Customer Experience is one of those buzzy terms that is typically associated with technology.  Wikipedia has this definition: “customer experience (CX) is the product of an interaction between an organization and a customer over the duration of their relationship.“

Recently I volunteered at an event in which I was reminded of the importance of Customer Experience, ‘the Flying Canoë Volant‘ festival.

The Flying WHAT?

What is a flying canoe and why does it need a festival?  Sponsored by the La Cité francophone, teams race down hill in a canoe, carry a portage bundle and then buck-saw a log while competing for the best time with bonus points for the best ax throws.  Pretty normal stuff, right?  Okay, maybe visit www.flyingcanoevolant.ca to get a visual on the event.

This was the first time I volunteered and I went home exhausted having thoroughly enjoyed myself.  The organizers put on a good show.  I was impressed with the volunteer package, the orientation material, the quality of the graphics and of course the venue in the river valley of Edmonton, Alberta.

Wrangling Canoe (ers)

One of my jobs was to ‘wrangle’ the teams so that they could be fitted with timing chips and be ready for when their turn to race came up.

On Friday night, this involved walking around calling out team names.  There were only 12 teams (it was the corporate challenge night) and most of the competitors were in costumes so they were not difficult to spot.  On Saturday night, it was the public event with double the teams.  As a result, walking around calling names was less than practical.

To improve the communication, we came up with signs with team names.  This greatly improved the communication so the competitors could be in place and ready to race.  The result, very few delays and a better experience for those taking part in the event.

5 Minutes to Canoe

Next year, if I volunteer, I will suggest that we take the signs to a new level. Perhaps a simple text application that competitors can download so they know they are 5, 10 or 15 minutes (approximately) away from racing.  Alternatively, continue to use the signs but with a central board in which they are moved so teams know how much time they have to race.  Even better, how about using both!

The point is the experience for the teams.  There were lots of other things to do on the site including mixing and mingling with team supporters.  A simple communication device would allow the individuals to enjoy what was a beautiful mid-winter night in the Edmonton River Valley.

CX – Not Just for Techies

The moral of the story, thinking about your customer experience is not just for technologies, it can be applied to a volunteer event celebrating cultural traditions that reach back centuries (la voyageur and metis) of millennium (the first nations).  For Flying Canoë Volant, it is about teams walking away talking about next year’s festival and the costumes they are already planning.  CX – not just for techies.