Are you familiar with the Diva-Syndrome in Luxury?
Last year, I wrote a post on this topic which I want to bring back as this is becoming a norm and not an exception.
Luxury brands have always been associated with exclusivity, elegance, and superior customer service. Customers often pay a premium price for the privilege of shopping at these establishments, expecting top-notch products, service, and knowledge about the brand's products. However, there has been a growing concern in the industry about employees of luxury brands acting like divas themselves.
According to recent studies and industry reports by the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management among others, there has been an increase in employees of luxury brands exhibiting entitled behavior, regularly believing that their job title and position gives them a license to behave rudely, disrespectfully, and even intimidatingly towards customers. This trend is especially visible in retail stores, airlines, restaurants, and hotels, where employees interact with customers, often impacting whether they will return or not.
This unprofessional behavior, includes a lack of product education, making it difficult for customers, especially those who are new to the brand, to get the information they need to make informed decisions. This creates a frustrating and intimidating experience for customers who expect to learn about the brand's products in a comfortable and supportive environment.
Confusing sense of belonging and pride of working for a luxury brand with arrogance is a recipe for failure as these behaviors among luxury brand employees have significant consequences for customer experience, and ultimately for the reputation of the brand. If employees are not treating customers well or are not providing them with the necessary support or education, they will feel intimidated and dissatisfied and are unlikely to return. Furthermore, they will share negative feedback with their circle of friends and family, causing significant damage to the brand's reputation and financial bottom line.
We need to understand how important customer service and product education are to the luxury brand experience. For example, brands should focus in hiring the right people and invest in training that focuses on clienteling, customer understanding and behavior, storytelling, luxury customer service and product education, ensuring that employees understand their role in creating a positive experience that includes educating customers on the brand's products, sharing the brand story, impersonate brand's values and DNA, and ultimately, making customers feel appreciated and special.
Luxury brands cannot afford any customer service, product education or storytelling mishaps, and as such, we must address the growing problem of diva-like behavior among luxury brand employees, nurturing the right culture that can lead to offering a rich, luxury experience that customers expect and deserve.
Does this sound familiar?
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