SURPRISE AND DELIGHT: THE DOG&BOY CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Creating a memorable customer experience

How dog&boy aims to surprise and delight

As a passionate fashion lover (and a savvy online shopper), I’ve always been loyal to brands who deliver a great customer experience. That’s why, when I started dog&boy in 2016, I wanted to do more than simply sell gorgeous scarves. I wanted to create a unique experience that made customers feel special through every stage of the purchasing process. If you’ve ever bought a dog&boy scarf, I hope you feel the love and care from the moment you hit ‘shop’. Here’s how we
create that experience – and why I think it’s so important.

The small details make all the difference

Without the benefit of a physical store, I’ve needed to get a little creative to deliver a premium shopping experience. dog&boy scarves are such a tangible product. Everyone who sees, touches and wears them in real life falls madly in love. However, it can be tricky to convey that emotion through the online process. That’s where the details come in.

Over the years, I’ve worked hard to refine the dog&boy website – and particularly the shopping process – to ensure purchasing from dog&boy is always a pleasant experience. That includes sharing musings through these blogs, providing insights into the design process, offering free shipping, and making the shopping cart user-friendly.

Most importantly, I’ve made it my mission to ensure dog&boy delivers that ‘Aha moment’ when customers receive their order. From the beautiful matte black box to the thoughtful ‘How to wear’ brochure and black grosgrain ribbon, every detail has been carefully designed to surprise, delight and inspire.

More than just an order number

No one wants to feel like ‘just an order number’ when buying from their favourite brands. I know this from personal experience. I recently ordered some monogrammed items from two high-profile online stores. These brands call themselves ‘premium’, but the experience was far from that.

The checkout process was straightforward, and I had high expectations of the products – particularly given the high price tags. However, when I received my items, they came in a plain, unbranded box. No gorgeous, reusable packaging or even a logo in sight. Worse still, there was an error in the monograms. Yep, they spelled my name wrong.

Now, I know mistakes happen and it wasn’t the error that turned me off. It was the way the brands responded to the error. They corrected the spelling and resent the products, but they didn’t offer a simple apology. There was no accountability or care. As a customer, I felt like I didn’t matter. My aim for dog&boy is to make sure every customer knows they matter – because they truly do. Without my beautiful customers, dog&boy doesn’t exist. That’s something I remember every day.

Sometimes imperfect but always personal

Every online business has glitches and dog&boy is no exception. While we try to create a perfect experience, some factors are simply beyond our control. This is particularly true when it comes to shipping. We’re lucky to work with wonderful suppliers who provides a great service 99% of the time. However, there’s always the 1% of cases where something goes wrong.

Last month, for example, I had a lovely customer named Hazel who ordered the dog&boy 'Because' scarf. The scarf was posted promptly, but due to a logistics error, Hazel’s delivery was delayed. Hazel reached out to let me know and was understandably disappointed. I was disappointed too – dog&boy customers deserve only the best. While I couldn’t speed up the order, I did everything I could to make the experience more positive. I investigated the issue, I apologised to
Hazel, and I kept her informed. I also sent a handwritten note with a voucher for her next purchase.

At dog&boy, we don’t claim to be perfect – but we always aim to be personal. When things don’t go according to plan, we pull out all the stops to make them right. People recognise our genuine effort and I think that’s what makes all the difference. I’m incredibly proud of our personal touches – and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

How can we make dog&boy even better?

My goal with dog&boy is to do more than just meet expectations. I want to exceed them on every level. I wrote previously about my ikigai (a Japanese term that means ‘reason for being’) and surprising and delighting is it. If you love the dog&boy experience, or you believe we can make it even better, I’d love to hear your thoughts. I welcome all feedback – good, bad or indifferent!

Sonya xx

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