Customer Experience meets Inclusion – are we making progress?

Some of you know, that I am having a handicap due to previously suffering from children’s cancer, which resulted in a replacement of my total femur and parts of my tibia with and prosthesis – ultimately resulting in something, where you can see me limping, but probably you would not notice this in any other way. This being said: there are many limitations I face on a daily practice – be it because I take preventive measurements (so no wild sports) or because I cannot do them physically.

However, I do not want to make this article about my limitations, but about advancements that I experienced personally: I think we are making progress when it comes to being more inclusive and you may wonder, why I think like this. Let me share four situations with you.

1. In the summertime I was hiking with my family through parts of the Austrian and Bavarian Alps – a wonderful experience. As I am not walking as fast and as stable as a fully healthy person, the speed of the cable car is sometimes a challenge when entering or leaving the cabin. ALL of the various cable car operators saw me walking, anticipated the need for slowing down the speed of the cabins at the entry and exit points and acted accordingly – so not only influencing their immediate remit but informing their colleagues at the exit point actively about my need as well.
2. When I was recently visiting Rulantica, the Europa Parks Waterworld, one of the lifeguards on duty approached me and was asking, whether I would need any help to use one of their slides and pools as they have seen me limping. This guard has been worried, that I would have hurt myself and wanted to offer her support.
3. Shortly after I visited Europapark and wanted to enter a rollercoaster (Pegasus), but because I am very tall and I can not flex my knee as good as a healthy person, I could not enter the coaster in a safe way in the aspired wagon of the coaster – it was worth a try I thought. So my family entered the coaster and I intended to wait for them at the exit. But one of the operators saw my struggle and approached me: when the coaster came in, he offered me a different wagon, where I could easily sit and enjoy the ride. He was reflecting my need and offer a new solution, resulting in some extra fun for me.
4. Shortly after Christmas, I was going to a local pool: I often walk cautiously on slippery ground and I am not jumping into the pools right away, but slide in cautiously and in the eyes of a third party in a bit complicated way. A lifeguard witnessed this and then approaching me in the pool: she was offering her help in case I would need it. I shall not be hesitant to call her.

Four great experiences and a big shout out especially to Roland Mack and their entire team. All of these four experiences have one thing in common: my needs as a customer were anticipated by the various people operating a service/experience. They did not make a fuzz out of this situation; they just acted in a natural way, offering help as best as they can and so they shaped a great customer experience for me.

This is where inclusion in my opinion starts and where we have made a lot of progress in the last few years: Moving away from the famous “Servicewüste”. We have made progress and an inclusive mindset has become part of a universal customer experience, that does not only focus on the needs of the majority of their customers but on all of them. Mindset counts more than having a defined process. Is this now solved and can we move on? Inclusion never stops, Customer Experience never stops, but for me, it was moving in the right direction.

What are your thoughts?