Inspiring Employees to Create Fantastic Customer Experiences

Stunning Quality

Expo Nova represents the world's leading interior brands: from B&B Italia and Cassina to Poliform and Artemide. More than 50 suppliers, 15,000 products and an infinite number of options mean that many customers need help through all phases of a purchase, from the first consultation to the last installation, and often longer than that. In other words, there is no doubt that it is the employees who are the key to good customer experiences.

Expo Nova contacted Mission to evaluate the situation and find back to the company's DNA. They have a rich history dating back to 1965. Now, more than 50 years later, the challenge was to find the innermost motivation of the 30 employees. What makes them look forward to going to work every day?

To define the company's purpose, it is important that we gain a deep understanding of the brand, history, culture, competitive landscape and ambitions.

A New Time

In retail, the digital presence has become as important as the physical one. But no matter which channels are discussed, factors such as customer service, inspiration, showroom, marketing and sales are as central as before. How do you use each channel in the best possible way? How can you create good customer experiences?

We conducted thorough insight work to analyse the situation and define priority challenges. We conducted in-depth interviews with customers and employees who provided important input to the Purpose platform.

Define a common platform that unites the interests of employees, customers and owners.

Challenges Are to Be Shared

In order to develop a purpose statement, it is important to have a common starting point. We therefore jointly developed a purpose platform that contains the following:

1. · Category belonging

2. The uniqueness of the company

3. The target group definition

4. Target group motivation

5. Our value creation

6. The passion that motivates the individual employee to do the best possible job.

Each employee contributed with clear commitment. This gave management and owners a unique platform for making strategic choices.

Putting words to the company's purpose gives strength to develop common focus and motivation.

When Pieces Fall into Place

Based on the work in workshops, a purpose statement, purpose tagline (an abbreviated version), purpose story (an emotional description of the business) and drivers that describe what it takes for us to be successful.

When we found the final catchphrase, many pieces fell into place. The discussions showed that there were many emotions one had not been able to put into words before.

Involving employees in the company's purpose is the best way to create focus, commitment and motivation.

Implementing Dreams

We started monthly team meetings with the employees, a close collaboration that helped everyone understand the value of what they do, and get better in every single meeting with their own customers. We introduced a 6-point program statement based on the drivers. This management tool is used daily, and makes the customer experience even more valuable, which defends the company's position as the most important supplier of design furniture in this country.

The customer journey, which we defined in one of the first meetings, has become an important tool for understanding how the role of employees is expressed in meetings with customers.

The Dream Catchers

Expo Nova has employees who are exceptionally good at interpreting customers' interior dreams. What needs they have, what role the furniture and lighting should have in the home - or in the workplace. Expo Nova can provide advice and thoughts that the customer had not been able to come up with on their own. Precisely because the employees are passionate about how interiors can enrich people's lives.