At Vattenfall, customer experience (CX) and customer-centricity are key pillars of their business strategy. Recently, we observed the impact of the CX Game®, an innovative workshop designed to reinforce these elements in a playful way. We spoke with two members of Vattenfall’s CX Team: Marijke Bootsma and Ruud Kunkels. Together with Linda Zwijssen and Joyce Janssen Bouwmeester, they were trained in July 2023 to facilitate the CX Game® within Vattenfall’s consumer division.
The Reason for Introducing the CX Game®
How do you keep CX alive in your organization? You can start a program, have a customer compass, or run workshops, but as an organization, you need something that consistently reflects the customer’s perspective. This is where the CX Game® comes in.
A few years ago, Vattenfall introduced its CX strategy with the goal of raising awareness among all colleagues about customer experience and fostering a customer-centric culture. The ultimate aim? To create a unique Vattenfall experience for the customer. While e-learnings and workshops were effective, the CX Team noticed that colleagues often reverted to old habits. Therefore, they introduced the CX Game®—a fun way to reactivate conversations about customer-centricity and encourage teams to think and act with the customer in mind.
Implementing the CX Game®
Vattenfall strategically deployed the CX Game®: customer-centric work is a core part of their strategy. The game was introduced internally through banners, intranet posts, and personal outreach.
The CX team first identified the teams where they believed the Game would add value. Tasks were then divided to approach these teams. Thanks to the enthusiasm of team members, smart task distribution, and linking the CX Game® workshop to quarterly goals and annual plans, it was relatively easy to engage teams and schedule workshops.
The CX Game® has been played with a wide variety of teams—from marketing to process teams to data analysts. It’s especially valuable for teams that are further from the customer.
For teams working at the end of the chain, there was initially more scepticism, like: “Well, I don’t have any direct customer contact, so why should I do this?” But that scepticism usually disappeared within half an hour of playing.
The CX Game® with a Separate Activator Workshop
A workshop with the CX Game® generally consists of two parts: the game itself (2 hours) and an in-depth team assignment (1 hour). Vattenfall chose to separate these parts. Purely pragmatic: 3 hours was too long, and it also suited their organizational structure better. Vattenfall operates in a matrix organization with different disciplines and program teams.
- The CX Game® was played with disciplines to collectively discuss the importance of customer experience and their own impact on customers.
- For the program teams, the in-depth assignment was transformed into a separate 90-minute workshop, where they explored how to apply these insights in practice.
Such an in-depth assignment is a great tool for revisiting the game a quarter later. Some things may have faded by then, and it’s important to keep the conversation going.
This split worked well. Feedback after the CX Game® revealed a need: how can we apply this knowledge in practice? This naturally led to the creation of a follow-up workshop. After the Activator Workshop, motivation and engagement were high, with participants eager to get started. One participant noted, “It’s refreshing to design from a customer perspective rather than a business one.”
Feedback from Participants
Participants were very enthusiastic about the CX Game®. The average score from those who completed the evaluation was a 9 out of 10, both for the CX Game® workshop and the follow-up workshop.
The CX Game® brought teams together and created a platform for open discussions about customer experience. The game and the subsequent workshop provided an energy boost, making it easier to translate insights into practical actions.
It helps to step out of your daily work in a playful way and refocus on the customer, which is what it’s all about. This approach worked exceptionally well—every team was enthusiastic.
Experience as a CX Game® Facilitator
I really see it as a gift that we can use this tool. It’s a beautiful tool, and it’s all about positivity—everything revolves around making your customers happy.
According to Marijke and Ruud, the CX Game® is excellent for bringing the customer back into focus in a playful and fresh way. The conversations sparked by the tasks lead to new insights, and teams are enthusiastic.
Ruud emphasizes that the CX Game® helps keep customer centricity alive within the organization. It’s not enough to start a one-time program; you need something that continually reflects the customer perspective. The CX Game® fulfils that role perfectly.
All four facilitators love guiding the workshop. When there’s a request to play the Game, it almost feels like a lottery to decide who gets to do it. They always lead these customer experience workshops with two people.
An additional benefit: the workshops with the CX Game® empower the CX team and keep them visible within the organization.
The CX Game® is also ideal for positioning us effectively in a specific role. It helps us take on that role and position ourselves as advisors.
Collaboration with BlommaBerg
Vattenfall experiences the collaboration with BlommaBerg, the creators of the CX Game®, as very positive. Marijke and Ruud appreciate the professional guidance and the flexibility to tailor the workshop to their specific needs. It was clear that BlommaBerg understood how to maximize the impact of the game.
It was great how you brainstormed with us to customize the in-depth assignments since we were so headstrong about splitting them up. You feel like a ‘partner in crime’ because you help us tailor and further develop the experience.
Recommendation and Unique Selling Points of the CX Game®
Marijke and Ruud highly recommend the CX Game® to other organizations. The Game is suitable for organizations that are already more mature in their customer-centric journey and want to continue nurturing a customer-focused culture. For organizations just starting, it’s primarily about raising awareness and gathering ideas and knowledge to eventually build a customer strategy. Marijke adds that the Game should be part of a larger picture. It’s important that everyone agrees to work towards a customer-centric culture.
According to Marijke and Ruud, the key Unique Selling Points (USPs) of the CX Game® are:
- The dialogue about the customer
- The reflection it provides
- The enthusiasm it generates among employees
- The shift in perspective—from business to customer-centric
In Conclusion
Vattenfall’s experiences with the CX Game® demonstrate that it’s a powerful tool for promoting customer-centricity in a fun and effective way. The enthusiasm of participants and the positive impact on team dynamics make the CX Game® a valuable addition for any organization serious about customer experience.
Want to know more? Get in touch with Babs.
Babs Asselbergs is a Creative Changemaker and CX Activator. She brings customer experience to life in a creative, interactive way, motivating teams to improve both the customer experience and their own enjoyment at work. Babs designs and facilitates workshops on customer experience and customer-centricity. Together with Nienke Bloem, she is the founder of the CX and EX Game®, creative formats that Babs uses to engage teams in customer and employee experience.