Photo by Randy Kish

A version of this article first appeared on LinkedIn Pulse.

With a career that has me constantly thinking about the customer experience, it’s hard not to observe CX wherever I turn. Most recently, it happened with cosmetics retail chain Lush. I’d passed by the store several times but never stepped in. The combination of colors, shapes, sounds, and scents can be intimidating for a father of a 13 year-old girl.

But Dads will be Dads, so it wasn’t hard to say “yes” when she asked to go inside.

Inside Lush’s retail store. (Photo by Randy Kish)

The Lush store’s “Hand Made Cosmetics” banner is a bit misleading. Its assortment of health and body products is broad and deep. It was perfect match for a 7th-grade cheerleader recently prioritizing her physical well-being. What we didn’t expect was such knowledgeable and happy store associates.

The Lush team has completely bought into the company’s culture and purpose. This includes “Integrity Buying” (and Selling), “Freshest Cosmetics,” “Handmade,” and “Naked Packaging.” All had smiles their faces and were quite helpful. They suggested products and openly shared details about them. As novices, this was refreshing and helpful for both me and my daughter.

As Paco Underhill, author of best-selling book Why We Buy, states: “We live in a tactile-deprived society, and shopping is one of the few chances to freely experience the material world firsthand.”  Lush embraces this holistically. Everything was in the open and samples were available to smell, touch, and spread. A rainbow of jellies, moisturizers, creams, and cleansers all available to tease your senses.

Then things got real interesting, and entertaining…

A Bath Bomb? Is it dangerous?

The store associate guided my daughter to several multi-color spheres. She proceeded to fill a three-gallon bowl with water. What happened next was captivating (see the video embedded in the paragraph below). The ball splashed and fizzed, creating a swirling kaleidoscope rainbow that left you entranced.

We couldn’t leave without one, along with few other items.

Lush reminded me that you cannot train passion, but you can hire well. Educating associates about a company’s culture and empowering them with knowledge about its products will pay dividends when it comes to its most important asset — the customers.

That said, when you-know-who’s birthday came around — where did Dad go? Well done, Lush.

Randy Kish is a Retail Experience Strategist at ForeSee. ForeSee is an analytics and insights company that applies science to voice of customer.  Our patented approach allows retailers make CX decisions with algorithmic certainty. Follow Randy on Twitter @randykish or send a direct message to him at randy.kish@foresee.com to learn more.

About the Author

Randy Kish is a Customer Experience Specialist and Retail Innovation Advocate at ForeSee. He joined the company in 2011, bringing over 20 years of retail experience that started on the selling floor at Nordstrom. Randy crossed over to the software side of the retail industry in 1993 with a primary focus on store operations and retail analytics. A native San Diegan, Randy earned his BA in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles and MBA in Finance from San Diego State University.

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