Going Above and Beyond for Your Customer with Jonathan Schulman

Rooted in Retail

Today, I'm joined by Jonathan Schulman, president of CeXperentia—a customer experience devotee and former chairman of the International Home Furnishings Rep Association. He has a provocative and unique perspective on what it takes to succeed in retail, which you’ll see firsthand during this episode.

We've got so much to cover that Jonathan and I are extending this conversation into part two. He emphasizes the importance of connecting the dots in the customer experience journey to put you on track toward delivering a best-in-class customer experience.

This episode is packed with real-world examples of companies going the extra mile to be memorable. We're getting down to the essentials of strong customer service, where Jonathan offers practical advice that won't break the bank—it all comes down to three simple strategies.

Join us in taking a deeper look at your store, processes, and team dynamics. Jonathan offers insights that may just be the key to fine-tuning your approach and building deeper connections with your audience.

[4:11] How growing up in the furniture business launched Jonathan's retail career

[8:57] How Jonathan believes independent retailers have an advantage over the big corporate chains

[12:50] Two examples of businesses that Jonathan has seen give really great customer experiences

[17:45] How can independent retailers cost-effectively improve the customer experience in their physical storefronts?

[28:09] How physical storefronts can bridge the gap between online and offline customer experiences

[33:33] What is Jonathan's perspective on the future of customer experience in physical retail spaces?

[36:22] Jonathan's resilience round

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Chapters

1. Welcome Jonathan Schulman (00:00:00)

2. How growing up in the furniture business launched Jonathan's retail career (00:04:11)

3. How Jonathan believes indepedent retailers have an advantage over the big corporate chains (00:08:57)

4. Two examples of businesses that Jonathan has seen give really great customer experiences (00:12:50)

5. How can independent retailers cost-effectively improve the customer experience in their physical storefronts? (00:17:45)

6. How physical storefronts can bridge the gap between online and offline customer experiences (00:28:09)

7. What is Jonathan's perspective on the future of customer experience in physical retail spaces? (00:33:33)

8. Jonathan's resilience round (00:36:22)

9. Best business book (00:36:23)

10. Best retail technology (00:36:43)

11. How do you keep up with the ever changing retail landscape? (00:37:03)

12. What's a foundational best practice? (00:37:23)

13. What's one thing Jonathan would do differently if he had to start his business over again? (00:37:40)