Engaged employees are crucial to providing a positive customer experience. The ability of a company to keep its employees energized and engaged is directly reflected in every customer interaction. At the 2015 Engagement and Experience Expo, representatives from four finalist brands competed to earn the top prize in the Loyalty360 CX Awards Best Employee Engagement category.
Among these finalists was Darin Smith, speaking on behalf of GameStop as Senior Director of its PowerUp Rewards loyalty program. At GameStop, employee engagement is a direct result of exceedingly passionate associates and a focus on compelling training processes. Thanks to the company’s drive to create informed and enthusiastic team members, GameStop took home a Loyalty360 Gold CX Award.
In a specialty market like video games, employees can be some of the biggest advocates for the product.
“It’s their key product knowledge that separates our employees from our competitors,” Smith said. “We know that when they understand our products, they’re more likely to engage a customer with that knowledge.”
Beyond being knowledgeable about products, employees make an effort to become informed about their customers. GameStop employees are encouraged to talk with shoppers about their gaming preferences and make suggestions based on what they learn. Especially when dealing with repeat customers, the ability for an associate to make suggestions based on past purchases is a tremendous boost to customer engagement and CX.
Said Smith, “If you go into our stores, our team members know their customers’ names. They have a great relationship so that they can talk about new and upcoming products.”
The journey of a GameStop team member begins with a training program that incorporates gamification to appeal to gamers’ natural love of competition. The program, called LevelUp, allows team members to unlock badges and in-store discounts based on customer engagement and knowledge of products.
Smith noted that mentorship has been a significant driver in GameStop’s employee engagement.
“Without our team members feeling engaged in the program and having a mentor, they don’t see the value in GameStop,” Smith added. “Thanks to our focus on mentorship, they know that they have a potential for growth within the company. We call that protecting the family, and when we protect the family we have a stronger overall program.”