What does it mean to work on Customer Experience?

The story of "Arbora": the perfect table and the forgotten journey.

Imagine a company called Arbora. This isn't just any company; they produce handcrafted designer furniture using sustainable wood and an almost obsessive attention to detail. Their flagship table, "Il Bosco" (The Forest), is a masterpiece. Anyone who sees it online or in industry magazines instantly falls in love.

The problem: a diamond in the rough.

Despite an exceptional product and significant marketing investments—an elegant website, breathtaking photography, and targeted ad campaigns—Arbora was stuck. Sales were decent but stagnant, customers rarely returned, and online reviews were lukewarm: "Beautiful product, but...", "Fantastic table, however..."

Management was frustrated. They were convinced they were customer-focused, but reality told a different story. They were a classic "diamond in the rough": they had enormous potential, but something was preventing them from truly shining.

The traditional approach.

Before reaching out to us, they had turned to a traditional communications agency. The proposal was immediate: "Let’s redesign the website," "Let’s launch a new social campaign," "Let’s spend more on advertising." These were all solutions focused on individual touchpoints—treating the symptoms without curing the underlying disease. They were working in silos, failing to see the big picture.

The Incredible Studio approach: reversing the course.

When Arbora contacted us, we didn’t start by talking about campaigns or websites. We asked a single question: "Can we talk to your customers?"

• Empathetic listening: We interviewed everyone. Giulia, who had just bought "Il Bosco"; Marco, who had abandoned his cart halfway through; and Elena, one of the few recurring customers. We didn't stop there. We spoke with the employees: showroom consultants, warehouse staff, and the customer service team.

• The Emotional Journey Map: Using these stories, we built a Customer Journey Map. This wasn't just a flowchart; it was a map of human emotions. We discovered that Giulia’s buying experience was an emotional roller coaster:

  • Discovery (Excitement): "Wow, this is the table of my dreams!"

  • Online Configuration (Anxiety): "Too many options... what if I choose the wrong finish?"

  • Purchase (Trust): "Okay, it’s a big investment, but it’s worth it."

  • Post-purchase (The crash): this is where the real problem lived. After spending thousands of dollars, Giulia received a cold, automated confirmation email. Regarding delivery, there was zero proactive communication—just a terse SMS from a third-party courier the day before. The package arrived and looked beautiful, but the assembly instructions were an incomprehensible technical sheet that turned excitement into frustration. The experience was totally inconsistent.

Co-designing the new experience.

We gathered the Arbora team (Marketing, Sales, Logistics, Customer Care) for a workshop. We didn’t ask, "What should we do?" but rather, "What do we want Giulia to feel at every stage?" The goal was no longer just "delivering a table," but "allowing the customer to experience the emotion of welcoming a piece of nature into their home."

The transformation: the power of memorable gestures.

The solutions weren't one single, massive project, but a collection of small improvements designed to generate positive emotions.

• Post-purchase: The automated email was replaced by a short, personal thank-you video recorded by the table’s designer.

• Delivery: The "Arbora Delivery Service" was created, featuring trained staff who didn't just drop off a box, but immediately resolved any assembly concerns.

• Unboxing and assembly: Instructions became a small illustrated guide with a QR code linking to a relaxing video tutorial. Inside the box, we added an unexpected gift: a wood-care kit with a handwritten note. This small gesture transformed a potential point of friction into a "moment of wow."

The result: the diamond shines.

Within six months, Arbora had transformed. Sales increased, but the real success lay elsewhere:

1. Customer loyalty tripled.

2. Online reviews no longer just praised the product, but the entire experience: "I felt pampered from start to finish," "Unboxing was a magical moment." People began sharing their stories spontaneously.

3. The corporate culture shifted. Now, every employee—from the warehouse worker to the marketing manager—sees themselves as a "Friction Hunter" and a guardian of the customer experience.

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Arbora is a company we imagined to demonstrate, through a practical example, the applications and results of working on Customer Experience.