Comparative Analysis: Customer Experience at Marks and Spencer Report

This report provides a detailed analysis of customer experience management (CEM) at Marks and Spencer, comparing customer feedback and experiences related to two distinct product categories: fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and clothing. The study utilizes a proto-persona diagram to analyze customer feedback, highlighting key pain points such as product quality and diversity for clothing, and affordable pricing and product benefits for FMCG. The report discusses CEM strategies employed to address customer concerns, including recommendations for improving product offerings and enhancing overall customer satisfaction. Through a comparative approach, the analysis offers insights into the effectiveness of CEM in different product contexts, emphasizing the importance of understanding customer needs and adapting marketing strategies accordingly. The report's conclusion underscores the significance of customer feedback in driving product innovation and service improvements within the retail environment.

Running head: CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT
Customer Experience Management
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction:................................................................................................................................2
2. Discussion:...................................................................................................................................2
3. Compare and contrast two experiences:......................................................................................4
4. Conclusion:..................................................................................................................................5
Reference List:.................................................................................................................................6

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1. Introduction:
Customer experience management is the process based in which the business executives
keep a track on the customers’ feedback regarding that particular products or services by
maintaining an effective interaction with the customers. This very specific study has focused to
choose two different products from Marks and Spencer. The products include human cloths
and fast moving customers’ goods (FMCG). As a customer experience manager, I have
observed that the marketing executives after collecting effective customers’ feedback and
experience regarding the quality of two products have received two opposite responses.
Customers have highly appreciated the FMCG products of Marks and Spencer due to its
superior quality of product along with low price. On the other hand, the cloths of Marks and
Spencer do not maintain quality in comparison to the product cost. As per customers’ point of
view I have collected from different resources, Marks and Spencer does not render cloths
diversity within the store. Due to the lack of product variety, the number of target customers is
decreased. This very specific study has provided an in-depth comparative analysis about the poor
and good experience of the products along with its proper justification. By using proto-persona
diagram, the study has focused to make an in-depth analysis about the different components of
customers’ experience.
2. Discussion:
Proto-persona diagram is constituted with five major components including tasks,
influence, overall goal, pain points and feeling. Tasks indicates what questions can be formed
to the customers for collecting their feedback. Influence signifies the major factors that can draw
customers’ attention. Products should have some additional features due to which customers can

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be influenced positively. In many cases, it has been observed that the executives fail to leave a
positive influence on the customers. Overall goal includes the amalgamation of business
objective set by organization and fulfilling the customers’ expectation from the product. Pain
point indicates the highlighted features of product be it positive or negative (Rose et al., 2012).
As per customers’ experience, the organizational managers sometimes get negative feedback
regarding the product (Rawson, Duncan & Jones, 2013). At the same time, as a manager, I have
positive feedback from the customers. However, paint point enables an expert to point out the
negative or positive product features for overcoming the complaints of customers’. Feeling is the
overall feedback collected from the customers about the concerned product.
In this very specific part, the study would like to focus on highlighting two ‘pain points’
of the two consecutive products. On the very first part, two key pain paints of Cloths from
Marks and Spencer have been selected in order to overcome the issues applying effective CEM
concepts or strategies. As per customers feedback excessive lack of product quality and lack of
product diversity are two major paint points due to which customers show their reluctant attitude
in purchasing cloths from Marks and Spencer. However, in order to overcome the issue the
business experts have intended to apply some of the effective strategies and policies due to
which customers can be influenced (Boulding et al., 2013). However, this very specific study has
focused to make an in-depth CEM strategy based on which the managers can overcome the paint
points on Marks and Spencer’s cloths. After consulting with the customers experience manager
like me the product managers of Marks and Spencer have decided to render numerous variable
products so that people belonging to different geographical backgrounds and attitudes show their
level of interest in purchasing cloths from this organization (Wong, 2013). On the other hand, the

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business experts have decided to improve product quality as well so that customers do not get the
scope to provide negative feedback on the brands.
Figure 1: Proto-persona diagram
(Source: Atwal & Williams, 2017)
On the other hand, FMCG goods such as milk, gum, fruit and vegetables, toilet paper,
soda, beer and over-the-counter drugs like aspirin of Marks and Spencer have received
innumerable positive response from the customers of different geographical boundaries. The pain
points that the customers have primary highlighted after using their fast moving customers’
goods (FMCG) include affordable product price, good quality of products. After making an

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effective communication with the customers, the business experts got to know that the FMCG
product of Marks and Spencer is very low price. In addition, the service providers tend to give
numerous additional benefits. The customers can get “buy one and get one free” products as
well. On the other hand, the customers give an effective positive feedback on the overall
products. In order to get a positive response and satisfy the needs and demands of the customers
CEM managers have made effective strategies (Atwal & Williams, 2017). They decide to
provide numerous benefits after purchasing goods especially health drinks. The customers
according to me are able to gain gifts after purchasing a certain amount of products of Marks
and Spencer. On the other hand, the business experts have maintained moderate cost on entire
FMCG products. As a result, low cost customers can afford the goods as well. The number of
target audience becomes wide along with receiving good feedback (Sheng & Teo, 2012). These
two strategies especially are very much effective for getting positive outcome of the customers.
3. Compare and contrast two experiences:
In order to compare and contrast on two different customers’ experiences it can be stated
that Marks and Spencer has already received immense positive response from the customers
(Mithas, Krishnan & Fornell, 2013). On the other hand, cloths from Marks and Spencer cannot
draw customers’ attention. On one hand, FMCG products are successfully able to satisfy
customers need due to its affordability. On the other hand, customers do not wish to purchase
cloths from Marks and Spencer due to its high price level in terms of quality for the moderate
cost customers (Otnes, Ilhan & Kulkarni, 2012). After collecting an effective feedback, I can
focus on making effective strategies for overcoming their issues.

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4. Conclusion:
In this very specific study, I have provided detailed analysis about the impact of CEM on
enhancing the product quality. Based on two different kinds of products of Marks and Spencer
the study has made comparative analysis by using Proto-persona diagram. The feedback of
the customers is highly important for rendering an innovation within the products as well as
services.

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Reference List:
Atwal, G., & Williams, A. (2017). Luxury brand marketing–the experience is everything!.
In Advances in Luxury Brand Management (pp. 43-57). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Boulding, W., Staelin, R., Ehret, M., & Johnston, W. J. (2013, May). A customer relationship
management roadmap: What is known, potential pitfalls, and where to go. American
Marketing Association.
Mithas, S., Krishnan, M. S., & Fornell, C. (2013, May). Why do customer relationship
management applications affect customer satisfaction?. American Marketing Association.
Otnes, C. C., Ilhan, B. E., & Kulkarni, A. (2012). The language of marketplace rituals:
implications for customer experience management. Journal of Retailing, 88(3), 367-383.
Rawson, A., Duncan, E., & Jones, C. (2013). The truth about customer experience. Harvard
Business Review, 91(9), 90-98.
Rose, S., Clark, M., Samouel, P., & Hair, N. (2012). Online customer experience in e-retailing:
an empirical model of antecedents and outcomes. Journal of Retailing, 88(2), 308-322.
Sheng, M. L., & Teo, T. S. (2012). Product attributes and brand equity in the mobile domain:
The mediating role of customer experience. International journal of information
management, 32(2), 139-146.
Wong, I. A. (2013). Exploring customer equity and the role of service experience in the casino
service encounter. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 32, 91-101.