Running a customer experience workshop is the key to truly understanding what your customers want and need. It鈥檚 where you discover their frustrations and create effective solutions 鈥 because it鈥檚 all from their perspective.
Here鈥檚 why I swear by it: say a company鈥檚 experience is just as important as its products or services. By conducting this workshop, I can align my team, fuel creative problem-solving, and, most importantly, deliver experiences that keep my customers coming back.
If you鈥檙e ready to up your CX game, stick with me. I鈥檒l break down what a customer experience workshop looks like, why it鈥檚 worth the effort, and how to run one for your team, including hands-on customer experience activities.
Table of Contents
Considering that companies focusing on CX see up to , it鈥檚 a no-brainer for you to keep a pulse on customer needs and rapidly innovate journeys to meet these needs.
To build a great customer experience, all departments must collaborate to understand the whole customer journey better.
A CX workshop puts the participants in the customer鈥檚 shoes.
Through the exercises, the team maps out, step by step, what the customer experiences from the brand, including how they feel at specific touchpoints, the value they receive, and so on 鈥 which can be very revealing.
It鈥檚 an eye-opener. You鈥檒l quickly spot gaps in their experience and, better yet, brainstorm practical solutions as a team.
Once you see the big picture, it鈥檚 easier to focus on what really matters. A workshop helps you zero in on the experiences that make the biggest impact. No more guesswork 鈥 just clear priorities that put your customers first.
When marketing, sales, support, product, and other teams sit at the same table, something magical happens. Communication improves, and everyone aligns toward the same goal: delivering a seamless customer journey. Silos crumble, collaboration strengthens, and your CX strategy becomes everyone鈥檚 responsibility 鈥 not just one department鈥檚.
Sometimes, the biggest problems in your customer鈥檚 journey are the ones no one sees. A workshop brings fresh perspectives from across your team, making it easier to uncover those sneaky pain points. With everyone鈥檚 insights in one place, you鈥檒l walk away with actionable steps to smooth out friction and elevate the experience.
Dedicating time to a CX workshop sends a powerful message: customers matter. It鈥檚 more than a meeting; it鈥檚 a mindset shift. These sessions inspire your team to think like your customers, driving long-term changes that make your brand truly customer-centric.
With these advantages in mind, let鈥檚 now see how you can create a customer experience for your team.
Here is everything you need to get your customer experience workshop up and running.
鈥淗e who fails to plan has planned to fail.鈥 That old saying rings true when creating a customer experience workshop.
To prepare effectively, start by defining clear, SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely). Examples might include:
Next, focus on logistics:
Such organized preparation sets the stage for a productive session.
馃挕鲍蝉别 in your workshop to spot trends, measure team performance, and identify ways to improve service. Align your team with these insights and create actionable strategies to elevate customer experience.
Every workshop needs a strong moderator to guide the discussion and ensure objectives are met. Moderators should:
Be sure to assign experienced team members to this role. Additionally, you'll need the right set of participants. You can include anyone who is a part of any touchpoint across the customer journey, such as:
I also recommend including customers or users in the workshops to get firsthand insights on interacting with your brand.
Depending on your workshop format, you鈥檒l need specific supplies to keep things running smoothly.
For in-person workshops, organize:
For virtual workshops, ensure:
Everyone involved should have common goals and outcomes and realize what鈥檚 asked of them. Participants can engage deeply when clear about the requirements and expectations.
Before the workshop, share a repository of resources with participants. It should ideally include:
Icebreakers make it easier for everyone to participate freely. For example, you can have each team member share a short story about their best or worst customer experience.
I also encourage role-playing scenarios where participants step into a customer鈥檚 shoes to promote creative thinking.
Here's a quick rundown of how you can run a successful customer experience workshop:
Decide what you want to achieve 鈥 and make it specific. For example:
Before the workshop, share these objectives and metrics with participants. This preps their mindset and avoids meandering discussions. For instance, if 鈥渋mproving post-purchase communication鈥 is the focus, have team members review email sequences, chat logs, or survey feedback related to that phase.
Don鈥檛 just invite the usual suspects. Your CX is touched by multiple departments, so include:
Aim for 10-12 participants max, and assign roles to avoid redundancy. For example, designate a facilitator (you or a neutral leader), a note-taker, and a timekeeper. This keeps the session efficient.
To set the tone, begin with an activity that places participants in the customer鈥檚 shoes. For instance, you can:
These exercises shift the focus from 鈥渦s鈥 (the business) to 鈥渢hem鈥 (the customer).
Use tools like Miro, Lucidchart, or good old sticky notes to map out the customer鈥檚 full journey. Divide it into stages, such as:
I tend to add detailed examples to each stage, such as:
Label specific pain points (e.g., high bounce rates) and emotional moments (e.g., 鈥渄elight鈥 at a surprise thank-you email). Also, encourage each department to share where they excel and where they could improve.
Use a prioritization framework like an Impact vs. Effort matrix:
For example, if customers frequently complain about delayed shipping notifications, a quick win could be implementing automated tracking updates.
Set aside 30-45 minutes for brainstorming solutions. Keep it structured with prompts like:
A good tip here is to use frameworks like SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse) and Six Thinking Hats (exploring ideas from different perspectives).
Encourage creative ideas, but always connect them to customer feedback or journey insights. For instance, if post-purchase engagement is low, consider ideas like sending a video tutorial series after a purchase.
No workshop is complete without action. Before wrapping up:
Make sure these steps are documented in a tool everyone can access, like Notion, Trello, or Asana.
Here are customer experience workshop ideas you can use for your next customer experience journey mapping workshop. These activities are divided into three main parts:
Empathy mapping is all about stepping into your customer鈥檚 shoes. It helps you see what they think, feel, say, and do 鈥 making it easier to align with their needs. Here鈥檚 how I make this work:
Journey mapping gives you the big picture of your customer鈥檚 end-to-end experience with your brand. Consequently, you can pinpoint rough spots and hidden opportunities to enhance your customer-facing strategy.
Here鈥檚 how to go about this:
Role-playing puts your team in the customer鈥檚 shoes 鈥 literally. It鈥檚 a hands-on way to build empathy and improve responses. To start, you should:
Brainstorming is where creativity meets action. It鈥檚 your chance to tackle the most pressing customer challenges with fresh ideas. Here鈥檚 how I approach this process:
Feedback reflection is essential for translating customer insights into actionable improvements. This activity ensures your team learns from customer feedback and accordingly applies those lessons.
Follow these steps:
And there it is 鈥 the structure and activities you can tweak to fit your customer experience workshop. With this solid foundation, I鈥檓 confident you can create a memorable workshop that makes a difference.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in February 2022 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.