case studies

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Background

Online services require customer interactions to be even more attentive and emotionally responsive; to increase customer satisfaction, and most importantly, retain customers in a humane fashion. Spotahome, founded in 2014, is an online booking platform for medium-to-long-term home rentals. The Spanish startup has amassed an impressive 60,000 rentals across more than 20 countries. Having entered the competitive industry in home rentals, Spotahome now employs over 140 people; and their current aim is to shift their strategy towards a human-oriented service, from transaction to engagement with clients. Therefore, the customer care and sales teams, as well as their managers are required to hone and cultivate the human skills, understanding, and confidence to lead this shift. 

The Challenge

Strengthen the human approach in customer care and booking experiences, and increase the retention rate of leads.

The Outcome

Shift to human-oriented service, developing and enhancing empathy. Revamped Sales Approach adhered to employee working style, improving client satisfaction and closing more deals.

The Artian’s Solution

To face the challenges and fulfill the aims of Spotahome, we designed, delivered, and assisted with a training program for employees and managers to shift their approach towards customer-centricity. 

The Artian team designed a customized multi-phased program that ran over a few weeks; the program would not only protagonize our training and workshops but the Spotahome employees and their contributions as well. In preparation for the program, The Artian team reviewed and studied Spotahome’s relevant workings and processes, to absorb insights and tailor the solution accordingly. Insights gained from the analysis allowed us to prepare a program, with tools, capabilities, and mindset suitable for their unique needs and in a familiar language.

Phase 1: Empathy Development Workshop 

We trace the inspiration of our workshop to develop empathy to the origin of the word itself – Einfühlung. The term originates from the art world, for this reason, we follow an art-based methodology to foment an emotional response, allowing individuals to become more responsive, observant, and understanding of the human experience. As participants mentioned, “[it was] not the usual training of theory” and “the use of art was very innovative.”

The workshop allowed members of Spotahome to practice their perception skills, helping them understand the customer, and communicating more effectively to ultimately develop a more empathic and customer-centric approach. The workshop helps to surface user’s needs and get a clear and cultural approach based on empathy and active listening when responding to customers” testified another participant.

 

Phase 2: Learning by Doing

Self-reinforcement of learning is essential in changing behavior. Modern research such as, “Making Experience count: The role of reflection in Individual Learning,” has proven reflection to result in higher levels of performance. Findings claim that “it can powerfully enhance the learning process.” 

The self-paced structure of the program also allowed members of Spotahome to implement their learnings in their day-to-day activities. As testified by another participant, “definitely the new precious learning I gain is that the last 15 minutes of work, it’s more valuable to invert them in looking back to the work done during the day and ask myself what did I do good and what should I improve in order to get better results.”

Seeing the content applied to real-life situations reinsured the members of Spotahome of the long-lasting impact customer centricity can achieve – making emphasis on observation, empathy, and other aspects studied in the material. To ensure the abiding of a customer-centric approach, we designed a personalized toolkit for members and leaders of the company to consult whenever in doubt. 

 

Phase 3: Coaching 

After two weeks of self-reflection in the Spotahome team, the complementary step was coaching and communicating with the management team. This coaching module was led by the company’s management but guided by The Artian in a 1:1 coaching preparing them to conduct the coaching sessions in a way that can reveal new knowledge, discover insights, and allow employees to express themselves. “It was very empowering since I started my new challenge as a team leader and I will use these lessons also to communicate with the team and understand better their needs” mentioned one of the leaders.

 

Phase 4: Reflection 

To consolidate the learning of the team, and refine the newfound operational strategies and customer-centric practices, the Artian team went back to the office a few weeks after to lead a reflection session. 

Spotahome members shared their learnings and discussed the application of these. More importantly, the actions for the team to take forward well as the action that can be taken to reinforce and improve in the long term were raised.

Results

Clients are often surprised by the incorporation of art in The Artian’s training; however, when we asked the members of Spotahome whether the content of the program had been applicable to their work, 100% of participants found it highly applicable, and, 90% claim to have learned something new.

As a result of the program, Spotahome’s team testified to an increase in attention to customer interactions. “The lessons help to surface user’s needs and get a clear and cultural approach based on empathy and active listening when responding to customers,” said one participant, while another commented: “It opened a space to really reflect on the type of service we can give and also how to improve our day to day”.

Some of the team members who implemented the approach were able to improve their working style, close more deals and improve the overall customer satisfaction.  

Moreover, the introspective and self-paced nature of the program led participants to evaluate their performance, scan for new solutions and set up long-lasting performance indicators.

“A new learning and a great reminder that empathy is the key for great communication.”

 

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