Ahead of his session at CXN Live: Future CX & Contact Center Trends & Technology APAC 2021, Julian Neo, managing director of DHL Express Malaysia and Brunei shares with CX Network his greatest CX achievement and the best strategy for efficient CX.
CX Network: What has been your greatest CX achievement so far?
Julian Neo: When the pandemic first hit, there was a lot of uncertainty. Economy grounded to a standstill and new ways of living were emerging by the minute. For a people-forward company like ours, this meant change. How do we foster and strengthen great client relationships in a time when in-person interactions are discouraged and contactless is the norm? How do we continue to collaborate and facilitate growth while enclosed by the realities of our respective bubbles?
To echo the words of our global CEO, John Pearson, “social distancing does not mean we have to distance ourselves from our customers”. To the businesses we serve, work needed to go on. Commercial activity had to resume not just quickly, but at scale, as they reimagine the delivery of their products and services while ensuring the safety of all involved.
In the early months of movement restrictions in Malaysia, many small and medium-sized enterprises grappled the additional impact of not being allowed to operate due to being deemed non-essential. Naturally, downtrading occurred among several of our accounts. In response, our sales team amplified their roles as business advisors. Checking-in became more frequent, and they added value to these conversations by sharing market insights, bridging untapped opportunities, and updating on the evolving situation.
Among the success stories is a mask manufacturer that initially struggled with a government ban on mask exports. Through her industry expertise, the dedicated account manager clarified that their three-ply masks can indeed be exported with permission from the pertinent governing body. Upon her recommendation, they also diverted their production to four-ply masks—whose export was not prohibited—keeping their revenue stream flowing.
The pandemic has accelerated a trend towards more tailored experiences, which have long been part and parcel of our customer offerings. These past two years of Covid-19 have seen us launch specialised solutions that help expand the online footprint of SMEs and increase their speed to market overseas.
We introduced Durian Express, which guarantees next-day delivery of the fruit to Hong Kong and Singapore. This allowed Malaysian durian farmers and merchants—very much a traditional and domestic focused sector—to tap into the soaring foreign appetite for the more than 100 varieties available locally, especially the much-coveted Musang King. While one kilogramme sells for between RM50 and RM70 here, the same amount fetches up to RM200 in Hong Kong.
We further enhanced the customer journey with DHLontheGo, allowing customers to book, track, and enquire shipments all through WhatsApp. This simplified the order process and enabled them to engage our services when physical visits to our retail locations may decline.
Our customers’ success is mutual to our own, and I am proud that we have persisted in keeping them at the heart of everything we do throughout this public health crisis.
CX: What is the most important skill or strategy for customer experience efficiency?
JN: At DHL Express, delighting customers is not just important—it lies at the core of our business. Our initiative, 'Insanely Customer Centric Culture', puts into words and actions the values that we instil in each and every one of our employee’s DNA. We therefore found affinity with the CX Framework, particularly the 'You Get Me' emotional driver that mirrors our approach to customer experience.
Putting ourselves in our customers’ shoes is precisely the focus of our Certified International Specialists (CIS) programme. The internal series of training modules is all about promoting a culture of understanding, addressing, and prioritising our customers’ needs first. Participation encompasses both frontline and support staff, embedding throughout the organisation a shared belief that every touchpoint is an opportunity to create 'wow moments' for our customers, colleagues, business partners, and the wider community.
This philosophy of empathy is further reinforced through our continuous improvement efforts. Thousands of members of our global workforce take part in daily Performance Dialogues in which they not only track their own performance but voice their insights and ideas for how we can advance as a company. Our men and women in yellow are also encouraged to practise Gemba Walks, observing work where it happens and gaining deeper acumen for where progress can be made.
These activities come under our overall programme called First Choice, because that is what we want to be: First Choice for anyone who engages our services, and it ensures we live up to our promise of 'Excellence. Simply delivered.' every day and everywhere.