DCX # 124 | Smile, It’s Contagious! How to Spread Positivity Throughout Your Customer Journey
A smile is a chain reaction. In CX, the right mood can turn interactions into lasting connections. Ready to make good vibes contagious across every touchpoint?
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—Welcome to the DCX Newsletter—
Emotions Are Contagious
Spread the Good Stuff: How to Flip the Mood
Let’s Look at a Brand That’s Doing This Right
Emotions Shape the Experience
3 Ways to Spread Positivity Today
How to Run a Real-Deal Empathy Workshop
Ever notice how a smile can turn your whole day around?
Turns out, that little burst of positivity is like a superpower—and it’s one you can use to make your customer experience shine.
Being a CX leader is more than solving problems; you’re shaping how people feel every time they interact with your brand.
So, how do you make sure your customers are catching the good vibes?
Let’s dig into why positivity matters, how to spread it, and what you can do right now to start changing the mood.
Emotions Are Contagious
We’ve all seen it.
Someone smiles at you, and boom—you’re smiling back, even if you’ve had a rough day.
Or you walk into a room that’s buzzing with tension, and suddenly, you’re feeling on edge too.
That’s because emotions are contagious.
They spread, and they stick.
The same thing happens to your customers.
They pick up on the vibes you’re putting out, whether it’s through a chatbot, your website, or even an automated email.
If it feels cold or impersonal, it turns them off.
But if it’s warm, welcoming, and positive, they relax.
They lean in.
They’re more likely to stay, buy, and come back.
Don’t Let the Bad Vibes Take Over
But let’s be real—negativity can spread faster than you’d like.
Customers hit a snag, deal with confusing steps, or wait on hold too long, and suddenly, their whole experience feels off.
Even if you’ve got the best product out there, those negative moments can overshadow everything else.
And it’s not just your customers.
That frustration can seep into your team, too.
Before you know it, everyone’s on edge, and no one’s feeling good.
It’s a vicious cycle, but here’s the good news—you can break it.
Spread the Good Stuff: How to Flip the Mood
Here’s how you can change the story and make positivity the norm across your customer journey:
1. Create a Warm Welcome Everywhere
Think about how you feel when a friend opens their door with a big smile and a warm “Hey, come on in!”
That’s the vibe you want across your customer journey.
Whether it’s the tone of your welcome emails, the design of your website, or the little touches in your app, make sure everything says, “We’re glad you’re here.”
Take a walk through your experience like a new customer.
Where does it feel cold or confusing?
Fix those parts.
Focus on how language, visuals, and interactions make customers feel.
You want it to be easy, friendly, and warm.
Action Step: Find one part of your customer journey today—maybe a sign-up form or a confirmation email—and give it a little warmth. Add a friendly line, a personal touch, something that makes the customer smile.
2. Keep the Positivity Consistent Across Every Channel
Nothing ruins the mood faster than inconsistency.
If your social media is fun and engaging, but your emails sound like a legal document, customers notice.
Make sure your tone is consistent, from social posts to service emails.
Action Step: Pick one phrase or tone that represents your brand (like “helpful and friendly” or “warm and welcoming”) and make sure it’s reflected everywhere.
3. Teach Your Team to Lead With Empathy
Here’s the thing—empathy isn’t just for customer service.
Every team, whether designing products, writing content, or managing billing, needs to understand how their work affects customers' feelings.
It’s about showing empathy, acknowledging frustrations, and bringing humanity to every interaction.
Want to make this stick?
Try empathy workshops. (See below for how to run one)
Role-playing, empathy mapping, or even customer shadowing helps your team see things from the customer’s perspective.
These exercises don’t just teach; they build a culture of care.
Action Step: Schedule a 30-minute empathy exercise for your team next week. It could be as simple as listening to a few customer calls together and discussing how to improve the experience.
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4. Spot Emotional Friction Points and Fix Them
Use your data.
Where are customers hesitating?
Where do complaints spike?
Those are emotional friction points.
Fix the technical stuff; reduce stress and add a little lightness.
Sometimes, a clearer error message or a friendly tooltip can completely change the mood.
Action Step: Look at your data and find the top point of friction. Address it this week. Maybe tweak the messaging or add a helpful guide—anything that makes customers feel heard and valued.
5. Lead the Way—Your Energy Sets the Standard
Leading a CX team is no walk in the park, but your energy makes a difference.
If you show up with empathy, warmth, and enthusiasm, your team will mirror that.
Celebrate the small wins, acknowledge challenges, and remind your team that what they’re doing matters.
When your team feels good, that energy ripples out to your customers.
Action Step: Start your next team meeting by sharing a positive customer story. Highlight the impact your team had, and watch the room light up.
Let’s Look at a Brand That’s Doing This Right
You might not think of an online pet supply retailer as a master of customer experience, but Chewy has nailed it.
They’ve built a reputation for being one of the most empathetic, customer-focused companies out there, and it’s all because they understand that emotions spread.
When customers reach out, Chewy’s team responds with genuine care.
They send handwritten notes, surprise treats, and even flowers to customers who’ve lost a beloved pet.
These aren’t big, flashy gestures—they’re simple, thoughtful acts of kindness that show empathy.
And it’s not just about the personal touches.
The tone across their website, emails, and even packaging is warm and friendly, making you feel like you’re part of a community that loves pets.
They’ve created a brand experience where positivity flows naturally, leading to loyalty bigger brands would love to have.
Key Takeaway: Chewy’s approach shows that emotional connection isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about consistent, genuine care. When customers feel valued and understood, loyalty becomes a natural outcome.
Emotions Shape the Experience
Customers don’t just remember what you did; they remember how you made them feel. - paying homage to Maya Angelou
Creating these emotional connections improves individual interactionsand drives long-term business results.
Customers who feel good about their experience are more likely to have higher lifetime value, become advocates for your brand, and come back even after things go wrong.
So, think back to your last tough customer interaction.
What energy did you bring to it?
Could it have made a difference if you approached it differently?
Your tone, your energy, your empathy—they all matter.
If you’re intentional about setting a positive tone, you’ll see it ripple out in ways that make all the difference.
3 Ways to Spread Positivity Today
Add a warm welcome message to your website homepage.
Have your team start customer calls with, “How can I make your day easier?”
Use friendly, upbeat language in your automated emails—ditch the jargon and bring in the smiles.
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How to Run a Real-Deal Empathy Workshop
Alright, let’s talk empathy.
It’s the difference between a so-so customer experience and one that makes people feel seen, heard, and valued.
So, how do you help your team get there?
You run a workshop that’s as real, relatable, and maybe a little messy as empathy itself.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Start With a Clear, Simple Goal
Before you get everyone in a room (or on a Zoom), get clear on what you want to happen. Are you trying to help your team understand why customers get so frustrated? Or maybe you want them to see how their work affects the whole experience? Whatever it is, keep it simple.
Pro Tip: Kick things off with a couple of real customer quotes. Nothing gets folks’ attention like an “I just wanted someone to understand me!” moment. It sets the stage for why empathy matters.
2. Bring In Real Customer Stories (And Add a Little Flair)
Stories stick. So grab a few real customer stories—the good, the bad, and the ones that make you want to hide under your desk. Share them with the team, but don’t just read them off. Give them a little flair. Channel your inner storyteller. Make people feel it.
Activity Idea: Read a story and ask, “How would you handle this?” Let the team throw out ideas, then discuss how those actions would make the customer feel.
3. Try Empathy Mapping (Think of It as the Customer Brain Game)
Empathy mapping sounds fancy, but it’s just a way to help your team get inside a customer’s head. Split them into groups and give them a customer scenario. Then, have them answer these questions:
What’s the customer saying?
What are they thinking?
What are they feeling?
What are they doing?
How To Do It:
Break into small groups.
Give each group a different customer scenario (like trying to cancel a service or figure out why their package hasn’t arrived).
Have them fill out the map, then share it with everyone.
Outcome: This is where you see those lightbulb moments. When folks really understand what the customer is going through, everything clicks.
4. Get Into Some Role-Playing (Yep, You Heard Me)
Look, I know role-playing can feel awkward, but it’s magic. Pair up your team and let one person play the customer while the other plays the CX rep. Pick scenarios with some emotional heat—missed deliveries, surprise charges; you name it.
How To Do It:
Choose a few situations where empathy is key.
Let the pairs play it out. Encourage them to get dramatic—make it fun.
After each round, chat about what worked and what didn’t.
Pro Tip: Push for phrases like “I can see why that would be upsetting” or “That sounds really frustrating.” It’s amazing how just acknowledging someone’s feelings can defuse a situation.
5. Bring In Real Customer Voices—Live or Recorded
Want to get real, fast? Bring in a few actual customers (even virtually) to share their stories. If that’s not an option, play a recorded call or read out a real email. Hearing directly from customers makes it all hit home.
Activity Idea: After the customer shares, ask your team, “What stood out to you? How could we have made it better?” It’s simple, but it opens up a whole new level of understanding.
6. Wrap It Up With Some Honest Reflection
After all the activities, take a minute to reflect. Ask your team what surprised them, what they learned, and how they can bring empathy into their daily grind.
Discussion Starters:
“What was the hardest part about putting yourself in the customer’s shoes?”
“What’s one thing you can do tomorrow to make customers feel more understood?”
“Did anything surprise you about how customers actually feel?”
7. Follow Up With Some Easy, Actionable Steps
Don’t let the workshop be a one-and-done deal. Follow up with a quick list of actions your team can take:
Add empathy exercises to onboarding for new hires.
Schedule “customer shadow” days where team members listen in on calls.
Slip empathy prompts into scripts and emails (think: “I get why this is frustrating. Here’s what I’m going to do to fix it.”)
Final Tip: Make empathy part of your everyday. Celebrate those empathetic wins, bring up customer stories in team huddles, and keep it front and center.
Running an empathy workshop doesn’t have to be stiff or serious.
Make it fun, keep it real, and watch your team start connecting with customers on a whole new level.
So, what do you say?
Ready to give this a shot with your team?
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