accurate answers every time. With Kayako, the Envato team handles more requests in less time while increasing the quality of customer service. Best of all, Kayako is a scalable solution that can grow with Envato.

Kayako Benefits for Envato:

• Resolved tickets faster.
• Managed all customer databases in a single system.

“Kayako has allowed us to extensively customize our help desk. This really meant that we can just make our help desk work in the way we want, rather than coming up with an elaborate system to fit into the technical requirements of other help desks. It has functionality that other support providers have not been able to match.” Jordan McNamara, Community Manager, Envato

Increasing Texas Tech´s customer satisfaction with a communication and collaboration platform

Texas Tech University is a top institution focused on advancing higher education, research, and health care. With more than 10,000 employees and over 36,000 students, their support team was overwhelmed with the volume of service requests.

• Support staff, students, faculty, and many other stakeholders were frustrated because the system couldn’t handle the high volume of support requests. 
• The situation reflected poorly on their brand as a top higher education institution. 
• Staff was trying to manage support requests using a shared Outlook account.
• They had no way to collaborate internally on support requests.

After comparing different options, Texas Tech chose Kayako because it offered  Kayako Collaborators Feature they needed to coordinate internal communications and to serve customers with faster responses.

Their team quickly implemented Kayako’s out-of-the-box features and immediately saw improvement.

“Once we implemented Kayako, we immediately noticed an increase in the quality of communication and collaboration, especially between our support and development team. Our customers also praised the improved communication.” Kevin Eyck, Enterprise Server Administrator, Texas Tech University

Kayako’s integrated self-service feature helped Texas Tech reduce the number of live-agent.

tickets by assisting customers in helping themselves. Texas Tech also leveraged Kayako’s customization options, using a custom LoginShare and integrating it with the intranet and applications used on their campus.

Kayako didn’t just help Texas Tech improve the support experience for the customer; it also enhanced their internal team’s productivity.

With Kayako, Texas Tech University handles all of its support requests quickly and easily resolves customer problems. Customers also benefit from the improved processes for ticket management and communication.

Kayako Benefits for Texas Tech University:

• Reduced the number of support tickets.
• Improved internal collaboration.
• Gained self-service capability.

How Kayako helped CoinStop reduce average response time and implement omnichannel customer support

Coinstop is a trusted provider of cold storage cryptocurrency hardware wallets. After launching in 2016, Coinstop experienced extremely rapid growth.

They soon struggled to manage and respond to all of the support inquiries and questions from potential customers. The Coinstop team began searching for a customer service software solution that was easy to use and implement.

• Rapid growth was putting a strain on the existing bare-bones support process.
• Coinstop must spend time educating customers as well as selling to them.
• Customer service practices did not scale with the company.
• Coinstop was providing customer support using a single email account. 
• Manually responding to hundreds of emails per day wasn’t a productive use of time. 
• There was no way to track the progress of support requests, they couldn’t standardize responses across the various agents, and they found themselves asking repetitive questions that frustrated their customers. 

Coinstop needed a help desk and live chat software to organize and optimize their support. They chose Kayako customer support software because it offers the best experience for both support agents and customers.

Using the Kayako dashboard, agents can interact with customers across multiple social platforms, email, and live chat. Agents can see the customer’s history from all channels, not just chat or email.

Everyone on the Coinstop team has immediate access to all the information they need to provide quick, personalized support to customers with Kayako’s SingleView.

Kayako Benefits for Coinstop:

• Reduced average response time.
• Managed a higher volume of tickets with the same number of agents.
• Improved collaboration between departments.
• Implemented omnichannel support.

“You need one place to browse every single conversation you have had with each customer. Kayako is very well organized. You can tie everything into it, including emails, social media, and team members.” Christopher Pavlesic, Co-Founder of Coinstop

Are you ready to increase your team’s efficiency? Provide a better employee experience and speed up internal support with Kayako HelpDesk. Discover Kayako Self Service

Common Challenges, Custom Solutions for Customer Service Help Desk

As you can see, companies across a spectrum of industries often share similar challenges with customer service. Do you have questions about improving your customer service process? Join world-class customer support teams like the companies in these case studies using Kayako to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Book a Demo today.

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7 Successful Customer Experience Case Studies

Customer experience, or CX, is essential for your brand’s longevity, profitability, and customer loyalty, so it’s worth considering this factor in your marketing strategy. It’s no stretch to say that delivering high-quality customer experiences is critical if you want your brand to remain competitive in the modern business environment.

But it’s one thing to try to incorporate solid CX strategies and methodologies into your workflow. It’s another thing to see them in action as a success story. Today, let’s break down seven successful customer experience case studies. By the end, you’ll be well-equipped and ready to implement the techniques and methods that these successful companies used to bolster and reinvigorate their CX philosophies .

1. Macmillan Research

Macmillan Research, a scientific research institution, discovered in 2012 that various individuals affected by cancer needed extra support with practical tasks like cleaning, shopping, and so on. Approximately one in four people diagnosed with new cancer in the UK lacked support from close family or friends (or roughly 70,000 people each year) at the time of this project.

To solve this, Macmillan devised a Team Up service. The goal was to create an accessible, intuitive online marketplace that would help those affected by cancer get the practical support they needed.

To accomplish their goal, Macmillan worked hard to ensure that Team Up was easy-to-use and accessible across many different devices. It also needed to recruit new volunteers plus appeal to a younger demographic of workers.

Thus, Macmillan faced two primary challenges:

• Getting enough early adopters to test the earliest iterations of the service
• Acquiring the new technologies needed to make the whole project work

Macmillan focused on customer experience by hiring a dedicated community manager. This community manager then worked with various local groups in order to sign people up for the prelaunch of the product.

Furthermore, Macmillan integrated data into its CX testing by running biweekly user testing sessions. These guaranteed that members of the community provided their feedback to the project early on, where it could still be incorporated easily.

Thanks to these CX practices, Macmillan was successful in its overall goal. The Team Up service exceeded its initial expectations and registration KPIs by approximately 40%. Most practical tasks for cancer patients had a turnaround time of fewer than three days overall.

The car sales company CARFAX always looks for new ways to leverage its extensive vehicle database and use its customer knowledge to make new, intuitive digital tools and solutions.

Among the most recent improvements that CARFAX has made to its product is CARFAX for Police, which is a mobile and web application that helps to streamline accident report filing. Customers can now use CARFAX to file accident reports with local police precincts, making the entire process much more streamlined and easier.

To develop this app, CARFAX needed to focus on customer experience. CARFAX did some research to learn about the challenges police officers face while on the job and the difficulties they experience when filing accident reports. Fortunately, the technology to incorporate a solution like this was already present.

CARFAX and its clients conducted extensive user research, including interviews, measuring application user patterns, and so on, with a handful of police officers. They also leveraged skilled developers and mobile app programmers to make navigable, easy-to-use systems that successfully led to a great app.

By the end, CARFAX’s focus on CX resulted in an app that enables law enforcement officers to reduce accident report times by about 50%, as well as capture more data in law enforcement systems.

PBS previously wanted to transition from a more traditional media company into a leading digital media giant. To do that, PBS recognized that it needed to discover new marketing channels and formats through which to deliver educational, informative content to audiences across all age groups. More broadly, PBS wanted to connect and unify its overall network of approximately 200 member stations.

The CX-focused improvements were multifaceted from the get-go. PBS constructed a new technical infrastructure to serve content on multiple channels. This made PBS content more accessible to its users, thereby improving their customer experiences.

Furthermore, PBS developed iPad applications and APIs to ensure that content could be seamlessly delivered on any channel. This required the construction of custom content management systems, too — a high initial expense, but one that ended up being very worthwhile in the long run.

PBS also pivoted into a digital-first culture across the board. This allowed its members to focus on delivering exemplary customer experiences to online users, not just individuals watching television programs.

Trex was a home improvement company that specialized in providing sustainable deck materials. It wanted to improve its customers' experiences by creating a deck design app through which customers could create photorealistic mockups or simulations of what their decks might look like after constructing them.

The deck app would solve a huge pain point by helping customers who had only themselves to rely on when designing and building a deck of their very own. In creating a photorealistic application, Trex could eliminate a lot of the time and costs required in outsourcing the design process.

Therefore, Trex focused on creating an intuitive, navigable app with a good UX experience. This involved performing very deep, comprehensive user testing, as well as designing and building an initial solution and providing it to testers before incorporating their feedback.

In the end, the final app was very user-friendly. Customers were able to upload an image of their deck spaces or backyards, input certain deck dimensions, and even share their preferences. The app then recommends various eco-friendly deck materials and products so they can design and build the deck of their dreams in no time.

5. Thomas Cook

Thomas Cook, a travel agency and operator, wanted to improve its direct relationships with its target audience members and expand its customer base to those who weren’t currently its customers. Thomas Cook also wanted to know more about online customer journeys, as well as better understand customer purchase lifecycles.

With so many disparate goals, Thomas Cook needed to focus on customer experience and data-gathering above all else. To do this, it launched a targeted lead-generation campaign in addition to a travel survey.

The point of both of these methods was to capture key data and information about customers' future buying intentions, as well as specific customer requirements (which could, in theory, affect whether a given customer might buy something).

Furthermore, Thomas Cook utilized a nurturing program to deliver individualized, highly resonating messages and bolster user engagement. After completing the survey, consumers were presented with several different headline offers or redirected to the primary Thomas Cook website.

Thomas Cook didn't stop there. It also displayed various retargeting tags in the marketing campaign, helping the brand deliver more personalized display banner advertisements to respondents. All in all, this marketing effort allowed Thomas Cook to gain much more information than before.

It also acquired over 15,000 leads, saw email engagement rates boosted by over 30%, and saw email open rates at over twice the UK national benchmark average. All in all, it was a very successful CX data-gathering campaign.

6. RS Components

RS Components previously needed a better user experience. Specifically, the CX here was not conducive to quick or efficient processing.

This was a big problem for RS Components, as its marketing campaign was doing well, delivering over 10 million visits to various associated websites per month. Unfortunately, 70 million of those prospective customers left the site right at the search stage over the year.

To bolster conversion, RS Components look to improve its online customer experiences. With 60 websites in the group, this was a monumental task.

To accomplish it, RS Components:

• Collected customer feedback from online surveys, in addition to performing customer lab testing in the real world
• Prioritized things like speed and ease of identifying products. RS Components aimed to make it easier for customers to find and purchase the products they wanted
• Practiced search term correction
• Made significant improvements to search result categorization and presentation
• Emphasized and optimized its websites for mobile searchers

All in all, these efforts were highly successful. RS Components didn’t focus so much on changing its customer experience in terms of customer support or marketing. However, it did make a change in its CX in terms of searchability, website navigation, and product purchasing. This highlights how customer experience can incorporate and encompass many different elements of an online enterprise.

7. Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK wanted to develop an interactive, graphical representation of network performance. This was to be a first for the overall UK telecoms market. Unfortunately, Vodafone UK faced a significant challenge: making this rather technical and complex subject more accessible and simpler to understand for customers.

The primary objective was to create a tool to route queries into a call center using a self-service portal. Then, Vodafone UK aimed to develop a system to help communicate any planned outages to customers that would be affected. By the end of development, the tool needed to be very easy to maintain and be able to update itself in real-time 24/7.

To accomplish this, Vodafone UK focused somewhat on CX or customer experience management. Specifically, it:

• Created a cross-channel working group that included different business areas and people in industries like network operations, public relations, technology, security, and more.
• Carried out various usability studies with the public. This helped to validate its initial graphic design plan and user experience before implementing and improving upon it.

With this CX-focused approach, Vodafone UK successfully constructed a system where telecom information could be updated moment by moment by field engineers. The system was also linked to an email notification center, which enabled affected customers to immediately be notified of outages or changes in their coverage.

These days, users can still register their email addresses with the Vodafone UK telecoms system. This automatically sends an email if an issue is reported or if the network operations center has to impose an outage for technical or maintenance reasons.

The Impact of Customer Research on Customer Satisfaction

Many of these studies show how social media, digital transformation, and customer-centric optimization strategies can have a major impact. Using touchpoint analysis or leveraging contact centers can have an incredible impact on the bottom line.

Customer relationships — for both current and potential customers — only grow if you focus on world-class CX like these companies. Provide your customers with good day-to-day service in the online shopping world. Leverage automation where it makes sense, but don’t forget about the impact of a personal, human touch.

Chat With Awesome CX Today

As you can see, good customer experiences are absolutely vital for your brand. As you look to improve your CX overall, review your customer satisfaction metrics. Decide what pain point you can solve and anticipate the kind of improvements that loyal and new customers will most likely appreciate.

If the ideal way to make sure that your CX improvements are actually improvements and not just changes to your website or customer journeys for the sake of it.

Fortunately, if your CX philosophy needs a bit of work, there are partners you can turn to for help. Awesome CX is well-equipped and ready to assist with all of your CX needs.

In fact, we’ve assisted over 90 brands with their customer experience services , ranging from backend or office support to customer experience center aid and more. No matter what your industry happens to be, Awesome CX can help in more ways than one.

Send us a message today to learn more.

Customer Experience | Tech Target

What Is Customer Experience? | Forbes

What is Customer Experience? | IBM

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11 great customer service examples

Excellent customer service is essential for business. In fact, consumers are willing to spend 17 percent more with companies that deliver great customer service, according to American Express .

Unfortunately, it’s true that bad news travels faster than good news, especially in the age of social media. Most customer service stories online are about a bad customer service experience, and consequently, you don’t always hear about companies who are achieving customer satisfaction.

Keep scrolling to find customer service examples that will inspire, as well as tips for improving your customer experience.

What does excellent customer service look like?

The definition of “good” customer service is flexible, because it entirely depends on the level of expectation that customers have for your brand. This can be affected by variables such as your industry, product cost, brand reputation and more.

For example, if you’re flying in Economy, you don’t expect a 5* service with champagne and snacks - but if you were flying Business class, you’d be annoyed if those things weren’t provided for the higher cost of your seat.

What consumers expect from your customer service experience is the key factor in whether they perceive your brand to be great or terrible. Do they want to be able to resolve issues on multiple channels, or do they go to one channel for specific problems? Is your average response time more important to them, or is it how many self-service options you provide that matters? Is poor customer service the main reason why they might try a competitor?

Your support teams are your front line, shaping customer experience on a day-to-day basis. They can be proactively helpful in providing customer service that’s memorable, and turn a bad customer service experience around.

Investing in great service is worth your while. Don’t lose customers and brand loyalty by failing to meet and exceed expectations - grow your business’ revenue by ensuring that your excellent service keeps customers coming back.

Examples of good customer service experiences are more often than not the result of a kind, customer-centric service agents who are good at the following things:

Good customer service examples

• Responding quickly: A customer will appreciate fast response times when they want to ask a question or highlight a problem.
• Acting on customer feedback: When a customer support agent acts on the feedback they’ve received, it shows them that their opinion mattered.
• Showing empathy : Employees that try to understand a customer’s point of view make a customer feel valued, and can turn an angry customer into a happy one.
• Maintaining customer self-service options: Sometimes customers would prefer to find their own answer to problems rather than getting in touch with your customer service center. Having an up-to-date FAQ page or knowledge article base can be very helpful.
• Providing omnichannel support: Different communication channels can support customers that have busy schedules or want flexibility in how they connect with businesses. Your customer service teams need to be prepared to offer support through email, phone, live chat, and social media.
• Going the extra mile: When an employee is able to deliver excellent customer service beyond the customer’s expectations or adds a personal touch to the service experience, it can leave a positive impression and increase customer loyalty.

A less generalized amd more specific example of enhancing customer satisfaction and building loyalty is by offering discounts and coupons (depending on your industry and needs).

Why is delivering excellent customer service important?

There are several reasons why great customer service is important for your business. Below we list the most important ones.

Satisfied customers will spend more

According to Hubspot , 68 percent of consumers are willing to pay more for products and services from brands associated with excellent customer service. When you invest in delivering great customer service, you’re creating happy customers but also generating enough brand equity to charge a premium for your offering.

Your ROI will improve and profits will increase

Deloitte found that brands that were customer-centric were 60 percent more profitable when they were compared to companies that neglected to focus on customer experience. Your support team should be empowered to provide excellent customer service, not just for the customer’s benefit, but for your brand’s financial benefit as well.

Customers are more likely to forgive you

If you provide good customer service, you can convince customers to return, even if something didn’t go as they expected. Salesforce found that 78 percent of consumers will do business with a brand again after a mistake is made if the customer service is excellent.

Customer loyalty improves with great customer service

Microsoft says that a whopping 96 percent of customers believe customer service is vital when they’re choosing to be loyal to a brand. If you don’t provide customer service that meets expectations when dealing with an upset customer, you risk alienating them from returning to spend more. Quality service will help you to increase customer lifetime value.

A great customer experience means a higher chance of recommendations

Consumers who have a good customer service experience are more likely to recommend your brand to other people. Our own XM Institute found that consumers who rate a brand’s service as “good” are 38% more likely to recommend that company to others.

Real-life examples of great customer service

It's one thing to talk about what good customer service is in theory, and another to apply it to real-world companies. Below are eleven customer service examples from companies that go above and beyond, as well as the customer service tips we’ve taken from their stories.

• JetBlue - Thank frequent customers with small gestures
• Tesla - Meet your customers where they're at
• Adobe - Respond to customer service complaints before they happen
• Trader Joe's - Help those in time of need
• Coca-Cola - Get involved in social causes
• Zappos - Personally reply to every email
• Us! - Provide an exceptional event experience
• Sainsbury’s – Don't be afraid to change everything
• American Express – Give customers benefits that can be used globally
• Walmart - Invite customers into the company family
• The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company – Turn customer errors into service opportunities

1. JetBlue - Thank frequent customers with small gestures

Paul Brown was flying JetBlue airlines when he casually tweeted that he couldn’t grab his Starbucks coffee before boarding the plane because he was flying out of the smaller terminal at Boston’s Logan airport. Within seconds of seeing the tweet, JetBlue sprang to action and the airport customer service reps delivered a Starbucks venti mocha to his seat on the plane. Brown was elated and raved about JetBlue on Twitter.

Good customer service takeaway : This is definitely one of those great customer examples other companies can learn from. The main takeaway? Your customers don’t always need large gestures, but just want to know they’re appreciated. In fact, 68 percent of customers leave because they perceive you don’t appreciate them.  I’m sure after knowing his request was heard, Mr. Brown feels appreciated and he’ll be a loyal customer for a long time. Keep your company at the top of your customer’s mind, with good customer care by doing small acts for more people, instead of a few large things for a lot of people. Believe it or not, it's the simple things that count and produce loyal and happy customers.

2. Tesla - Meet your customers where they’re at

Tesla literally meets customers where they’re at by going to the customer’s home and fixing issues on their car. It’s convenient for the customer because they don’t have to sit around a repair shop and it can be scheduled on their own time. This is an example of excellent customer service.

Flat tire on Sunday. Called Tesla, git a loaner tire within 40 minutes. Today they came to my house to replace the tire in 10 minutes. scheduled to come back to fix a small issue next week. What other car company does this? @elonmusk @TeslaModel3 @Tesla #mobileservice pic.twitter.com/GiNwOM3RJZ — Chris Kern (@cjk7216) October 31, 2018

3. Adobe - Respond to customer service complaints before they happen

When Adobe had an outage due to an issue with Amazon Web Services, they posted a tweet about it before they started getting customer complaints. The tweet contained a video of a puppy stampede as a distraction and lightened the mood. While there were some comments asking when the program would be running again, many replies focused on the adorable puppies.

Hi all, some Adobe services are down due to the AWS outage: https://t.co/U2qtybaT8J Here's a puppy stampede to take your mind off of it. ? pic.twitter.com/Glv6Anavje — Adobe Customer Care (@AdobeCare) February 28, 2017

4. Trader Joe's - Help those in time of need

An 89-year-old man was stuck in his house during a snowstorm and his granddaughter was worried he wouldn’t have enough food. She called around to several grocery stores and asked if they would deliver, to no avail. Finally, Trader Joe’s said they normally don’t deliver, but they would help. She read off a big list to the store and they delivered the entire order and more within 30 minutes, free of charge.

5. Coca-Cola - Get involved in social causes

Since 1984, Coke has given back more than $1 billion through the Coca-Cola Foundation. What’s great is they give back at the local level and not just to large organizations. For instance, Coke in Ireland initiated the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund , which gives €100K annually to local charities that empower young people, foster sustainability, and encourage diversity and inclusion.

6. Zappos - Personally reply to every email

Zappos responds to every email it receives, even if it’s addressed to the CEO. In this case, a woman sent a request to Tony Hsieh and even though he was unavailable, his representative sent a humorous and engaging email back.

7. Us!  - Provide an exceptional event experience

During many conferences that we attend, we send our  “Qualtrics Dream Team” to fulfill customers' needs and wishes to make the event a truly exceptional experience. From food and drinks, to swag, to even vacations and massages, our team tries to fulfill as many requests as possible. They also collect customer feedback and make changes for a better event experience, such as room temperature and providing phone chargers.

Not a legal comment, but every other company listed here has some example of a customer thanking them for good customer service. I think our example would be stronger if we had something like that.

Curious to know how we run the Dream Team using our own software, or why we bring it to events like #CXOLeadersSummit ? Stop by our booth and we'll share all the secrets! Our team is here till 4pm AEST. pic.twitter.com/pEjfd2Jl8K — Qualtrics (@Qualtrics) August 8, 2018

8. Sainsbury’s – Don't be afraid to change everything

When Sainsbury’s, a UK supermarket chain, received a letter from three-and-a-half-year-old Lily Robinson, they ended up rebranding one of their products entirely. Lily thought their "tiger bread" didn’t resemble a tiger’s stripes at all – it looked more like the pattern on a giraffe. Sainsbury’s responded that the little girl was right and made new labels to share Lily's insight with other customers.

9. American Express – Give customers benefits that can be used globally

American Express maintains their position as a top-tier credit card company by offering its customers plenty of extra benefits: complimentary travel flight credit, insurance, and access to airline lounges to name a few. Combine these worldwide benefits with American Express's 24/7 support line and its global partners network and you have a company that truly connects with you wherever you are.

10. Walmart - Invite customers into the company family

Walmart has a reputation for being focused on providing value to everyday families. They live out their family focus through the way they treat their employees. When one of their associates turned 101 years old, they shared the news on Facebook and invited customers to participate in the celebration.

11. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company – Turn customer errors into service opportunities

Ritz-Carlton employees are allowed up to $2,000 to fix any guest problem, no questions asked. One example was told by customer John DiJulius, who left his charger behind at The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota. He received a next-day air package with his charger and a note saying ‘Mr. DiJulius, I wanted to make sure we got this to you right away. I am sure you need it, and, just in case, I sent you an extra charger for your laptop.’

How to provide great customer service

The best way to provide a good customer service experience is to gather feedback, set metrics and take action on your overall customer experience (CX) .

Why not check out our free survey template to collect feedback for customer service and contact centers? You can download it here.

With Qualtrics, you can track key metrics with a customer service benchmark report to help you to understand how your service is improving over time. Track interactions and feedback across the customer journey and customer service experience, and set action into motion to gain customer trust and loyalty.

Best customer service practices: Improving agent effectiveness

Diana Kaemingk

Diana Kaemingk is a contributor to the Qualtrics blog.

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15 Real-Life Case Study Examples & Best Practices

Written by: Oghale Olori

Case studies are more than just success stories.

They are powerful tools that demonstrate the practical value of your product or service. Case studies help attract attention to your products, build trust with potential customers and ultimately drive sales.

It’s no wonder that 73% of successful content marketers utilize case studies as part of their content strategy. Plus, buyers spend 54% of their time reviewing case studies before they make a buying decision.

To ensure you’re making the most of your case studies, we’ve put together 15 real-life case study examples to inspire you. These examples span a variety of industries and formats. We’ve also included best practices, design tips and templates to inspire you.

Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

What is a case study, 15 real-life case study examples, sales case study examples, saas case study examples, product case study examples, marketing case study examples, business case study examples, case study faqs.

• A case study is a compelling narrative that showcases how your product or service has positively impacted a real business or individual. 
• Case studies delve into your customer's challenges, how your solution addressed them and the quantifiable results they achieved.
• Your case study should have an attention-grabbing headline, great visuals and a relevant call to action. Other key elements include an introduction, problems and result section.
• Visme provides easy-to-use tools, professionally designed templates and features for creating attractive and engaging case studies.

A case study is a real-life scenario where your company helped a person or business solve their unique challenges. It provides a detailed analysis of the positive outcomes achieved as a result of implementing your solution.

Case studies are an effective way to showcase the value of your product or service to potential customers without overt selling. By sharing how your company transformed a business, you can attract customers seeking similar solutions and results.

Case studies are not only about your company's capabilities; they are primarily about the benefits customers and clients have experienced from using your product.

Every great case study is made up of key elements. They are;

• Attention-grabbing headline: Write a compelling headline that grabs attention and tells your reader what the case study is about. For example, "How a CRM System Helped a B2B Company Increase Revenue by 225%.
• Introduction/Executive Summary: Include a brief overview of your case study, including your customer’s problem, the solution they implemented and the results they achieved.
• Problem/Challenge: Case studies with solutions offer a powerful way to connect with potential customers. In this section, explain how your product or service specifically addressed your customer's challenges.
• Solution: Explain how your product or service specifically addressed your customer's challenges.
• Results/Achievements : Give a detailed account of the positive impact of your product. Quantify the benefits achieved using metrics such as increased sales, improved efficiency, reduced costs or enhanced customer satisfaction.
• Graphics/Visuals: Include professional designs, high-quality photos and videos to make your case study more engaging and visually appealing.
• Quotes/Testimonials: Incorporate written or video quotes from your clients to boost your credibility.
• Relevant CTA: Insert a call to action (CTA) that encourages the reader to take action. For example, visiting your website or contacting you for more information. Your CTA can be a link to a landing page, a contact form or your social media handle and should be related to the product or service you highlighted in your case study.

Now that you understand what a case study is, let’s look at real-life case study examples. Among these, you'll find some simple case study examples that break down complex ideas into easily understandable solutions.

In this section, we’ll explore SaaS, marketing, sales, product and business case study examples with solutions. Take note of how these companies structured their case studies and included the key elements.

We’ve also included professionally designed case study templates to inspire you.

1. Georgia Tech Athletics Increase Season Ticket Sales by 80%

Georgia Tech Athletics, with its 8,000 football season ticket holders, sought for a way to increase efficiency and customer engagement.

Their initial sales process involved making multiple outbound phone calls per day with no real targeting or guidelines. Georgia Tech believed that targeting communications will enable them to reach more people in real time.

Salesloft improved Georgia Tech’s sales process with an inbound structure. This enabled sales reps to connect with their customers on a more targeted level. The use of dynamic fields and filters when importing lists ensured prospects received the right information, while communication with existing fans became faster with automation.

As a result, Georgia Tech Athletics recorded an 80% increase in season ticket sales as relationships with season ticket holders significantly improved. Employee engagement increased as employees became more energized to connect and communicate with fans.

Why Does This Case Study Work?

In this case study example , Salesloft utilized the key elements of a good case study. Their introduction gave an overview of their customers' challenges and the results they enjoyed after using them. After which they categorized the case study into three main sections: challenge, solution and result.

Salesloft utilized a case study video to increase engagement and invoke human connection.

Incorporating videos in your case study has a lot of benefits. Wyzol’s 2023 state of video marketing report showed a direct correlation between videos and an 87% increase in sales.

The beautiful thing is that creating videos for your case study doesn’t have to be daunting.

With an easy-to-use platform like Visme, you can create top-notch testimonial videos that will connect with your audience. Within the Visme editor, you can access over 1 million stock photos , video templates, animated graphics and more. These tools and resources will significantly improve the design and engagement of your case study.

Simplify content creation and brand management for your team

• Collaborate on designs , mockups and wireframes with your non-design colleagues
• Lock down your branding to maintain brand consistency throughout your designs
• Why start from scratch? Save time with 1000s of professional branded templates

Sign up. It’s free.

2. WeightWatchers Completely Revamped their Enterprise Sales Process with HubSpot

WeightWatchers, a 60-year-old wellness company, sought a CRM solution that increased the efficiency of their sales process. With their previous system, Weightwatchers had limited automation. They would copy-paste message templates from word documents or recreate one email for a batch of customers.

This required a huge effort from sales reps, account managers and leadership, as they were unable to track leads or pull customized reports for planning and growth.

WeightWatchers transformed their B2B sales strategy by leveraging HubSpot's robust marketing and sales workflows. They utilized HubSpot’s deal pipeline and automation features to streamline lead qualification. And the customized dashboard gave leadership valuable insights.

As a result, WeightWatchers generated seven figures in annual contract value and boosted recurring revenue. Hubspot’s impact resulted in 100% adoption across all sales, marketing, client success and operations teams.

Hubspot structured its case study into separate sections, demonstrating the specific benefits of their products to various aspects of the customer's business. Additionally, they integrated direct customer quotes in each section to boost credibility, resulting in a more compelling case study.

Getting insight from your customer about their challenges is one thing. But writing about their process and achievements in a concise and relatable way is another. If you find yourself constantly experiencing writer’s block, Visme’s AI writer is perfect for you.

Visme created this AI text generator tool to take your ideas and transform them into a great draft. So whether you need help writing your first draft or editing your final case study, Visme is ready for you.

3. Immi’s Ram Fam Helps to Drive Over $200k in Sales

Immi embarked on a mission to recreate healthier ramen recipes that were nutritious and delicious. After 2 years of tireless trials, Immi finally found the perfect ramen recipe. However, they envisioned a community of passionate ramen enthusiasts to fuel their business growth.

This vision propelled them to partner with Shopify Collabs. Shopify Collabs successfully cultivated and managed Immi’s Ramen community of ambassadors and creators.

As a result of their partnership, Immi’s community grew to more than 400 dedicated members, generating over $200,000 in total affiliate sales.

The power of data-driven headlines cannot be overemphasized. Chili Piper strategically incorporates quantifiable results in their headlines. This instantly sparks curiosity and interest in readers.

While not every customer success story may boast headline-grabbing figures, quantifying achievements in percentages is still effective. For example, you can highlight a 50% revenue increase with the implementation of your product.

Take a look at the beautiful case study template below. Just like in the example above, the figures in the headline instantly grab attention and entice your reader to click through.

Having a case study document is a key factor in boosting engagement. This makes it easy to promote your case study in multiple ways. With Visme, you can easily publish, download and share your case study with your customers in a variety of formats, including PDF, PPTX, JPG and more!

4. How WOW! is Saving Nearly 79% in Time and Cost With Visme

This case study discusses how Visme helped WOW! save time and money by providing user-friendly tools to create interactive and quality training materials for their employees. Find out what your team can do with Visme. Request a Demo

WOW!'s learning and development team creates high-quality training materials for new and existing employees. Previous tools and platforms they used had plain templates, little to no interactivity features, and limited flexibility—that is, until they discovered Visme.

Now, the learning and development team at WOW! use Visme to create engaging infographics, training videos, slide decks and other training materials.

This has directly reduced the company's turnover rate, saving them money spent on recruiting and training new employees. It has also saved them a significant amount of time, which they can now allocate to other important tasks.

Visme's customer testimonials spark an emotional connection with the reader, leaving a profound impact. Upon reading this case study, prospective customers will be blown away by the remarkable efficiency achieved by Visme's clients after switching from PowerPoint.

Visme’s interactivity feature was a game changer for WOW! and one of the primary reasons they chose Visme.

“Previously we were using PowerPoint, which is fine, but the interactivity you can get with Visme is so much more robust that we’ve all steered away from PowerPoint.” - Kendra, L&D team, Wow!

Visme’s interactive feature allowed them to animate their infographics, include clickable links on their PowerPoint designs and even embed polls and quizzes their employees could interact with.

By embedding the slide decks, infographics and other training materials WOW! created with Visme, potential customers get a taste of what they can create with the tool. This is much more effective than describing the features of Visme because it allows potential customers to see the tool in action.

To top it all off, this case study utilized relevant data and figures. For example, one part of the case study said, “In Visme, where Kendra’s team has access to hundreds of templates, a brand kit, and millions of design assets at their disposal, their team can create presentations in 80% less time.”

Who wouldn't want that?

Including relevant figures and graphics in your case study is a sure way to convince your potential customers why you’re a great fit for their brand. The case study template below is a great example of integrating relevant figures and data.

This colorful template begins with a captivating headline. But that is not the best part; this template extensively showcases the results their customer had using relevant figures.

The arrangement of the results makes it fun and attractive. Instead of just putting figures in a plain table, you can find interesting shapes in your Visme editor to take your case study to the next level.

5. Lyte Reduces Customer Churn To Just 3% With Hubspot CRM

While Lyte was redefining the ticketing industry, it had no definite CRM system . Lyte utilized 12–15 different SaaS solutions across various departments, which led to a lack of alignment between teams, duplication of work and overlapping tasks.

Customer data was spread across these platforms, making it difficult to effectively track their customer journey. As a result, their churn rate increased along with customer dissatisfaction.

Through Fuelius , Lyte founded and implemented Hubspot CRM. Lyte's productivity skyrocketed after incorporating Hubspot's all-in-one CRM tool. With improved efficiency, better teamwork and stronger client relationships, sales figures soared.

The case study title page and executive summary act as compelling entry points for both existing and potential customers. This overview provides a clear understanding of the case study and also strategically incorporates key details like the client's industry, location and relevant background information.

Having a good summary of your case study can prompt your readers to engage further. You can achieve this with a simple but effective case study one-pager that highlights your customer’s problems, process and achievements, just like this case study did in the beginning.

Moreover, you can easily distribute your case study one-pager and use it as a lead magnet to draw prospective customers to your company.

Take a look at this case study one-pager template below.

This template includes key aspects of your case study, such as the introduction, key findings, conclusion and more, without overcrowding the page. The use of multiple shades of blue gives it a clean and dynamic layout.

Our favorite part of this template is where the age group is visualized.

With Visme’s data visualization tool , you can present your data in tables, graphs, progress bars, maps and so much more. All you need to do is choose your preferred data visualization widget, input or import your data and click enter!

6. How Workato Converts 75% of Their Qualified Leads

Workato wanted to improve their inbound leads and increase their conversion rate, which ranged from 40-55%.

At first, Workato searched for a simple scheduling tool. They soon discovered that they needed a tool that provided advanced routing capabilities based on zip code and other criteria. Luckily, they found and implemented Chili Piper.

As a result of implementing Chili Piper, Workato achieved a remarkable 75–80% conversion rate and improved show rates. This led to a substantial revenue boost, with a 10-15% increase in revenue attributed to Chili Piper's impact on lead conversion.

This case study example utilizes the power of video testimonials to drive the impact of their product.

Chili Piper incorporates screenshots and clips of their tool in use. This is a great strategy because it helps your viewers become familiar with how your product works, making onboarding new customers much easier.

In this case study example, we see the importance of efficient Workflow Management Systems (WMS). Without a WMS, you manually assign tasks to your team members and engage in multiple emails for regular updates on progress.

However, when crafting and designing your case study, you should prioritize having a good WMS.

Visme has an outstanding Workflow Management System feature that keeps you on top of all your projects and designs. This feature makes it much easier to assign roles, ensure accuracy across documents, and track progress and deadlines.

Visme’s WMS feature allows you to limit access to your entire document by assigning specific slides or pages to individual members of your team. At the end of the day, your team members are not overwhelmed or distracted by the whole document but can focus on their tasks.

7. Rush Order Helps Vogmask Scale-Up During a Pandemic

Vomask's reliance on third-party fulfillment companies became a challenge as demand for their masks grew. Seeking a reliable fulfillment partner, they found Rush Order and entrusted them with their entire inventory.

Vomask's partnership with Rush Order proved to be a lifesaver during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rush Order's agility, efficiency and commitment to customer satisfaction helped Vogmask navigate the unprecedented demand and maintain its reputation for quality and service.

Rush Order’s comprehensive support enabled Vogmask to scale up its order processing by a staggering 900% while maintaining a remarkable customer satisfaction rate of 92%.

Rush Order chose one event where their impact mattered the most to their customer and shared that story.

While pandemics don't happen every day, you can look through your customer’s journey and highlight a specific time or scenario where your product or service saved their business.

The story of Vogmask and Rush Order is compelling, but it simply is not enough. The case study format and design attract readers' attention and make them want to know more. Rush Order uses consistent colors throughout the case study, starting with the logo, bold square blocks, pictures, and even headers.

Take a look at this product case study template below.

Just like our example, this case study template utilizes bold colors and large squares to attract and maintain the reader’s attention. It provides enough room for you to write about your customers' backgrounds/introductions, challenges, goals and results.

The right combination of shapes and colors adds a level of professionalism to this case study template.

8. AMR Hair & Beauty leverages B2B functionality to boost sales by 200%

With limits on website customization, slow page loading and multiple website crashes during peak events, it wasn't long before AMR Hair & Beauty began looking for a new e-commerce solution.

Their existing platform lacked effective search and filtering options, a seamless checkout process and the data analytics capabilities needed for informed decision-making. This led to a significant number of abandoned carts.

Upon switching to Shopify Plus, AMR immediately saw improvements in page loading speed and average session duration. They added better search and filtering options for their wholesale customers and customized their checkout process.

Due to this, AMR witnessed a 200% increase in sales and a 77% rise in B2B average order value. AMR Hair & Beauty is now poised for further expansion and growth.

This case study example showcases the power of a concise and impactful narrative.

To make their case analysis more effective, Shopify focused on the most relevant aspects of the customer's journey. While there may have been other challenges the customer faced, they only included those that directly related to their solutions.

Take a look at this case study template below. It is perfect if you want to create a concise but effective case study. Without including unnecessary details, you can outline the challenges, solutions and results your customers experienced from using your product.

Don’t forget to include a strong CTA within your case study. By incorporating a link, sidebar pop-up or an exit pop-up into your case study, you can prompt your readers and prospective clients to connect with you.

9. How a Marketing Agency Uses Visme to Create Engaging Content With Infographics

SmartBox Dental , a marketing agency specializing in dental practices, sought ways to make dental advice more interesting and easier to read. However, they lacked the design skills to do so effectively.

Visme's wide range of templates and features made it easy for the team to create high-quality content quickly and efficiently. SmartBox Dental enjoyed creating infographics in as little as 10-15 minutes, compared to one hour before Visme was implemented.

By leveraging Visme, SmartBox Dental successfully transformed dental content into a more enjoyable and informative experience for their clients' patients. Therefore enhancing its reputation as a marketing partner that goes the extra mile to deliver value to its clients.

Visme creatively incorporates testimonials In this case study example.

By showcasing infographics and designs created by their clients, they leverage the power of social proof in a visually compelling way. This way, potential customers gain immediate insight into the creative possibilities Visme offers as a design tool.

This example effectively showcases a product's versatility and impact, and we can learn a lot about writing a case study from it. Instead of focusing on one tool or feature per customer, Visme took a more comprehensive approach.

Within each section of their case study, Visme explained how a particular tool or feature played a key role in solving the customer's challenges.

For example, this case study highlighted Visme’s collaboration tool . With Visme’s tool, the SmartBox Dental content team fostered teamwork, accountability and effective supervision.

Visme also achieved a versatile case study by including relevant quotes to showcase each tool or feature. Take a look at some examples;

Visme’s collaboration tool: “We really like the collaboration tool. Being able to see what a co-worker is working on and borrow their ideas or collaborate on a project to make sure we get the best end result really helps us out.”

Visme’s library of stock photos and animated characters: “I really love the images and the look those give to an infographic. I also really like the animated little guys and the animated pictures. That’s added a lot of fun to our designs.”

Visme’s interactivity feature: “You can add URLs and phone number links directly into the infographic so they can just click and call or go to another page on the website and I really like adding those hyperlinks in.”

You can ask your customers to talk about the different products or features that helped them achieve their business success and draw quotes from each one.

10. Jasper Grows Blog Organic Sessions 810% and Blog-Attributed User Signups 400X

Jasper, an AI writing tool, lacked a scalable content strategy to drive organic traffic and user growth. They needed help creating content that converted visitors into users. Especially when a looming domain migration threatened organic traffic.

To address these challenges, Jasper partnered with Omniscient Digital. Their goal was to turn their content into a growth channel and drive organic growth. Omniscient Digital developed a full content strategy for Jasper AI, which included a content audit, competitive analysis, and keyword discovery.

Through their collaboration, Jasper’s organic blog sessions increased by 810%, despite the domain migration. They also witnessed a 400X increase in blog-attributed signups. And more importantly, the content program contributed to over $4 million in annual recurring revenue.

The combination of storytelling and video testimonials within the case study example makes this a real winner. But there’s a twist to it. Omniscient segmented the video testimonials and placed them in different sections of the case study.

Video marketing , especially in case studies, works wonders. Research shows us that 42% of people prefer video testimonials because they show real customers with real success stories. So if you haven't thought of it before, incorporate video testimonials into your case study.

Take a look at this stunning video testimonial template. With its simple design, you can input the picture, name and quote of your customer within your case study in a fun and engaging way.

Try it yourself! Customize this template with your customer’s testimonial and add it to your case study!

11. How Meliá Became One of the Most Influential Hotel Chains on Social Media

Meliá Hotels needed help managing their growing social media customer service needs. Despite having over 500 social accounts, they lacked a unified response protocol and detailed reporting. This largely hindered efficiency and brand consistency.

Meliá partnered with Hootsuite to build an in-house social customer care team. Implementing Hootsuite's tools enabled Meliá to decrease response times from 24 hours to 12.4 hours while also leveraging smart automation.

In addition to that, Meliá resolved over 133,000 conversations, booking 330 inquiries per week through Hootsuite Inbox. They significantly improved brand consistency, response time and customer satisfaction.

The need for a good case study design cannot be over-emphasized.

As soon as anyone lands on this case study example, they are mesmerized by a beautiful case study design. This alone raises the interest of readers and keeps them engaged till the end.

If you’re currently saying to yourself, “ I can write great case studies, but I don’t have the time or skill to turn it into a beautiful document.” Say no more.

Visme’s amazing AI document generator can take your text and transform it into a stunning and professional document in minutes! Not only do you save time, but you also get inspired by the design.

With Visme’s document generator, you can create PDFs, case study presentations , infographics and more!

Take a look at this case study template below. Just like our case study example, it captures readers' attention with its beautiful design. Its dynamic blend of colors and fonts helps to segment each element of the case study beautifully.

12. Tea’s Me Cafe: Tamika Catchings is Brewing Glory

Tamika's journey began when she purchased Tea's Me Cafe in 2017, saving it from closure. She recognized the potential of the cafe as a community hub and hosted regular events centered on social issues and youth empowerment.

One of Tamika’s business goals was to automate her business. She sought to streamline business processes across various aspects of her business. One of the ways she achieves this goal is through Constant Contact.

Constant Contact became an integral part of Tamika's marketing strategy. They provided an automated and centralized platform for managing email newsletters, event registrations, social media scheduling and more.

This allowed Tamika and her team to collaborate efficiently and focus on engaging with their audience. They effectively utilized features like WooCommerce integration, text-to-join and the survey builder to grow their email list, segment their audience and gather valuable feedback.

The case study example utilizes the power of storytelling to form a connection with readers. Constant Contact takes a humble approach in this case study. They spotlight their customers' efforts as the reason for their achievements and growth, establishing trust and credibility.

This case study is also visually appealing, filled with high-quality photos of their customer. While this is a great way to foster originality, it can prove challenging if your customer sends you blurry or low-quality photos.

If you find yourself in that dilemma, you can use Visme’s AI image edit tool to touch up your photos. With Visme’s AI tool, you can remove unwanted backgrounds, erase unwanted objects, unblur low-quality pictures and upscale any photo without losing the quality.

Constant Contact offers its readers various formats to engage with their case study. Including an audio podcast and PDF.

In its PDF version, Constant Contact utilized its brand colors to create a stunning case study design.  With this, they increase brand awareness and, in turn, brand recognition with anyone who comes across their case study.

With Visme’s brand wizard tool , you can seamlessly incorporate your brand assets into any design or document you create. By inputting your URL, Visme’s AI integration will take note of your brand colors, brand fonts and more and create branded templates for you automatically.

You don't need to worry about spending hours customizing templates to fit your brand anymore. You can focus on writing amazing case studies that promote your company.

13. How Breakwater Kitchens Achieved a 7% Growth in Sales With Thryv

Breakwater Kitchens struggled with managing their business operations efficiently. They spent a lot of time on manual tasks, such as scheduling appointments and managing client communication. This made it difficult for them to grow their business and provide the best possible service to their customers.

David, the owner, discovered Thryv. With Thryv, Breakwater Kitchens was able to automate many of their manual tasks. Additionally, Thryv integrated social media management. This enabled Breakwater Kitchens to deliver a consistent brand message, captivate its audience and foster online growth.

As a result, Breakwater Kitchens achieved increased efficiency, reduced missed appointments and a 7% growth in sales.

This case study example uses a concise format and strong verbs, which make it easy for readers to absorb the information.

At the top of the case study, Thryv immediately builds trust by presenting their customer's complete profile, including their name, company details and website. This allows potential customers to verify the case study's legitimacy, making them more likely to believe in Thryv's services.

However, manually copying and pasting customer information across multiple pages of your case study can be time-consuming.

To save time and effort, you can utilize Visme's dynamic field feature . Dynamic fields automatically insert reusable information into your designs.  So you don’t have to type it out multiple times.

14. Zoom’s Creative Team Saves Over 4,000 Hours With Brandfolder

Zoom experienced rapid growth with the advent of remote work and the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. Such growth called for agility and resilience to scale through.

At the time, Zoom’s assets were disorganized which made retrieving brand information a burden. Zoom’s creative manager spent no less than 10 hours per week finding and retrieving brand assets for internal teams.

Zoom needed a more sustainable approach to organizing and retrieving brand information and came across Brandfolder. Brandfolder simplified and accelerated Zoom’s email localization and webpage development. It also enhanced the creation and storage of Zoom virtual backgrounds.

With Brandfolder, Zoom now saves 4,000+ hours every year. The company also centralized its assets in Brandfolder, which allowed 6,800+ employees and 20-30 vendors to quickly access them.

Brandfolder infused its case study with compelling data and backed it up with verifiable sources. This data-driven approach boosts credibility and increases the impact of their story.

Bradfolder's case study goes the extra mile by providing a downloadable PDF version, making it convenient for readers to access the information on their own time. Their dedication to crafting stunning visuals is evident in every aspect of the project.

From the vibrant colors to the seamless navigation, everything has been meticulously designed to leave a lasting impression on the viewer. And with clickable links that make exploring the content a breeze, the user experience is guaranteed to be nothing short of exceptional.

The thing is, your case study presentation won’t always sit on your website. There are instances where you may need to do a case study presentation for clients, partners or potential investors.

Visme has a rich library of templates you can tap into. But if you’re racing against the clock, Visme’s AI presentation maker is your best ally.

15. How Cents of Style Made $1.7M+ in Affiliate Sales with LeadDyno

Cents of Style had a successful affiliate and influencer marketing strategy. However, their existing affiliate marketing platform was not intuitive, customizable or transparent enough to meet the needs of their influencers.

Cents of Styles needed an easy-to-use affiliate marketing platform that gave them more freedom to customize their program and implement a multi-tier commission program.

After exploring their options, Cents of Style decided on LeadDyno.

LeadDyno provided more flexibility, allowing them to customize commission rates and implement their multi-tier commission structure, switching from monthly to weekly payouts.

Also, integrations with PayPal made payments smoother And features like newsletters and leaderboards added to the platform's success by keeping things transparent and engaging.

As a result, Cents of Style witnessed an impressive $1.7 million in revenue from affiliate sales with a substantial increase in web sales by 80%.

LeadDyno strategically placed a compelling CTA in the middle of their case study layout, maximizing its impact. At this point, readers are already invested in the customer's story and may be considering implementing similar strategies.

A well-placed CTA offers them a direct path to learn more and take action.

LeadDyno also utilized the power of quotes to strengthen their case study. They didn't just embed these quotes seamlessly into the text; instead, they emphasized each one with distinct blocks.

Are you looking for an easier and quicker solution to create a case study and other business documents? Try Visme's AI designer ! This powerful tool allows you to generate complete documents, such as case studies, reports, whitepapers and more, just by providing text prompts. Simply explain your requirements to the tool, and it will produce the document for you, complete with text, images, design assets and more.

Still have more questions about case studies? Let's look at some frequently asked questions.

How to Write a Case Study?

• Choose a compelling story: Not all case studies are created equal. Pick one that is relevant to your target audience and demonstrates the specific benefits of your product or service.
• Outline your case study: Create a case study outline and highlight how you will structure your case study to include the introduction, problem, solution and achievements of your customer.
• Choose a case study template: After you outline your case study, choose a case study template . Visme has stunning templates that can inspire your case study design.
• Craft a compelling headline: Include figures or percentages that draw attention to your case study.
• Work on the first draft: Your case study should be easy to read and understand. Use clear and concise language and avoid jargon.
• Include high-quality visual aids: Visuals can help to make your case study more engaging and easier to read. Consider adding high-quality photos, screenshots or videos.
• Include a relevant CTA: Tell prospective customers how to reach you for questions or sign-ups.

What Are the Stages of a Case Study?

The stages of a case study are;

• Planning & Preparation: Highlight your goals for writing the case study. Plan the case study format, length and audience you wish to target.
• Interview the Client: Reach out to the company you want to showcase and ask relevant questions about their journey and achievements.
• Revision & Editing: Review your case study and ask for feedback. Include relevant quotes and CTAs to your case study.
• Publication & Distribution: Publish and share your case study on your website, social media channels and email list!
• Marketing & Repurposing: Turn your case study into a podcast, PDF, case study presentation and more. Share these materials with your sales and marketing team.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Case Study?

Advantages of a case study:

• Case studies showcase a specific solution and outcome for specific customer challenges.
• It attracts potential customers with similar challenges.
• It builds trust and credibility with potential customers.
• It provides an in-depth analysis of your company’s problem-solving process.

Disadvantages of a case study:

• Limited applicability. Case studies are tailored to specific cases and may not apply to other businesses.
• It relies heavily on customer cooperation and willingness to share information.
• It stands a risk of becoming outdated as industries and customer needs evolve.

What Are the Types of Case Studies?

There are 7 main types of case studies. They include;

• Illustrative case study.
• Instrumental case study.
• Intrinsic case study.
• Descriptive case study.
• Explanatory case study.
• Exploratory case study.
• Collective case study.

How Long Should a Case Study Be?

The ideal length of your case study is between 500 - 1500 words or 1-3 pages. Certain factors like your target audience, goal or the amount of detail you want to share may influence the length of your case study. This infographic has powerful tips for designing winning case studies

What Is the Difference Between a Case Study and an Example?

Case studies provide a detailed narrative of how your product or service was used to solve a problem. Examples are general illustrations and are not necessarily real-life scenarios.

Case studies are often used for marketing purposes, attracting potential customers and building trust. Examples, on the other hand, are primarily used to simplify or clarify complex concepts.

Where Can I Find Case Study Examples?

You can easily find many case study examples online and in industry publications. Many companies, including Visme, share case studies on their websites to showcase how their products or services have helped clients achieve success. You can also search online libraries and professional organizations for case studies related to your specific industry or field.

If you need professionally-designed, customizable case study templates to create your own, Visme's template library is one of the best places to look. These templates include all the essential sections of a case study and high-quality content to help you create case studies that position your business as an industry leader.

Get More Out Of Your Case Studies With Visme

Case studies are an essential tool for converting potential customers into paying customers. By following the tips in this article, you can create compelling case studies that will help you build trust, establish credibility and drive sales.

Visme can help you create stunning case studies and other relevant marketing materials. With our easy-to-use platform, interactive features and analytics tools , you can increase your content creation game in no time.

There is no limit to what you can achieve with Visme. Connect with Sales to discover how Visme can boost your business goals.

Easily create beautiful case studies and more with Visme

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About the Author

• Digital Marketing Strategy and Planning
• Content Marketing
• Digital Experience Management (Desktop/mobile website)
• Email Marketing
• Google Analytics
• Marketing Campaign Planning
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
• Social Media Marketing
• Agency growth
• Business-to-Business
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• Managing International Marketing
• Startup and Small Businesses

Why consistent customer service matters and how to achieve it: Amazon and Comcast 2 case studies

Good service once earns one happy customer. Consistently good service builds a satisfied, loyal customer base.

Unfortunately, unless you’re a sole proprietor doing everything in your business, you can’t control how your customer service teams work at every moment. How do you make sure customers get a consistent, positive experience every time they interact with you?

Customer service needs to be at the heart of your business. It’s not something that’s limited only to the customer service team. Your company culture and the heart of everything you do need to revolve around serving your customers as well as possible.

This blog post explores 2 case studies - which highlight the dos and don'ts of customer service in 2020. But first, how can you lay the groundwork that makes it simple and rewarding for your employees to provide good service every time?

Building strong customer relationships

Before you can develop a framework for how you provide service, you need to understand what makes service good in the first place. What makes one customer walk away satisfied while another goes on to write a bad review about you?

The elements of good customer service are as follows:

• Focusing on customer value
• Making the experience hassle-free
• Meeting or exceeding customer expectations

Download our Individual Member Resource – Customer persona guide and template

Read our advice and use this ready-made template to create your own customer personas. It's as easy as filling out each box with the relevant information and you can quickly implement personas into your marketing strategy.

Access the Customer persona guide and template

Customer value

At the heart of good customer service is a strong focus on the value you’re providing the person you’re serving. This is the first element you need to embed into your customer service team and other business teams. Your business exists to give your customers what they need and to help them gain value from it. If they’re not getting value from you, they won’t return to or recommend you.

Customer service revolves around value provision because this team has the unique responsibility of helping people make use of what they have. Often, customers initiate contact with your employees only when they have questions, concerns, or problems that they can’t sort out on their own. In order to foster a strong relationship with every customer, you need to build your team that always operates with customer value in mind.

From the first interaction to aftersales service, customers should always be receiving service that’s valuable in that time and that specific situation. If they’re asking about how a product you offer would fit into their need, value to them is giving them honest feedback from a place of product knowledge. If they have a problem, value to that customer is a knowledgeable employee walking them through the steps to solve their problem and continue using the product to the fullest.

Although the specific value you provide at a certain moment will vary, everyone interacting with customers should understand the basics of how to identify the value they need and provide it.

Hassle-free experience

Valuable service means little when the method of receiving service is inconvenient for the customer. If, for example, a customer must wait on hold for 30 minutes just to speak with a customer service agent on the phone, they’ll be far less satisfied with the experience even if they get the resolution they were seeking.

Customers that are passed around to multiple different people, who have to wait a long time for service, or who have to contact your company multiple times for an answer are less satisfied. Do whatever you can in your power to make it as simple as possible for customers to get in touch and reach a resolution.

Some of this is related to the knowledge and understanding of the employees providing service. If your company keeps information segregated by departments, it will naturally take longer for a customer to reach a resolution if they bring their issue to the wrong person. All employees should have a base level of product or service knowledge, with continuous learning.

Technology has made it simpler to reduce hassle today. For phone service, you can create a single queue system that updates people on their position in the queue. Or, even better is to give customers an option to hang up and get placed in a call-back queue, relieving them of the burden of sitting on the phone waiting. Properly utilized CRM systems also make it easier to access specific customer information to get up to speed when someone brings up an issue.

Meeting or exceeding expectations

Every time someone contacts you, your team needs to provide over and above what they expect. The bare minimum should be a satisfactory experience where all the customer’s needs are met. A gold standard for your team would be to exceed customer expectations by providing them better service than they expected to receive.

This means different things for different companies and industries. Your job is to identify the expectations of the customer and then do your best to fulfill them.

Case study: Amazon customer service

Amazon is one of the few companies in the world that’s known specifically for their excellent customer service. They’ve managed to achieve this by being what they refer to as “customer-obsessed”. From the top-down, the whole company operates with a customer-centric mentality.

If you contact Amazon customer service, you can expect to get excellent service. There are far more compliments than complaints. Many times, the company goes beyond expectations to replace, refund, or otherwise compensate customers when mistakes occur, even if it’s not the company’s fault.

Amazon has only managed to achieve this level of consistently excellent service because they place a high value on providing incredible service. Because of their core belief in customer value, they have built a whole company culture around the idea that their customers deserve the best in everything, including customer service. The result? An army of loyal Amazon customers who order again and again.

Case study: Comcast customer service

On the opposite end of the spectrum sits Comcast. This company regularly makes it into lists of the worst companies for customer service in the US , usually topping it . Year after year they’ve failed to improve their service, continually providing a dissatisfactory experience. There are a number of complaints made about Comcast customer service itself, rather than the telecom services provided.

After pledging $300million to improve its customer service, the company has seen some improvements . While it’s no longer featured on the lists of worst companies in the US, there’s a lot more room for improvement if they want long-term, loyal customers.

Building consistency

How do you build a system that makes sure your business is more like Amazon and less like Comcast? Good customer service and consistency are teachable. Develop a system that makes it simple for employees to provide good service and easy to monitor how well service is being done.

You will build consistency by developing a customer service system that makes it excessively simple for your employees to provide excellent service. This can be accomplished with a few essential steps.

1. Identifying central needs

How can your employees meet the needs of customers if they don’t know what your customers need? You can’t predict what every customer needs before they reach out, but you can understand generally what they expect and prepare your employees for all those situations ahead of time.

Surveys and rating systems are useful in tracking this or learning about customer expectations. By asking people who contact you online or over the phone what their purpose or general need is, you can get an idea over time about what people tend to contact you for.

It takes time to dig up customer needs. Sometimes the obvious answers are not the right answers. Even the customers themselves don’t always know the exact need they have when they make contact. But, when you take the time to study customer needs, you’ll be able to uncover the real motives that drove the person to reach out and seek help from your company.

This is a job that can be outsourced to a professional third-party consultancy if you’re looking for unbiased results or if you don’t have the resources to dedicate to it yourself.

2. Setting up a process

After you’ve determined the central needs of your customers, you need to create a customer service process that helps them sort out their needs as efficiently as possible. From the customer’s perspective, inefficient customer service is poor service, no matter how much money or time it saves your budget.

Your process should be multi-faceted, encompassing all the different methods of service , including:

• Phone service
• Email service
• Front-line service
• Point of sale service
• Personal contact service

However you interact with customers and provide service, the best practices for doing so should be included in your process. No one should fall through the gaps because of poor planning.

In your process, you should lay out the steps that an employee needs to follow to provide the customer service experience you’re trying to give. This will likely look different for each company, as your customer needs, company culture, and service vision will be unique.

Your process should be thorough, but teachable. You shouldn’t dictate everything your employees say or do with a script, but you need to establish guidelines that anyone can learn to follow. Whether that means a step by step method for addressing each customer or a loose guideline for interactions, the process should make it possible for customers to get a similar experience from any customer service agent.

3. Implementation

Once a process is established, it’s time to train your employees and get them up to speed on your new way of approaching customer service. Implementation should be a long, thoughtful process. No matter how good the process is, poor implementation can ruin your good intentions.

Each employee should be evaluated to uncover their strengths and weaknesses. Some employees may already be providing a high level of service while others may not be. You don’t want to accidentally reduce the quality of service from your strong employees; all you want is to re-direct them to make sure they’re following the expected guidelines.

Some employees are better at certain aspects of service than others. For example, while one may be very friendly and empathetic, another could be a great problem solver or salesperson. Nurture these strengths and help each employee apply them to your new process, sharing their skills with others whenever possible. Wherever they’re weaker at providing service, help to compensate with extra training and direction.

Training is surprisingly effective for customer service. The more your employees at all levels understand your company, your products/services, and the value they’re providing to a customer, the better they can serve that customer. By taking the time to train employees and give them the right tools to deliver quality service, you’re investing in better service standards and stronger long-term customer relationships.

4. Regular evaluation & re-training

Employees who are trained once are not done being trained forever. Re-training helps to keep employees in the loop as to what the priorities of the company are, any new updates to products/services offered, and how to properly approach customers in a service role. Simple refresher courses are useful for keeping every employee at a consistent level of service without overburdening them.

Additionally, studies show that within one hour, people tend to forget 50% of the information they were presented, and up to 90% within a week. Retraining is necessary to reinforce anything that may have been forgotten in previous training sessions.

The goal of re-training is to make it second-nature to provide great customer service. Each employee should be so familiar with the customer service process and the preferred experience that they do it naturally without having to reference the written guidelines.

To make sure your employees are reaching the standard you desire in the first place, you need to set up a system to help evaluate your staff. Evaluations can be done at regular intervals or consistently throughout the year. Evaluations should look at how an employee performs over a period of time to develop a realistic picture of their skill, rather than watching closely on a single day. Based on evaluations, re-training can be targeted to improve specific areas where an employee is lagging behind.

Consistent customer service

There is no cut-and-paste formula for developing consistency in your customer service. However, these strategies and pointers should help you to understand what you need to do and the path forward. The actual service you provide will be unique to you, but the steps to formulate and develop that service can be borrowed from other companies before you.

For consistency of service to last, you have to build up the right way. Whether you’re a small or large company, start at the beginning with understanding what good service looks like in your context and how your customers want to be served. As long as you’re addressing these core concerns in every interaction, you’ll be on the right track.

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Your guide to creating customer case studies (+ some show-stopping examples).

Teams are constantly looking for ways to stand out in crowded markets. Customer case studies may be just the differentiator companies have been seeking to give them that competitive edge. Not only do customer case studies showcase the types of pain points that a product or service can address, but they also highlight the results and successes real-life users have seen.

To put it simply, a customer case study is a real-life, detailed story that spotlights a customer’s opinions and achievements based upon the usage of a product or service. 

Typically, customer case studies follow this format:

• Introduction: Setting the stage with situational context 
• Challenge: Evaluating the problem at hand
• Solution: Providing an overview of how the product or service was used
• Benefits: Highlighting the key advantages
• Results: Recapping the aftereffect once the product or service was implemented

Similar to how competitive comparison landing pages provide trust and credibility for a brand through real-life recommendations, customer case studies deliver the same effect. These studies are people-focused, factual, and stray away from the promotional lingo that prospective customers have seen time and time again during their product search. After all, what prospect wouldn’t want some insight on the successes users have seen thus far? 

Now that you have a better understanding of what a customer case study is, let’s dive into why they are important from a competitive standpoint and explore some tips on how to incorporate them into your marketing strategy.  

The importance of customer case studies 

Competition is heating up more quickly than ever before and is not expected to cool off anytime soon. Our 2021 State of Competitive Intelligence Report found that 53% of businesses say that the majority of their deals are competitive–an 8% increase from last year. 

Sales teams need the help of marketers more than ever before to combat the growing number of industry rivals. To be successful in prospective calls, in particular, they need to be equipped with loads of marketing collateral, battlecards to guide them through objection-handling, and more. Customer case studies may be that piece of collateral they didn’t realize was missing from their stack to help seal the deal. 

According to Eccolo Media’s 2015 B2B Technology Content Survey Report , customer case studies rank as the fifth most influential content marketing type in the purchase process for both small technology businesses and large enterprises. That’s an impressive ranking when it's being compared to assets such as product brochures, emails, and white papers. In fact, 42% of respondents said that in the last six months of the survey, they had consumed customer case studies as a way to evaluate a technology purchase. 

As I’m sure you can see, there’s no doubt that customer case studies can help you stand out from your competitors. Let’s take a look at some examples that you can model yours after. 

Successful customer case study examples

While some customer case studies come in the written form (typically distributed as a PDF), other organizations opt to turn it into a video–or do a combo of both. 

Check out these examples from Zoom, Hootsuite, and AT&T below:

1. Zoom featuring Groupon

In this example, Zoom opted for a video case study. It opens up with a multimedia services manager at Groupon discussing the company’s pain points and then goes into how Zoom helped solve them. The video is professional, to-the-point, and highlights how Zoom has provided Groupon with a standardized platform that meets the needs of its video-first culture.

As you can see above, Zoom also has an entire web page dedicated to case study videos–all highlighting different industries but with the same end-goal–streamline companies’ telecommunications needs. It’s clear that the page can resonate with a variety of audiences and that’s the key to success.

2. Hootsuite featuring The British Museum

This case study example from Hootsuite is a combination of both text and video. When you first open the page, it provides some context at the top describing who is being spotlighted and why ( The British Museum ). The page then immediately dives into a video. Following that video are the following sections: “What They Did," “How They Did It," and “The Results." This approach appeals to prospects looking for both a quick synopsis (the video) or more in-depth information (the written portion).

Looking at the example above, the page ends with some impressive statistics bolded to grab a reader's attention and a quote provided by a member of the customer’s leadership team. Prospects will walk away with a comprehensive understanding of how the platform could benefit them and the types of results customers have achieved.

3. AT&T featuring Birkey's Farm Store

AT&T chose a more traditional route for a customer case study with Birkey’s Farm Store –a PDF format. This format ensures that all of the information is organized, clearly displayed and that the key elements are emphasized. This format allows for a visual representation of data and easy scanning for important details. For those in a time crunch, chances are they’ll prefer this format–just be sure you’re engaging readers through graphics, bolded text, colors, etc. 

Historically, customer case studies were in written form but as technology evolves, videos have come into play, stealing the spotlight. While there is no right or wrong format to use (it truly does depend on a reader’s preference), it is important to note that HubSpot estimated that over 50% of consumers want to see videos from brands more than any other type of content. My vote goes to a combination of both like the Hootsuite example!

5 tips for creating a customer case study

Now that you’ve checked out some examples of what a good customer case study looks like, let’s dive into some tips on how to be successful in creating one. 

1. Determine your target persona(s) upfront

Before putting pen to paper, pinpoint the groups within your target audience that your case study should resonate with. Catering your studies to specific personas will ensure that the right audience is reached and that it is relevant to your readers.

2. Connect with your team

Be sure to connect with your company’s customer success and sales teams to hear what customers they think are best to target. After all, they will have great insight since they are the day-to-day contacts. You’ll want to choose customers with whom you have strong relationships and who, of course, have seen great results based upon implementing your solution. While the case study would be “free advertising” for them, there’s no doubt that they’d be doing you a favor by going out of their way to help you bring this asset to life.

3. Create case study interview questions

Once you’ve got your customer(s) selected for the case study (and they’ve agreed to participate), take some time to draft out universal interview questions. Ideally, these questions can be used in the future and are general enough to translate to all industries that would be spotlighted on your page.

Your customer(s) will also be appreciative of your preparedness. It’s important to make the process as easy as possible for them and coming in prepared with a list, will ensure that your conversation is focused and strategic. After all, your case study needs a beginning, middle, and an end–make sure you gather enough information to put it all together into a full story.

4. Utilize statistics

Although your customer’s “results” won’t be revealed until the end of the case study, don’t shy away from using stats throughout it–in fact, it’s encouraged! Statistics stick out to any viewer and can be helpful for those trying to sway decision-makers. For example, when setting the scene, describe how many employees and locations the customer has and make those numbers stand out. Although it may seem minute, these stats can help readers determine whether their company is similar and the results achieved are comparable.

5. Build out a case study web page 

It’s important to showcase your case studies in a strategic, organized, and easily accessible way (scroll back up to the Zoom example as an example). Create a designated case study hub on your website. When building out this page, it’s important to have a plethora of customer case studies–that way there will always be a case study that a prospect can relate to. Be sure that all types of industries you work with are represented and that your page is broad enough to appeal to the masses.

Incorporate case studies into your marketing plan

Marketing teams are always looking for ways to express the benefits of a product or service authentically and creatively. This type of non-promotional collateral can make a major impact on the number of leads generated and can add a new level of credibility to your brand name. It paints a picture of the types of success a prospect could have and that’s the recipe to success for any deal getting closed.

Not only do customer case studies showcase the value of your product or service, but potential customers are provided with a better sense of how real customers leverage it to excel their business. And as a bonus, it’s free publicity for your customers – that's a win-win in my book! 

If you have any other tips for creating a successful customer case study, let us know in the comments below!

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25 Customer Service Scenarios (And How to Handle Them)

• Formilla Blog
• Customer Service

Find yourself in a customer service scenario and aren’t sure how to handle it? We’ve got you covered.

This guide will serve as the ultimate customer service scenarios cheat sheet for you to refer to any time you need guidance.

Formilla has been in the customer service and live chat business for over seven years now, and we’ve dealt with handling difficult customers and fun customers alike.

Looking back on those seven years of experience helped us come up with this complete list of customer service questions and answers to help you deliver excellent customer service.

Pro Tip: You can also use many of these responses as live chat canned response examples ! This would help by:

• Saving you from having to proofread a response before you send it (they’re already spelled correctly!).
• Allowing you to respond to customer questions without having to remember every detail or research the answer.
• Training your new customer service reps quickly and easily, as they can get the answer right from the saved replies.

Note: No amount of pre-made scenarios will help you respond the best to every situation. Take time to master the most important customer service skills .

Jump around with this index of all the customer service scenarios:

• How to Greet Your Customer
• How to Tell Customers You Need Some Time to Resolve Their Issue
• How to Transfer a Customer to a Different Chat or Phone Call
• How to Admit Fault & What to Do About It
• What to Say When You Can’t Resolve the Issue
• Following Up With a Customer
• Responses for Dealing with Angry Customers
• Responses for Ending the Chat
• How to Handle a Customer Requesting a Refund
• How to Handle a Customer Asking for a Discount
• How to Respond to a Customer Asking for a Product or Feature You Don’t Currently Have
• What to Say to a Customer Asking to Cancel Their Subscription
• How to (Tactfully) Let a Customer Know It’s Their Mistake
• What to Do When a Customer Reaches You in Error (Contacted the Wrong Company)
• How to Respond to a Customer Asking How Your Product Differs From Other Products
• How to Respond to a Customer Asking How Secure Your Website or Service is
• How to Respond to a Customer that Forgot Their Password
• How to Request Feedback from a Customer
• How to Request a Review of Your Product or Service at the Right Time
• What to Say When You’re Too Busy to Respond Right Away
• How to Point a Customer to an Existing FAQ or Tutorial Without Sounding Rude or Dismissive
• How to Respond to a Customer That Speaks a Language You Don’t Understand
• How to Politely Tell Someone They Are in Violation of Your Terms of Use or Policies
• How to Tell a Customer Their Account is Overdue or Expired
• How to Respond to a Service Interruption Question

Without further ado, let’s get into these customer service scenarios and answers.

#1: How to Greet Your Customers via Live Chat

First impressions are formed in the first 7 seconds, and they’re hard to break. It’s important to make a good one!

When opening a conversation with someone, you should always introduce yourself. You wouldn’t answer a phone by saying, “How may I help you?” without telling the caller your name, would you? Treat live chat the same way!

Use this to greet your customers:

#2: How to Tell Customers You Need Some Time to Resolve Their Issue

It’s not always possible to resolve an issue immediately. However, you also shouldn’t leave your customer hanging without explaining to them what’s going on.

In fact, if a customer has to say something like “are you still there?”, it hurts customer satisfaction rates.

Here’s how to let the customer know you need some time:

You can even ask the customer to leave their contact information with you in case they’re in a rush: “If you’re in a hurry, I’d be happy to call or email you back with an answer instead.”

#3: How to Transfer a Customer to a Different Chat or Phone Call

Sometimes you can’t solve your customer’s issue and need the help of another department. When that’s the case, it’s important to be tactful – most people hate being transferred!

Here’s a response you can use:

#4: How to Admit Fault & What to Do About It

Let’s face it: Sometimes, we screw something up. It’s OK – we’re only human! However, you need to be transparent when making mistakes.

Here’s what to say to a customer when you’re at fault:

#5: What to Say When You Can’t Resolve the Issue

Maybe they asked you to ship them some peanut butter (and you don’t sell peanut butter), or maybe they need a service you simply don’t offer. Either way, there will come a time when you simply can’t solve a customer’s issue.

(By the way, sending them the peanut butter anyway would be an awesomely creative customer service idea.)

Pro Tip: Use the “compliment sandwich” method – Give them a compliment, tell them the bad news, then end with another compliment.

Here’s a live chat canned response for customers you can’t help:

#6: Following Up With a Customer

As a rule of thumb, if you promised to get back to a customer, get back to them within 24 hours – even if you don’t have a solution yet! This will show them you didn’t forget about them and you’re working on the problem.

Here’s the best canned response for this situation:

If you didn’t solve their problem: “Hey, [their name]! [Your name] here, I just wanted to let you know we’re still working on resolving your situation. I’ll let you know as soon as it’s been fixed! ?”

If you did solve their problem: “Hey, [their name]! We’re all squared away – your problem has been solved. Let us know if there’s anything else we can do for you! ?”

#7: Responses for Dealing with Angry Customers

When it comes to an angry person, think of them as a soda bottle you just dropped. You wouldn’t shake it up more and take the cap off, would you?

Of course not! You have to slowly open and close. *Tss* *Tss* *Tss*

How do you do that? Be empathetic, apologize, show urgency , and use this as a guide:

#8: Responses for Ending the Chat

When it’s time to part ways, do so tactfully. A simple “goodbye” isn’t enough. You just helped them with their issue – this is an opportunity to go the extra mile!

#9: How to Handle a Customer Requesting a Refund

In our case, handling a refund request requires pulling up the account or order and refunding a portion of the cost of the most recent month’s subscription.

As with any product or service, using the product or service for a prolonged period of time and eventually requesting a refund is like eating 90% of a cheeseburger then asking for a refund because you ordered a hamburger instead.

But, you know, it happens (I would know, I’ve worked at McDonald’s) – you just have to know how to deal with it. Try this:

“I’m sorry to hear you didn’t find a use for our product/service. We truly care about our customers getting the right product fit, so we’ll process your request for a refund right away.Keep in mind, however, it can take up to [number] days to process a refund request. I promise to personally keep you updated on the status of your request so you’re never left in the dark.

If your request is approved, you can expect the funds to hit your account within [number] days. If you have any other problems or requests, you can reach me at [your email]. Thanks for reaching out! ?”

#10: How to Handle a Customer Asking for a Discount

Here at Formilla, we tend to take these requests case by case. For example, if an organization is a not-for-profit and on a tight budget, we’ll evaluate their needs and provide a discount to make it more affordable for them.

Other times, we use language such as “what’s your budget like?” and “maybe I can recommend the best package for you or let you know if we have an upcoming promotion soon”. Or, you can give them a discount on the spot.

Here’s a saved reply you can use:

#11: How to Respond to a Customer Asking for a Product or Feature You Don’t Currently Have

This is going to be different than the other examples we’ve given so far because your answer will vary widely based on your business and features. For this section, we’ll show you a direct example of what we’ve done at Formilla, and explain why, so you can tailor it for your own use.

Here’s what we say when a customer asks for a Mac desktop app that we haven’t built yet:

“Hi [their name],Thanks for reaching out! We currently only have a Windows Desktop app (replace this sentence with whatever you currently have), however we have plans to introduce a desktop app for Mac in the future (if you’re planning to build this feature at some point).

I’m not sure exactly when that might be just yet (no firm date b/c it’s not slotted yet), but I’d be happy to let you know once it’s launched (kindly offering to follow-up for convenience).

In the meantime, we recommend logging into the web dashboard at http://www.formilla.com/login to answer incoming chats, or use our mobile apps for iPhone and Android as an alternative.  You can also check ‘Keep me logged in’ so you don’t have to login each day as the system will remember you for 30 days. (Offer an alternative solution to help ease the pain in the meantime.)

Please let me know if you have any additional questions, and have a great day!”

#12. What to Say to a Customer Asking to Cancel Their Subscription

This is a perfect opportunity to get feedback by asking if there’s anything they were looking for that you don’t have! Was there a problem with the product? Is the price too high?

Customer feedback is one of the best ways to improve your customer service! Take advantage of every opportunity you have to get it. Try this response:

#13. How to (Tactfully) Let a Customer Know It’s Their Mistake

Let me start by saying: You should never make a customer feel like something is their fault  or that they’re stupid (duh).

That said, sometimes things are the customer’s fault. If that’s the case, try an empathetic approach to make the customer feel it’s a common occurrence like this:

“Hello [their name],

We really appreciate you bringing this to our attention! The issue appears to be due to [explain the issue], which I’ve done quite a few times myself ?. The good news is, I’ve already solved the problem for you by [explain how].

I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions or issues, of course.

[Your name]”

#14. What to Do When a Customer Reaches You in Error (Contacted the Wrong Company)

Hey, it happens to the best of us – sometimes, we accidentally reach out to the wrong company somehow. When that happens (if?), it’s actually a chance for you to win their service!

Rather than simply saying, “Oh sorry, that’s not us”, point them in the right direction… but also ask if there’s anything you can help them with.

For example, if someone contacted us at Formilla thinking we were an art gallery or something (for some strange reason), we would respond like this:

#15. How to Respond to a Customer Asking How Your Product Differs From Other Products

We get it all the time, especially in such a crowded marketplace as live chat software. What makes you different?

This is an excellent opportunity to get more customer feedback. Ask them if they currently have the service you offer (and what they like/dislike about it) or why they’re seeking out that service (to find out their pain points).

Also, rather than respond with a feature comparing ‘checklist’ to show the exact differences, we prefer to focus on our strengths. Most live chat software is the same – but the small extras we offer (like affordability, great customer service, simplicity, and reliability) help us stand out from the crowd.

If someone asks you how you’re different, focus on your strengths with a response like this:

“Hello, [their name]! Thanks for reaching out. What makes us different from our competitors is our absolute focus on customer service, reliability, and simplicity. We also happen to be more affordable than most of the other services out there.

Can I ask what it is you’re looking for in [service you offer]? Do you currently use [service you offer] on your website?”

#16. How to Respond to a Customer Asking How Secure Your Website or Service is

This question is another opportunity to focus on your strengths (particularly if you offer a service).

For example, our strengths in this situation include not storing credit card information, not logging sensitive information, changing admin passwords every 90 days, and limiting access based on role.

Try using a response like this:

#17. How to Respond to a Customer that Forgot Their Password

You’ll likely encounter two types of customers asking this question:

• Someone simply asking.
• Someone who’s really upset or angry about the lost password.

Normally we send our customers to the ‘forgot password flow’ to teach them how to change it themselves, so we don’t have to keep manually resetting it and they don’t have to wait on us.  However, if we’re dealing with the second kind of customer – one who seems upset – we’ll do it for them.

You have to gauge what kind of mood they’re in by their tone and specific wording in their response. If they’re using profanities, saying things like ‘this is ridiculous’, or generally seem upset, be careful. Remember the soda bottle!

Try a response like this:

#18. How to Request Feedback from a Customer

While this isn’t a customer service scenario, per se, asking for feedback from your customers is extremely important! Feedback will help you improve everything about your business, from your service to your product and more.

We typically ask for feedback during ongoing conversations with our customers. If you spent a lot of time with them (and they seem fairly happy or at least satisfied), it’s a good opportunity to ask for feedback.

Try something like this:

#19. How to Request a Review of Your Product or Service at the Right Time

I know what you’re thinking – no, feedback and reviews are not the same thing.

Feedback is for your eyes only, to help you improve your product or service. A review (or testimonial), on the other hand, is a public statement of your customer’s experience, normally displayed on your website for all to see.

Reviews are incredibly important! They provide social proof for your brand. Don’t believe me? Check out these stats:

• 64% of software buyers  want to read at least 6 reviews before making a purchase decision.
• 88% of consumers  say that they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
• 72% of buyers  will take action only after reading a positive review.

Oh, and the best time to get a user to submit a review? Right after they’ve interacted with your company! You’re still top of mind, and if they took action to reach out to you, they’re more likely to continue to take action and leave a review.

Bonus: If you gave them great service, they’re even more likely to give a great review. Win-win!

So, try something like this:

“[Their name], we’re really glad we were able to solve this problem for you. If you feel we were helpful, would you mind leaving [your product or service] a 5-star review? You can leave a review by going to [link to review].If you don’t feel we deserve a 5-star review, what can we do to better serve you?”

#20. What to Say When You’re Too Busy to Respond Right Away

We all have lives to live, and as business owners (or busy customer service reps), we can’t always answer our customers right away. Sometimes, we’re stuck elsewhere putting out a fire (Steve tried to cook in the company kitchen again).

Not solving a customer’s problem immediately is OK – as long as you at least let them know you can’t respond right away and tell them why.

This is most easily accomplished with an auto-response message, if your live chat service has this feature ( Formilla live chat does!). Something like this should do:

#21. How to Point a Customer to an Existing FAQ or Tutorial Without Sounding Rude or Dismissive

You worked hard creating an amazing FAQ page, don’t let that go to waste! (You did create a great FAQ page, didn’t you?)

However, when sending a customer to another resource, you don’t want to be rude or sound like you don’t care. Avoid that with this saved reply:

#22. How to Respond to a Customer That Speaks a Language You Don’t Understand

¡Osos de peluche mullidos! Sometimes, you’ll encounter customers who don’t speak your language. Don’t worry – you can still bridge the language barrier!

Open Google Translate  in another browser and copy-paste whatever they’re saying. Google can decipher it. Then, type your response, and Google will spit out what you said in the language you need.

In other words, say this (in their language, of course):

#23. How to Politely Tell Someone They Are in Violation of Your Terms of Use or Policies

You know what sucks? Telling someone they violated your terms of use (ToU) or policies. Don’t worry, though – we have a response for that situation, too! (And it’s tactful.)

In our case, sometimes our customers will install our live chat software to multiple different websites, however they’ve purchased only a single website package.

We’d say the following to determine what the customer really needs, rather than assigning any blame:

“Hello, [their name]. I’m reaching out to you because it seems you have our software installed on more than one website, although you’re currently using our single website package. Were you intending to upgrade to one of our multi-site packages instead?

Please let me know, and I can help you select the correct package for your needs. Thank you!

[Your name]”

#24. How to Tell a Customer Their Account is Overdue or Expired

We’ve all missed a payment on something. It’s not fun for any party involved. But, with a little tact (and some honey, instead of gaul, as Dale Carnegie would put it), you can get the majority of customers to make their payment.

We’d say something like this:

“Hello, [their name], I hope you’re having a good day so far!  I’m just writing to let you know your recent payment has failed to process for live chat service.

If you plan to continue your service, you can simply submit a new payment by logging in to your account. I have ensured it will remain active for another five days to give you extra time as well.

If you plan to cancel your service, I can handle that for you as well. Just let me know if you’re having any troubles with our platform or if you need anything else!

#25. How to Respond to a Service Interruption Question

It happens to the best of us – sometimes a raccoon chews through the chords powering your server and your service goes down. Oh crap.

Ideally, when this happens, you should inform your customers of the outage before they ask you. This could take the form of an email blast and social media updates or even a simple message on your home page.

If a customer does ask about the outage, just be transparent about the issue. Let them know you’re working hard to resolve it and that you’ll continue to post status updates to your service uptime page every 60 minutes (or however often you choose).

Bonus points if you tell them to follow you on Twitter for real time updates (just make sure you actually post the updates and don’t forget).

Here’s the verbiage:

“Hello, [their name].  We’re currently having a server issue which has knocked out our service for the time being. We’re aware of the problem and are working hard to solve it.

We’ll be posting status updates every [number] minutes on this page: [link]. You can also follow us on Twitter at [link] for real time updates.

Thank you for your patience as we work through this issue!”

Customer service is nothing if not a daring adventure. There are many customer service scenarios that need to be treated delicately and with tact – and others that offer room for a little more fun.

I hope you’ve realized the importance of providing a great customer experience and have a better understanding of how to handle any situation.

Never get caught off-guard with any customer service scenario again. Download your own free copy of this full guide now!

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Read Next:  9 Brilliant Customer Service Examples

How to Add a Live Chat Plugin or App to Your Site

Comments are closed.

Thank you for inviting me to respond to this post. First of all, it’s quite comprehensive, engaging (in that it invites contributions from readers), and useful to customer service reps.

I liked the periodic use of levity and emoticons throughout – which I think work in many (but not all) support environments (e.g., I have a different expectation when interacting with a rep at Zappos than I have of an employee at, say, Fidelity Investments). To me, these made the communications friendly, disarming, and approachable. I also liked the references to reducing customer effort (#2), encouraging customer feedback (#12), proactive communications (#25), transparency (#25), and follow-up (#25).

There were several things that, if we were critiquing this article together over a beer, I would question:

Too often customers who are not “fun” are described as “difficult.” That’s like saying that someone who is not extraverted is antisocial. That’s just not true. Whenever you describe a customer as “difficult,” you’re suggesting that he is hard to please or satisfy. In my experience, a more accurate description of this type of customer is “discerning” – meaning that he notes differences or distinctions between what he expected and what he received. A discerning customer exhibits keen insight and good judgment. He is perceptive, not hard to please.

I worry whenever I see the word “canned” in an article offering customer service advice. To me, referring to customer responses as “canned” has the same effect as when professional speakers refer to their events as “gigs.” Calling them gigs, in my opinion, cheapens the job. I prefer “event’ or “engagement.” In the same way, a “canned” response doesn’t sound as thoughtful as saying, for instance, a “saved” or “prepared” response.

I would replace the word “transfer” (in the context of transferring a customer to a different department representative, #3) with “connect” or “refer.” Most customers hate the word “transfer.”

Eliminate the conjunction “but” from your customer communications (#4). As soon as customers hear or read that, they begin to brace themselves for bad news… Replace “but” with “and” whenever feasible or simply start a new sentence (e.g., “We will fix it immediately, and it may take up to five business days to fully resolve” or “We will fix it immediately. It may take up to five business days to fully resolve.”)

To my earlier point, #7 was painful to read: “Be empathic, apologize, show urgency, and use this canned response:” The words “empathic” and “canned” do not belong in the same sentence. Have you ever tried to be empathetic with a loved one on an important issue by using a canned response? How did it go?

Also in #7, the suggested response “I understand how frustrating it must be” should be avoided. Try it out with an upset customer (i.e., the soda bottle you just dropped) and tell me how it goes. Most upset customers will retort, “No, you don’t understand!” How could you? Everyone’s unique situation is singular to him or her. The best you could realistically do is imagine how frustrating it must be.

I dislike the reference to “policy” (#13). Like “transfer”, most customers don’t like to hear the word “policy.” Instead of saying “due to our policy”, tell the customer exactly why you can’t do it. In other words, what is the rationale for the decision? Why does the policy exist (e.g., safety, legal, ethical, financial, etc.)?

Telling a customer that she “forgot” something is unnecessarily inflammatory (#17). In place of “forgot”, I’d recommend substituting “can’t locate.”

Others (who are better self-promoters than I am) may disagree with this, but I would never ask someone to give me a “5-star review.” I might ask for an honest review, but I would never tell someone what rating to give me. If there are five stars (options) and the reviewer is an adult, then she can choose for herself how many stars I deserve. If you ask for a 5-star review then, by definition, you’re tampering with the process and undermining the integrity of the results.

I dislike the inflammatory language that riddles the #23 response. I would rewrite it, removing the following words: violated, Section (too formal), violate, comply (“Submit to us!”), and prompt (“Hurry it up!). These words may be necessary if you’re operating a prison, but most work environments can identify softer, less antagonistic words to convey the same message.

When an account is overdue or expired (#24), why dismiss the customer without (as you emphasized in #12) taking advantage of the opportunity to obtain feedback from him? Why is the account overdue? Why did it lapse? Perhaps it’s an expired credit card or the customer has misplaced his login credentials? And if he willfully let the account expire, then why did he do so – and is there something that could be done to convince him to reinstate it?

My two cents. Thanks again for sharing the post and inviting my feedback.

Best, Steve

Hey, Steve!

Wow, excellent points! Thank you for taking so much time to thoroughly go through the entire post. I’m going to go back and update this based on your feedback. I’ll let you know when it’s updated – thanks again! ?

Cheers, Bill

It is great article no doubt. Thanks for sharing.

Steve Curtin

Bill widmer, today’s must reads.

• How to Create Custom Chat Bots Zack Gilyana Chat Bots
• 25 Customer Service Scenarios (And How to Handle Them) Bill Widmer Customer Service
• Marketing 101: Actionable Marketing Advice for Small Business Bill Widmer How To Generate Traffic
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15 Examples of Customer Centric Companies – Explained with Case Studies

Business experts often wonder why Customer Centric Companies do better than others. Their financial performance and customer loyalty is significantly higher than any others. In this detailed blog, we explore 15 such companies with case studies and examples and analyze what constitutes customer centricity

In today’s hyper-competitive business landscape , placing the customer at the heart of your business strategy is more important than ever. The ability to deliver a high-quality customer experience can set a company apart and cultivate lasting loyalty. In this blog post, we’re shining the spotlight on 15 companies that have taken the customer-centric approach to new heights. From innovative start-ups to global giants, these organizations have embedded customer-centricity into their DNA, and their success stories provide valuable lessons for businesses of all sizes. So, let’s dive in and explore the strategies, vision, and real-life case studies of these 15 customer-centric companies.

Customer Centric Companies 1: Amazon

Strategy and Vision: Amazon’s “customer obsession” motto drives its business operations, constantly pushing it to improve and streamline the customer experience. Amazon aims to make the online shopping journey as easy and enjoyable as possible.

Case Study: Amazon Prime is the epitome of the company’s customer-centric approach. Amazon identified a key customer pain point—slow shipping—and introduced Amazon Prime. It was a subscription model that gave customers access to two-day shipping, and this service has since expanded to include video and music streaming, exclusive deals, and more. This has resulted in increased customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Customer Centric Companies 2 : Apple

Strategy and Vision: Apple designs its products keeping the customer experience at the forefront, focusing on ease of use, high quality, and sophisticated design.

Case Study: Apple’s response to the “Antennagate” scandal surrounding the iPhone 4 demonstrated their customer-centricity. Users reported that the phone lost signal when held in a certain way. Despite initially downplaying the issue, Apple eventually offered free cases to mitigate the problem and ultimately incorporated the learning into their future product designs, showing a commitment to learning from and responding to customer needs .

Customer Centric Companies 3 : Zappos

Strategy and Vision: Zappos is renowned for its outstanding customer service, which includes 24/7 customer support, a 365-day return policy, and free shipping both ways.

Case Study: There are numerous stories of Zappos’ customer service going above and beyond, but one that stands out is when a customer service representative spent over 10 hours on a call with a customer. Rather than rushing the customer, the representative took the time to genuinely connect with them, illustrating Zappos’ extraordinary dedication to customer satisfaction.

Customer Centric Companies 4 : Nordstrom

Strategy and Vision: Nordstrom sets the standard for customer service in the retail industry with initiatives like personal shoppers and a generous return policy.

Case Study: One well-known story involves a customer returning car tires to Nordstrom—a product they don’t even sell—and the store accepting the return. While the story is from the early days of Nordstrom, it illustrates the lengths the company is willing to go to keep customers happy.

Customer Centric Companies 5 : Netflix

Strategy and Vision: Netflix prioritizes user experience, tailoring its services to the viewing preferences of each user, creating an enjoyable, ad-free watching experience.

Case Study: Netflix’s decision to invest in original content was based on extensive customer viewing data. They recognized a gap in the content they were providing and filled it by creating their own shows and movies, showing a commitment to using customer data to improve the user experience.

Customer Centric Companies 6 : Disney

Strategy and Vision: Disney focuses on creating memorable, magical experiences for customers. This is evident in their movies and theme parks, where every detail is designed to deliver joy and entertainment.

Case Study: Disney’s MagicBand, a wristband for park guests, serves as a hotel room key, park ticket, FastPass, and payment method. This investment in customer convenience greatly enhances the overall park experience.

Customer Centric Companies 7: Trader Joe’s

Strategy and Vision: Trader Joe’s emphasizes making grocery shopping enjoyable through friendly staff, unique product selection, and customer feedback.

Case Study: Trader Joe’s reversed its decision to discontinue a popular product after receiving a single complaint from an 82-year-old customer, demonstrating their dedication to customer satisfaction.

Customer Centric Companies 8 : Ritz-Carlton

Strategy and Vision: Ritz-Carlton sets the standard for luxury customer service in the hospitality industry, empowering employees to go above and beyond for guests.

Case Study: In one famous story, a Ritz-Carlton employee found a guest’s lost laptop charger and mailed it to them at their next destination, along with a note and some additional chargers for different devices. This is a perfect example of Ritz-Carlton’s commitment to exceeding guest expectations.

Customer Centric Companies 9 : Starbucks

Strategy and Vision: Starbucks focuses on consistent, high-quality customer experiences, with well-trained staff, a comfortable store ambiance, and customizable drinks.

Case Study: Starbucks’ mobile order and pay feature was developed in response to customer needs for a quicker, more convenient way to get their coffee. This feature has improved the customer experience and increased loyalty.

Customer Centric Companies 10 : Costco

Strategy and Vision: Costco emphasizes value, offering high-quality products at affordable prices, and additional services like optical and travel.

Case Study: Costco’s decision to keep their rotisserie chicken at $4.99, despite rising costs, demonstrates their commitment to providing value to customers and maintaining customer satisfaction.

Customer Centric Companies 11 : Southwest Airlines

Strategy and Vision: Southwest’s transparent pricing strategy, friendly service, and flexible policies all contribute to its reputation as a customer-friendly airline.

Case Study: When a passenger’s son was in a critical accident, Southwest held a plane at the gate and arranged for her to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. This is a testament to Southwest’s customer-centric culture .

Customer Centric Companies 12 : Salesforce

Strategy and Vision: Salesforce builds its services around customer needs, offering a variety of software solutions for different industries and constantly innovating based on customer feedback.

Case Study: Salesforce’s “Voice of the Customer” program involves extensive customer interviews and surveys to understand and address customer needs, illustrating their commitment to customer-centric innovation.

Customer Centric Companies 13 : Chick-fil-A

Strategy and Vision: Chick-fil-A focuses on high-quality food, exceptional customer service, and community involvement. Their employees are known for saying “my pleasure” instead of “you’re welcome,” demonstrating their dedication to polite, friendly service.

Case Study: Chick-fil-A has consistently topped American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) rankings in the fast food category, illustrating the effectiveness of their customer-centric approach.

Customer Centric Companies 14 : IKEA

Strategy and Vision: IKEA focuses on providing well-designed, functional, and affordable home furnishings. They aim to create a unique and engaging shopping experience.

Case Study: IKEA’s decision to offer home assembly services was driven by customer feedback and is a clear example of their commitment to improving the customer experience.

Customer Centric Companies 15 : Patagonia

Strategy and Vision: Patagonia places its customers and their values at the heart of their business, focusing on sustainability, quality, and transparency.

Case Study: In 2011, Patagonia ran an ad during the Black Friday shopping frenzy telling customers “Don’t Buy This Jacket,” highlighting the environmental cost of consumerism. This risky move resonated with their customer base, reinforcing their brand ethos and strengthening customer loyalty.

10 Core Elements of Customer Centric Companies

Understanding Customer Needs : The first step is to deeply understand your customers: their needs, desires, pain points, and what they value most. This could be achieved through surveys, interviews, focus groups, or analysis of customer behavior data.

Segmentation : Customer segmentation involves dividing your customer base into distinct groups based on common characteristics such as demographics, buying habits, or interests. This allows you to tailor your products, services, and communications to meet the specific needs of each segment.

Personalization : Personalization is about tailoring experiences, communications, and offerings to individual customers based on their preferences and behavior. This can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, and it can be facilitated through the use of data and technology.

Customer Journey Mapping : A customer journey map visualizes the entire process a customer goes through when interacting with your company, from initial contact to final purchase or interaction. This tool helps businesses identify customer touchpoints and find opportunities to enhance the customer experience.

Customer Feedback and Adaptation : Businesses should regularly seek feedback from their customers and use it to continuously improve their products, services, and overall customer experience. This may involve using various feedback channels such as surveys, social media, and customer service interactions.

Exceptional Customer Service : Customer-centric companies prioritize delivering excellent customer service. This might involve providing multiple channels for customer support (like phone, email, live chat), ensuring quick response times, or empowering customer service representatives to solve problems effectively .

Employee Engagement : Employees play a key role in delivering a customer-centric experience . Therefore, companies need to train and motivate their employees to put the customer first. This might involve employee incentives, training programs, or a company culture that values customer service.

Long-term Relationship Building : Customer-centric companies aim to build long-lasting relationships with their customers rather than focusing solely on individual transactions. This may involve maintaining regular communication, offering loyalty programs, or exceeding customer expectations to foster loyalty.

Leveraging Technology : Technology can enhance the customer experience through tools like CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems, AI-powered chatbots for 24/7 customer service, personalized marketing , and data analytics tools to gain insights about customer behavior.

Value-Driven Approach : Above all, a customer-centric approach involves delivering value to the customer at every interaction. This means not just meeting their needs, but exceeding their expectations and providing a positive, memorable experience.

Samrat is a Delhi-based MBA from the Indian Institute of Management. He is a Strategy, AI, and Marketing Enthusiast and passionately writes about core and emerging topics in Management studies. Reach out to his LinkedIn for a discussion or follow his Quora Page

• Free Resources

5 mini case studies about understanding and serving the customer

This article was originally published in the MarketingSherpa email newsletter .

Mini Case Study #1: 34% increase in conversion for powdered health drink company by helping customers come to their own conclusions

A single-product company that sells high-quality, all-natural, powdered health drinks engaged MECLABS Institute to help better understand their potential customers and increase the conversion rate of prospects reaching the homepage.

The original homepage took a claims-driven approach – it provided several bold statements about what the product would do for a customer with no information about the product to help the customer understand why it would work for them. Here is a look at the upper left of the original homepage.

Creative Sample #1: Upper left of original homepage for health drink company

The MECLABS team created a version of the homepage that took a conclusion-driven approach – instead only trying to convince potential customers with only bold claims about the product, the homepage copy included information about the product to help customers understand why the product would help them.

Creative Sample #2: Upper left of treatment homepage for health drink company

The team tested this version as the treatment against the original homepage (the control) to help better understand what communication style customers would respond to.

The treatment generated a 34% increase in conversion rate.

This experiment highlights a classic disconnect between customers and marketers. If you work in a company or with a client, you have intimate knowledge of the product and believe in its effectiveness. You spend all day thinking about it. You personally know some of the people who designed it. Your paycheck depends on the success of the product.

A customer does not have this same understanding or belief in the product. They have a significant gap in their knowledge about your product. Bold claims alone are not enough to close that gap. They have to understand why the product will work and come to their own conclusions about the company’s ability to deliver on its promises.

You can learn more about this experiment in The Conversion Heuristic Analysis: Overcoming the prospect’s perception gap from MarketingExperiments (MarketingSherpa’s sister publication).

Mini Case Study #2: Bags company increases conversion 191% by adding clarity to homepage

“I'm the CEO of Doubletake , a tennis and pickleball bag company, but I spent the majority of my career focused on messaging and research, consulting as a strategist for top brands for the last 10 plus years, and in-house prior to that. I'm almost embarrassed that I have this example to share, but I thankfully came to my senses!,” Shawna Gwin Krasts told me.

“It is interesting that crafting messaging/copy for products that aren't ‘your baby’ is so much easier – there is just more distance to see it for what it is. If this wasn't so near and dear to my heart, I would have caught it in a second.”

The team launched its homepage with only the headline “Sports Meets Style” over a photo of a bag. The headline was meant to differentiate the brand from competitors that were either only sporty or fashionable. Below the headline was a call-to-action (CTA) button with the word “shop.”

Creative Sample #3: Previous homepage copy for bag company

Internally it seemed obvious that the company sells tennis and pickleball bags since a bag was in the photo.

But they came to realize that it might not be as clear to website visitors. So the team added the subhead “Gorgeous Yet Functional Tennis and Pickleball Bags.” They also added the word “bags” to the CTA so it read “shop bags.”

Creative Sample #4: New homepage copy for bag company

These simple changes increased the website's conversion rate by 191%.

“It is so important for marketers to get out of their own heads,” Krasts said. “I suppose this is why I struggle with messaging so much for Doubletake. I am the target customer – I have the answers in my head and I suppose my natural curiosity isn't as strong. But clearly, I also have to remember that I've seen my homepage 10,000 more times than my customers, which means things that seem obvious to me, like the fact that Doubletake is a tennis brand not a reseller, might not be obvious.”

Mini Case Study #3: Online motorcycle gear retailer doubles conversion with personalized emails

There are ways to better tap into what customers perceive as valuable built into certain marketing channels. Email marketing is a great example. Marketers can build off information they have on the customer to send more relevant emails with information and products the customer is more likely to value.

"Very early in my marketing career I was taught, 'You are not the target audience' and told to try to see things from my customer's perspective. Empathizing with customers is a good start towards seeing products from the customers' perspective, but marketers really need to focus on quantifiable actions that can help identify customers' needs. That means continuous testing across messaging, price points, packaging, and every other aspect of a product. This is where personalization can really shine. Every time a marketer personalizes a message, it brings them closer to their customer and closes that gap," said Gretchen Scheiman, VP of Marketing, Sailthru.

For example, 80% of the email messages RevZilla sent were generic. But the website sells motorcycle parts and gear to a wide range of riders, each with their own preference in brand and riding style. The online motorcycle gear retailer partnered with Sailthru to better connect with customer motivations. The team started by upgrading the welcome series for new customers by personalizing the email messages based on the customers’ purchases and preferences.

The company has tested and added many new triggers to the site, and now has 177 different automation journeys that include triggers for browse and cart abandonment as well as automations for different product preferences, riding styles and manufacturer preferences.

The conversion rate from personalized email is double what RevZilla was getting for generic batch-and-blast sends. Automated experiences now account for 40% of email revenue. Triggered revenue is up 22% year-over-year and site traffic from triggers has increased 128% year-over-year.

"Customizing the buyer journey isn't about one long flow, but about lots of little trigger points and tests along the way. For any marketer that is intimidated about getting started with personalization, it's important to realize that it's more like a lot of small building blocks that create a whole experience. We started with a custom welcome series using testing and built from there. We're still adding new tests and new trigger points, but it's with the same concept that we started with,” said Andrew Lim, Director of Retention Marketing, RevZilla.

Mini Case Study #4: Pet protection network increases revenue 53% thanks to survey feedback

Huan makes smart tags for pets to help owners find their pets if they go missing. Initially, the company focused on the technical features in its homepage copy. For example, the tags don’t emit harmful radiation, are water-resistant and have a replaceable one-year battery.

From customer feedback surveys, the team discovered that customers purchased the product because they were worried they wouldn’t be able to find their pet if the pet went missing. This discovery prompted the team to change its messaging.

The new messaging on the homepage read, “Keep your pet safe and prevent heartbreak. Huan Smart Tags help you find your missing pet automatically.”

Revenue increased 53% increase following the change in messaging. “We immediately saw an increase in engagement on our website, with a lower bounce rate, higher click-through rate and a higher conversion rate. There were also a few people who messaged us on social media saying how our new message resonated with them,” said Gilad Rom, Founder, Huan.

Mini Case Study #5: Talking to new customers leads SaaS to change strategy, increase sales 18%

When Chanty launched, the marketing messages focused on pricing since the Saas company is 50% less expensive than the best-known competitor. However, when the team started talking to customers, they discovered most people had switched from the competitor for different reasons – ease of use, better functionalities in the free plan, better experience with the customer support team, and a better mobile app.

The team changed its marketing to focus around these product attributes and only listed pricing in the end as an additional benefit.

“It turned out that this was the way to go because we attracted people who wanted a better experience, rather than just customers who wanted to save money. After six months of implementing this new marketing and sales strategy, our sales grew by 18%,” said Jane Kovalkova, Chief Marketing Officer, Chanty.

Related resources

The Prospect’s Perception Gap: How to bridge the dangerous gap between the results we want and the results we have

Customer-First Marketing: Understanding customer pain and responding with action

Marketing Research Chart: How customer understanding impacts satisfaction

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How To Write a Case Study That Speaks to Your Customers

How to write a customer case study in 6 steps

• Identify the need
• Identify the subject
• Conduct your interviews
• Cover the basics (who, what, how)
• Provide the right framing
• Include emotion

For a prospect who’s just about to make a purchase, a case study could be the most helpful piece of content they could come across.

A case study tells the story of a customer just like them : someone who faced a similar challenge and, with the help of your business, overcame it. This prospect can see themselves in the case study, and the testimony of a real-life customer will have more weight than any other marketing materials you have. 

But, as with any piece of content, a case study needs to be produced in just the right way to have the most impact. Too vague and the effect is lost. Too salesy and the prospect doesn’t trust it.

The best case studies are detailed without being dry, and poignant without being mawkish.

At IMPACT, we guide our clients to write compelling case studies that they can use with prospects in the sales process. Below, we’ll give you the step-by-step guide we teach so that you can put this powerful tool into the hands of your own sales team.

Below, we’ll cover:

• What a case study is (and isn’t).
• How to write a case study in 6 steps.
• Examples of great case studies to inspire you.
• How to know if your case study is working as it’s supposed to.

Ready to tell your customers’ stories? Let’s walk through this process together.

What is a case study?

A case study is a piece of content that tells the story of a customer’s journey. Ideally, this customer struggled with a specific problem before they found your business and your solution, which alleviated the pain point. 

Case studies are so effective because they balance anecdote and quantitative data, so they appeal to both the head and the heart. 

Marketers, after all, are storytellers, and case studies are a wonderful chance to tell the story of a customer . Humans are hard-wired to appreciate stories of struggle and triumph, so your case study should fit right in. 

A case study will usually take the form of an article, but it could be a video or other medium as well.

Most often, case studies are written with bottom-of-the-funnel prospects in mind. As someone approaches a purchase, the case study can help convince them that buying from you is a good idea. 

What a case study isn’t

Although a case study is marketing material for your business, it is not about you . The customer is the hero of this story. Your business is the guide that helped them overcome challenges and succeed.

Case studies should include emotion (more on that later), but they should not be sentimental or emotionally manipulative .

How to write a case study in 6 steps

Jen Barrell is a content trainer at IMPACT who works with businesses to plan their inbound marketing strategy. She has guided numerous clients through the case study writing process. 

She advises a six-step process to produce a rough draft, after which you should follow your normal process for QA and publication. 

These are the steps she asks businesses to follow. 

Step 1: Identify the need

Before you begin, Jen says, you must determine the need this case study will solve. Ask yourself these questions:

• Who are you actually writing this for?
• What key problems are you trying to solve for the reader?
• At what stage in the buying process will this case study be used?

Having answers to these big questions up front will save time in the long run. You want to be sure about your audience and your scope so that you know exactly how to tailor your message to suit your future customers. 

Step 2: Identify the subject

Second, you’ll need to determine who you’ll be writing about. It could be a business or an individual, depending on what you sell, but it should be a single customer, so focus on only one.

Talk with your sales and service teams to decide on some previous customers who could be good subjects. Compile a short list of possible candidates and reach out to them, explaining the process and timeline.

According to Jen, this is a time to follow the path of least resistance. “The best case studies are created out of interviews,” she says. “You want to talk with people who are enthusiastic and genuine.” 

In other words, if they’re resistant to your initial outreach, they’re likely to be a less compelling interview subject. 

Step 3: Conduct your interviews

A good case study tells a story. You’ll need to compile solid evidence to show the effect your business has had on that customer’s life.

• Did your insurance company help them rebuild after a disaster?
• Did your team help them win their court case? 
• Did your marketing plan help them successfully launch a new product line? 
• Did you provide alternative solutions for their design process so they could be more efficient? 

Whatever the case may be, you’ll need the numbers to back it up. What was it like before, during, and after your company’s involvement? What initial challenge did they face? What positive results did that customer eventually see? How long did it all take?

You’ll need to do research to find the raw data to make these key points. You can get some from your team and some from the subject.

But a case study isn’t just about numbers and profit. Sure, these may be your main findings, but you don’t want to overlook the human element. You’re telling a positive story about transformation. 

In your interviews, make sure to ask questions about the people behind the numbers. Ask questions about the emotions they felt during their journey.

Step 4: Cover the basics

Any reader looking at a case study is looking for very specific information. They want to know the same thing:

• Who is the customer being described? What makes their story relatable?
• What were the problems they were facing? What challenges did you help solve? What other possible solutions did they try or consider?
• How did your company’s offerings — whether product or service — help the customer succeed?
• Results: What did their success look like? How long did it take? What were the details of the experience?

If you cover these basics in every case study you write, you’ll produce a consistent product that is digestible for bottom-of-the-funnel prospects in the final stages of a purchase.

Jen says, “This is a time when having a formula to follow will serve you well. Prospects might read several case studies at once, so make sure they’re easy to read and well-structured.”

Step 5: Provide the right framing

As the writer, it’s up to you, to provide the right framing and structure to make your case study grab the reader’s attention while at the same time conveying relevant facts that might feel dry.

This starts in your introduction. 

Most case study intros jump right into the who-what-how without providing the context of what’s to come. Instead, Jen advises using a “P-E-P” approach in the intro to hook the reader. Think of this as the welcome mat of your case study, she explains. “In your introduction, start by identifying the problem , then demonstrate your experience , then offer a promise .”

• Start by connecting with the reader by showing them you recognize the problem they’re experiencing. For instance, if you’re writing a case study that shows how your roofing company helped a customer replace their roof after a hurricane, then most likely the people drawn to that particular case study are experiencing a similar situation. 
• Then you’ll want to provide the context of the case study by telling them who you are and the expertise you have to solve their problem. While the case study certainly isn’t about your company or product, the reader does deserve to know who’s advising them. 
• Finally, your intro should make a promise to the reader about what’s to come. This is the space where you’ll preview to your reader what the payoff is for reading through to the end.

What the P-E-P approach looks like in practice

For the example above, the case study introduction might look something like this:

The worry that natural disasters cause homeowners can easily turn to panic when a worst-case scenario occurs. The loss of a roof during a storm both exposes the physical contents of your home and tests your emotions. You’re left wondering how long it will take to repair, if your house is safe to live in, how you’ll deal with insurance, and who will help you navigate through this mess in the coming days. [Identify the problem.] As a Florida-based roofing company, Acme Roofing has helped 20 families in the past year alone repair their homes when the unthinkable happened. Jane Smith and her family lost their roof in the last hurricane and have some crucial advice for not only making it through this trying time but coming out with a home that’s both beautiful and safe for her family. [Show your expertise.] Keep reading to find out what happened to Jane’s home and the steps she took to secure a safe place for her family. [Offer a promise of what’s to come.]

Any article could rely on this intro format, but case studies are especially well-served by this approach, Jen says.

From there, each section of the case study should smoothly lead into the next. Be sure to provide transitions and appropriate pacing. This should be informative, but not dry like academic writing. 

Step 6: Include emotion

Be sure to include human elements that convey to the reader that this is a real story involving real people. There are emotions connected to every decision we make, and conveying these in the case study will enhance its appeal to your audience. 

Was he afraid he would lose his business?

Was she frustrated by previous products that didn’t solve her problem?

What did they feel when your business stepped in? Relief? Joy? Satisfaction? 

Include these emotions .  Case studies often come across as extremely dry, but this is one article type that can carry heavy emotion. Use the emotion of the people you got to know during the interview process. 

After you’ve completed these steps, you’ll have your rough draft. Share it with the customer whose story you’ve shared. See if anything needs further exploration or additional background information.

Bring together two or three trusted colleagues who can serve as editors. Avoid having too many cooks in the kitchen, though.

Then, polish and refine what you have, including the feedback of your colleagues, to create your final draft. If necessary, work with a graphic designer to create visual elements to help enhance the story. 

Then, get that sucker in the hands of your sales team .

Case study examples to inspire you

What does an actual case study look like? There are dozens of ways your business could approach a case study, but don’t forget those core elements. You must tell a compelling story that will resonate with your target audience: potential customers who are almost ready to make a purchase. 

Example 1: IMPACT and Bill Ragan Roofing

Here’s a narrative-style case study that tells the story of one of our clients, Tennessee-based Bill Ragan Roofing. 

Note how writer Jolie Higazi balances the numbers and the human element. Readers feel like they’re getting to know this business and want to celebrate its success. 

Example 2: Screensteps and The Peninsula Jewish Community Center

Screensteps provides training software to businesses for onboarding and other instruction. Here is a case study explaining how they helped a nonprofit implement a new CRM for more than 200 employees. 

With wit and illustrations, they tell the tale in a way that is accessible and engaging. Again, this doesn’t feel like research writing. It reads as a compelling narrative — and includes quotes from various stakeholders throughout. 

Evaluating your case study

How will you know if your case study is any good? 

Simple, says Jen. Listen to your sales team. 

In most cases, case studies will be used by your sales team with bottom-of-the-funnel prospects who are close to a decision. Jen advises that marketers check in with sales reps to see exactly how the case study landed with a prospect. 

Did they ask follow-up questions? Did they see themselves in it? If your case study is covering all the bases, your sales team should be raving about it. If not, go back to the drawing board and make it better.

If your case study is aimed at a broader audience, evaluate it the way you would any article. “Look at your conversion data,” Jen says. “Make sure that your bounce rate is low because that shows your audience immediately wanted to learn more about what you offer.”

The real-life stories your buyers need

Case studies are incredibly useful for your sales team and helpful for your buyers. However, keep in mind that they need to be regularly updated to avoid looking stale. If you tout yourself as a cutting-edge business but your case studies all come from five years ago, you might inadvertently hurt your chances with a prospect. Even a great example might not age well.

Once you produce a case study, it will be up to you to update as needed. Set aside time each quarter to read through old content and make sure it’s up to date and still makes sense.

If you need help convincing your potential customers that your offerings are perfect for them, case studies are perhaps your greatest asset. Spend the time to tell these customer stories so that your prospects can learn about a real-life situation in which they can see themselves. 

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3 Bad Customer Service Case Studies

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According to the  Harvard Business Review , simple actions, such as responding to tweets quickly, can increase the amount of money people are willing to pay doing business with an organization. Quality customer service builds loyalty and increases profits. Sometimes, however, even major brands have moments when their service goals go horribly wrong, teaching lessons for everyone else. The three bad customer service incidents below have recently sent major brands scrambling to preserve their image. Here's what we all can learn from their mistakes.

An Air Transat flight sat on the tarmac for hours without service

In July 2017, passengers aboard two Air Transat flights were diverted to Ottawa. While the airline had no control over the diversion itself, they had a responsibility for the fair treatment of their passengers following landing. Yet passengers reported being stranded on the tarmac for over four hours, on one flight without any food, air conditioning, or water. This incident caused at least one passenger to call 911 in an effort to force the airline to act.

Following the incident, the airline was fined and held responsible by the Canadian Transportation Agency. During the hearing, however,  customers and the press noted  that the airline and airport continually came up with excuses and tried to blame each other, which led customers to say they will not fly with Air Transat again.

Lesson to learn

Air Transat didn’t just make a mistake when they failed to provide comfort and necessities to their customers during the unexpected delay on the tarmac, they failed to take responsibility for their actions or make proper amends with their customers. Mistakes and incidents can happen to any business, but how you respond to the issue and treat your customers will have a lasting impact. Refusing to accept responsibility or focusing solely on the bottom line to the detriment of the customers can cause serious harm to your brand.

T-Mobile changed a customer’s name on their account to “Idiot” 

T-Mobile had a customer calling about a billing issue with his new phone. When he didn’t get the desired help, he decided to reach the phone carrier through Twitter. Although most people would agree that customer service can be a very challenging job, the T-Mobile team certainly could have handled the situation more appropriately. The rep dealing with the issue apparently changed the customer’s name to “Idiot,” which the customer saw the next time he logged into his account. He posted his account of the incident online, which reasonably led to  poor press for T-Mobile .

Providing customer service can make many people frustrated enough to scream. What is not acceptable, however, is doing anything that could get back to the customer. Brands should work to provide excellent service, even behind the scenes, to create an outstanding experience for customers. It’s important to have the right team with the right training to handle customer issues with grace and diplomacy. It’s not about the customer always being right – but the customer always deserves your respect.

Apple reduced the speed of their older devices

Apple decided to slow down their older devices without telling their customers. Although they may have had an understandable reason for this action, their failure to notify customers led to outrage among users.

Apple claimed the action was taken to preserve the battery life in the older phones. While this might have been true, it was the lack of transparency that angered customers. The brand ended up  apologizing to customers  and offering discounted battery replacements.

Despite good intentions, if your actions negatively impact customers, you need to err on the side of transparency. If Apple had let customers know upfront that their devices would eventually slow down and why, it would have been less of a scandal. Instead, since customers discovered it on their own, it left them feeling suspicious about what else the company isn’t telling them. Trust is one of the most important qualities in your relationship with customers. Don’t give them any reason to doubt you.

Customer service remains a critical component of any successful brand. If you want to grow, you need to focus on outstanding customer care during every interaction. Bad customer service will cost you more than just the customer directly involved, so take the lessons learned from these recent disasters and make sure you don’t make the same mistakes.

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5 Best Crisis Communication Case Studies and Examples

Cristina Hure

 on  Sep 6, 2024

in  Internal Communications

Today’s uncertain times increase the need for organizations to prepare for unexpected events. Explore these real-life examples of crisis communications case studies to protect your reputation and operations – in case fire lands on your doorstep one day! 

Every brand, no matter how big or small, will face challenges from time to time. These can range from minor issues like a typo in a marketing campaign to major crises with global implications. 

Some brands navigate these situations skillfully, while others struggle. Real-life crisis communication examples—including both best crisis communication examples and bad crisis communication examples—offer crucial insights into effective crisis communication strategies. 

Whether dealing with internal crisis communication examples or broader corporate crisis communication examples, studying case study crisis communication scenarios helps organizations develop a robust crisis communication plan that effectively responds to difficult circumstances. For internal communicators and HR leaders, the crisis communication case studies in this article serve as valuable lessons in the art and science of dealing with crises.

Unmissable employee comms

Always get your message across with contactmonkey., what is crisis communication.

Crisis communication involves the technologies, systems, and protocols that enable an organization to efficiently communicate during a crisis. This strategic communication function is designed to mitigate damage to the organization’s reputation by asserting control in situations that could potentially be chaotic and damaging. 

When communicators ensure consistent messaging, manage stakeholder expectations and maintain trust through transparency and prompt updates, effective crisis communication plays a critical role in mitigating damage.

How Does Internal Communications Play a Role in Crisis Communications?

In a crisis, internal communications are not just about damage control—they’re about safeguarding your organization’s most valuable asset: its people. Knowing what to do—and what to avoid—when managing an internal communications crisis can make all the difference in how your organization emerges on the other side.

As an internal communicator, your responsibilities go beyond fostering engagement and connection. You must also be prepared to respond swiftly and effectively when disaster strikes, demonstrating the importance of internal communications . Clear, consistent, and empathetic communication is essential in guiding employees through the turmoil, and ensuring that everyone understands the organization’s stance and next steps.

The insights below will help create a comprehensive crisis communication plan template to navigate crises with transparency, speed, and accountability.

Crisis Communication Best Practices

To handle crisis communications, communicators should adhere to key principles outlined in a wide-range of crisis communication case studies:

• Stay consistent with your message: Every message should align with the organization’s overall narrative. For instance, if transparency is a priority, all internal updates should reflect this value, as seen in corporate crisis communication examples.
• Practice what you preach: Deliver on promises. If safety measures are announced, promptly implement them to build trust—another common theme in many case study crisis communication examples.
• Balance speed with accuracy: Timing is key in a crisis, but so is accuracy. Rather than rushing to communicate incomplete information, prioritize getting the facts right. For example, if there’s an incident affecting operations, promptly acknowledge it, but follow up with detailed, accurate information as soon as it’s available. Successful crisis communication plans balance both speed with accuracy to maintain credibility.
• Lead with empathy: Recognize the emotional impact of a crisis on employees and tailor your communication to acknowledge their concerns. For instance, if layoffs are imminent, express understanding and support, offering resources like counseling or career transition services. Internal crisis communication examples show that addressing concerns compassionately can strengthen trust.

By following these principles, you can navigate crises more effectively and maintain the trust and confidence of your audiences. And, if you’re looking for more on this front, our internal communications best practices article can help. 

5 Best Crisis Communication Case Studies to Know for 2024

1. marriott: authentic leadership in times of crisis.

Authentic leadership goes beyond being just a buzzword—it’s about genuinely acting and communicating in ways that build trust and inspire loyalty. Arne Sorenson, CEO of Marriott International, exemplified this approach in a 6-minute video directed at employees, shareholders, and customers during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Following the video’s release, what exactly did Sorenson do to earn overwhelming praise? This crisis communication case study is a prime example of effective crisis communication:

Context: As the COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruptions to the travel and hospitality industry, Marriott International faced significant challenges, including drastic reductions in business, employee layoffs, and financial losses. Arne Sorenson’s video message became a key crisis communication case study by setting a benchmark for crisis communication strategies.

Analysis: Sorenson’s video was marked by its raw emotion, as he candidly acknowledged the severe impact of the pandemic on the company. He shared personal anecdotes, including his own battle with cancer, which humanized him and strengthened the message’s authenticity. As a prime example of crisis communications and effective planning, Sorenson communicated difficult decisions, such as employee layoffs, with empathy and transparency, helping to maintain trust and morale among Marriott employees.

Discussion: The video highlighted how authenticity in corporate crisis communication examples can strengthen organizational values and unity. By speaking openly about the challenges facing Marriott and his personal struggles, Sorenson connected with employees on a human level, which is often difficult to achieve in corporate communications.

Conclusion: This case study underscores the importance of transparency, emotional intelligence, and authenticity in crisis communication, providing valuable lessons for leaders in all industries.

Win at internal communications 

2. slack: honesty is the best policy when failures occur.

Effective crisis communication is about managing a message and building trust through honesty and transparency. Slack showed exactly how to do this during a service outage that left many users without access. Let’s take a look at the details behind Slack’s standout crisis management: 

Context: In February 2022, Slack, a widely used messaging platform, experienced a significant outage that left many users unable to access its services. The disruption was attributed to a configuration change that unexpectedly increased activity on the company’s database infrastructure, causing instability and downtime.

Analysis: Slack’s swift and transparent response serves as a strong crisis communication case study. The company posted updates on its status page approximately every 30 minutes, detailing its progress toward a solution and openly acknowledging any errors made during the process. Additionally, Slack used Twitter to keep users informed, using a tone that was both apologetic and sincere. This multi-channel approach ensured that users were kept in the loop throughout the five-hour disruption, demonstrating Slack’s commitment to honest and transparent communication. Discussion: By being open about the problem, promptly sharing updates, and acknowledging their missteps, Slack reinforced its reputation as a customer-focused company. Their communication strategy aligned with best practices by being timely, transparent, and empathetic, which are essential elements in maintaining trust and credibility during a crisis. Moreover, Slack’s decision to use multiple platforms—its status page for detailed updates and Twitter for real-time communication—ensured that a wide audience was reached.

Conclusion: As one of the best crisis communication examples, Slack’s handling of the 2022 outage is a compelling case study in crisis communication. Their approach illustrates the importance of transparency, timely updates, and multi-platform engagement in managing public perception and maintaining trust during a crisis. By being forthright about the situation and openly acknowledging their errors, Slack not only managed to preserve user trust but also set a strong example for other brands on how to communicate effectively in the face of adversity.

3. Cracker Barrel: No Response is a Response

When Cracker Barrel unexpectedly found itself at the center of a social media storm over the firing of an employee, many expected the company to respond swiftly. However, Cracker Barrel opted for an unconventional crisis communication approach by letting the internet frenzy unfold without any public comment. This approach demonstrated that sometimes silence can be an effective part of a crisis management plan . 

Our next case study explores how the brand’s decision to remain quiet during a viral crisis became a surprising example of how no response can be a powerful crisis communication strategy.

Context: In February 2017, Cracker Barrel faced a crisis when a customer named Bradley Reid publicly questioned why his wife, Nanette, was fired from her retail manager position after 11 years. His post on Cracker Barrel’s corporate website went viral, and the hashtag #JusticeforBradsWife began trending across social media. The situation quickly escalated, with over 17,000 signatures on a Change.org petition, altered Yelp and Google pages, and viral content on YouTube plus other platforms mocking the brand.

Analysis: Despite the growing public outcry and media attention, Cracker Barrel chose to remain silent. The company did not issue a public response, comment on the controversy, or acknowledge the online movement. While some brands and internet users capitalized on the situation for humor or publicity, Cracker Barrel’s silence became a notable aspect of the crisis.

Discussion: Cracker Barrel’s handling of the incident challenges traditional crisis communication techniques. While this strategy defied conventional wisdom, it ultimately had minimal impact on the brand’s core customer base, showcasing that an effective crisis communication plan can sometimes involve choosing not to engage. 

Conclusion: The key takeaway for brands is that while silence carries risk, it can also prevent further escalation, especially when the crisis is fueled primarily by online chatter rather than significant operational failures or ethical breaches. 💡 PRO TIP: While certain situations are better left to fizzle out on their own, some require an internal communications response and plan to strengthen customer relationships. Read our article on how internal communication impacts customer engagement to learn more.

Plan like a pro: 2024 Internal Communications Calendar

Your blueprint for meeting kpis., 4. johnson & johnson: immediate corrective action saves the day .

In 1982, Johnson & Johnson found itself at the heart of a public health crisis. Instead of deflecting blame, the company launched an immediate, transparent response that set a new benchmark for crisis management.

This crisis communication case study is now one of the most notable examples of crisis communication. Read on to find out how the company’s approach became a model for corporate crisis response worldwide.

Context: Johnson & Johnson faced a major crisis when seven people in Chicago died after consuming Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide. Despite evidence suggesting that the tampering occurred after the product reached store shelves, the company’s handling of the situation became a benchmark for effective crisis communication examples.

Analysis: Johnson & Johnson immediately took decisive action by halting all Tylenol advertising, issuing safety warnings, and sending 450,000 messages to healthcare facilities and stakeholders. The company maintained full transparency and did not attempt to downplay the situation, even expressing regret for not switching to tamper-proof packaging sooner.

Discussion: The company’s response set a standard for crisis management, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and swift action. Johnson & Johnson’s efforts were widely praised by the media and public, helping the Tylenol brand recover and setting a precedent for how companies handle similar situations. Conclusion: This crisis communication case study is considered one of the best examples of effective crisis management in corporate history. By prioritizing consumer safety, transparent communication, and taking immediate corrective action, the company not only reduced the impact of the crisis but also reinforced its reputation for integrity and responsibility.

5. Pepsi: Taking Responsibility Builds Trust

When Pepsi released an ad featuring Kendall Jenner, the company quickly found itself at the center of a public relations firestorm.  This crisis communication case study explores how Pepsi managed the crisis with rapid communication and what lessons can be learned from their approach.

Context: In April 2017, Pepsi launched an advertisement featuring Kendall Jenner that quickly led to controversy. The ad portrayed Jenner leaving a modeling shoot to join a protest, ultimately handing a police officer a can of Pepsi to “resolve” tensions. The ad was immediately criticized for trivializing social justice movements and co-opting serious issues to sell a product. The backlash was intense, with widespread condemnation across social media and traditional news outlets, labeling it as tone-deaf and culturally insensitive.

Analysis: Initially, Pepsi defended the campaign by describing it as a message of global unity and harmony. However, within less than 24 hours, the company shifted its stance in response to the overwhelming criticism. Pepsi pulled the ad from all platforms and issued a second statement acknowledging its mistake: “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace, and understanding. Clearly, we missed the mark, and we apologize.” This rapid decision-making showcased Pepsi’s agility in crisis management and its recognition of the public’s sentiment.

Discussion: Pepsi’s response was notable for its speed and directness. By quickly retracting the ad and publicly admitting fault, the company took a proactive stance that demonstrated accountability and empathy. This helped contain the immediate fallout and prevent a prolonged controversy that could have further damaged the brand’s reputation. Despite the initial uproar, Pepsi’s brand weathered the crisis relatively well, thanks largely to its quick acknowledgment of error and efforts to communicate openly with its audience.

Conclusion: Pepsi’s swift apology and the decision to pull the ad were crucial first steps in mitigating negative reactions. By responding quickly and sincerely, Pepsi managed to limit the damage to its reputation. This crisis communication case study demonstrates the importance of prompt, empathetic communication and taking responsibility in a crisis, which can help protect a brand’s image and maintain public trust. 

Worst Crisis Communication Examples

1. open ai: surprises aren’t always a good thing.

After OpenAI abruptly fired its CEO, Sam Altman, the news sent shockwaves through the tech world. The decision, announced on a Friday afternoon with little explanation and no immediate plan for leadership succession, quickly escalated into a crisis. Let’s examine the missteps and lessons learned from this controversial episode in tech leadership.

Context: In November 2023, OpenAI faced a PR crisis when news broke that CEO Sam Altman had been abruptly fired. The announcement came on a Friday afternoon, catching the tech world by surprise and leaving major stakeholders, including Microsoft, in the dark.

Analysis: OpenAI’s response to the crisis was poorly managed and an example of bad crisis communications. The company failed to prepare for the backlash, and communication was inconsistent, with no immediate follow-up to address concerns. The decision to release the news on a Friday, without a clear successor or explanation, fueled confusion and criticism.

Discussion: This situation illustrates the pitfalls of inadequate crisis management. OpenAI’s lack of preparedness, inconsistent messaging, and poor timing resulted in a loss of trust among stakeholders and negative media attention. The newly appointed CEO later admitted that the process had not been handled smoothly, further highlighting the missteps.

Conclusion: The key lessons are clear: have a crisis communications plan in place, avoid releasing significant news on a Friday expecting it to pass unnoticed, and ensure consistent, clear communication with all stakeholders. Proper preparation and transparency are essential to maintaining trust and minimizing damage in such situations.

2. Twitter: Confusion and Controversy Aren’t the Way 

When Elon Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion, his unconventional approach to managing the platform quickly became a crisis. 

This social media crisis communication example examines whether Musk’s unorthodox methods were reckless or a calculated risk — and what lessons can be learned from this high-profile rebranding saga.

Context: Since the Twitter acquisition, Musk had introduced a series of controversial changes, including firing employees, banning and unbanning users, charging for verification badges, and rebranding Twitter to “X” in 2023 without prior announcement. Analysis: Musk remained active on the platform, nonchalantly implementing these changes without formal crisis communication strategies. The sudden rebranding unsettled some advertisers and users but eventually normalized as people adapted to the new brand name, “X.”

Discussion: While Musk’s unconventional approach garnered significant media attention, it demonstrated a lack of strategic PR planning. The rebranding could have been managed more effectively to avoid initial confusion and backlash.

Conclusion: Musk’s handling of Twitter’s rebranding offers a critical lesson: purposeful and well-communicated changes are crucial for maintaining brand trust and stability. The controversy underscored the need for structured crisis communication plans, especially during significant transitions.

💡 PRO TIP : If you’re experiencing challenges with organizational alignment, read our article on how to avoid miscommunication in the workplace . 

3. Facebook: Slow and Vague Responses Breed Distrust

In the 2010s, Facebook found itself at the center of a massive data privacy scandal. This case study explores how Facebook’s delayed reaction to the scandal turned a breach of trust into one of the most significant PR disasters of the decade.

Context : Facebook faced a major crisis when it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, had collected data from up to 87 million users without their consent through a third-party app. This data was then used to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election, sparking public outrage and leading to one of the biggest PR crises.

Analysis : Facebook’s response to the scandal was slow and marked by a lack of transparency, making it one of the worst crisis communication examples. It took several days for CEO Mark Zuckerberg to publicly address the issue, explain what had happened, and identify those affected. By the time a formal apology was issued, significant reputational damage had already occurred, and trust in the platform was compromised.

Discussion : This crisis communication case study underscores the importance of a timely and transparent response in crisis management, especially when dealing with sensitive user data. The company’s initial failure to clearly communicate the facts of the situation and outline corrective measures compounded the fallout.

Conclusion : The Cambridge Analytica scandal serves as an example of crisis communication failure, emphasizing the need for prompt action to prevent lasting harm to a brand’s reputation. The key lesson for companies is to quickly explain what went wrong, who was affected, and what steps are being taken to prevent future issues.

Connect teams during crisis

Most fast with sms and ensure everyone gets the memo., how contactmonkey can help with crisis communication.

ContactMonkey can play a prominent role in crisis communication by providing internal communicators and HR leaders with the tools they need to deliver clear, timely, and effective messages. From email templates to emergency SMS text alerts , here’s what you’re offered to enhance crisis communication plans:

• Real-time internal email tracking : Helps communicators monitor who opens and clicks links emails, and engages with the content.
• Avoids spam filters : Reduces friction through the Outlook and Gmail integration to ensure emails don’t end up in junk mail. 
• Integrated email templates : Provides ready-to-use templates for crisis communication through the email builder , ensuring consistency and speed when delivering urgent messages.
• Segmentation and personalization : Allows targeted communication to specific groups within the organization, reducing confusion and ensuring relevant information reaches the right people.
• Analytics and feedback : Collects data on email performance and employee feedback through the analytics and reporting dashboard , enabling better decision-making and response adjustments during a crisis.
• Lead with speed : Take advantage of our SMS for internal communications to reach employees quickly and reliably. 

Ready to unlock the benefits of managing crisis comms effectively? Book a free demo and connect with our team to learn more about how to optimize your crisis communication strategy with ContactMonkey, today! 

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