I still remember my first ever lululemon experience – maybe eight years ago now. While I recall being completely confused by the sizing, I also clearly remember the customer experience being personal, refreshing and on pointe.
Nothing has changed – in fact I think the service has only improved.
Last September I was given a $100 lululemon voucher for my birthday. I remember thinking, awesome, I need a new pair of tights. I eventually got around to jumping online to place my order, being very careful to order the exact tights I love (All the Right Places HR Crop23”) and added a new workout top for good measure. When it came time to enter my gift card details, I somehow managed to scratch off the verification number on the back of the gift card 😬
A few days later I went to my local lululemon store with my gift card (less a verification number) and the details of what I wanted to order. I made a failed attempt to locate my tights and workout top in the store (there are so many permutations and temptations), so I decided to head to the registers to see if I could still use my gift card.
The staff member I approach is lovely, looks at my gift card and admits she hasn’t had this problem before. We laugh about me being special. She then takes control and says, “What was it that you wanted to buy?” I show her my handwritten notes and she takes me around the store finding the two items I tried to order online – while also making a recommendation for a top that was way better for me than the one I was going to order.
For a few short minutes I feel like I have my very own special lululemon personal shopper and we locate everything in far less time than what it would have taken me.
She brings me back to the register and says, “Let’s try and put the gift card through and if it doesn’t work, I’ll get someone to help us”. She scans the card and makes a joke about it being like waiting to see if you’ve won the lottery. When it goes through without an issue, she seems genuinely relieved and happy for me.
As a person who is obsessed with customer service, I walk out of that lululemon store a bigger fan girl than I already was. The staff member who served me that day was approachable, she owned my issue, made it fun, went above and beyond and she solved my problem – all without escalating it to a manager and within less than five minutes.
Bravo lululemon! I love being a customer of yours and I will sing your praises from the rooftops to anyone who will listen! And I know there are a whole lot of people behind the scenes, making conscious decisions and putting all the hard work in to deliver not only an amazing product but an incredible customer experience every time as well. You are nailing it!
Nic McClanachan, February 2023