Everyone wants to wow the customer. I can't count the number of times a client has asked, "What can we do to really wow our customers?" When I was a young service designer, I was always tempted to come up with innovative answers. My mind would jump to retail case studies and best practices. I'd suggest things like click-and-collect services that were performing well in the UK, or a pop-up featuring virtual try ons. Those responses came from a desire to satisfy the clien

Let’s be honest—behaviour doesn’t change in classrooms; it changes on the job. That’s why clients are no longer paying for training events—they’re demanding real, measurable impact beyond the session. Today, the question clients ask me most often is “What happens after the training?” so I decided to focus this month’s article on a critical tool of post training reinforcement: Coaching on the job, which in my experience paves the future for truly transformative customer experi

As a trainer, classroom sessions are always great energisers, but coaching on the floor can be truly fulfilling. Last week, I spent time on the shop floor coaching a luxury retail team in real time. Once again, it reinforced something I deeply believe about luxury retail training: Classroom learning builds understanding, true transformation happens on the job. When we talk about elevating clienteling, strengthening soft skills, or improving luxury sales performance, we are

I landed back in Dubai the very day the war broke out. For the first week I was alone; my husband was still in India and unable to return. Like most residents of the UAE, my phone was flooded with messages from concerned friends and family abroad, while the distant sound of missile interceptions echoed across the sky. The idea of war is unsettling enough from afar — being physically present within it can easily trigger fear and anxiety. Yet something unexpected happened ove

Season time is here, and in luxury retail, it’s more than just high sales—it’s a heightened moment of connection. Globally, brands are buzzing with gifting, celebrations, VIP events, new launches, cocktail hours… the calendar is packed. But amid all this activity, one truth remains clear: the human touch is what truly differentiates a luxury experience . And that’s where VIP clienteling becomes not just a tactic, but a core strategy. Over the years, I’ve seen luxury brands

A Conversation That Stuck With Me Not long ago, I had coffee with a friend who is global luxury client. She described her latest luxury escapade with these words, “The boutique was beautiful, the service was polite, …but honestly, it all felt so transactional.” That stayed with me. Because this wasn’t about product knowledge or the efficiency of the sales process—the store had ticked every box . What was missing was something harder to measure : an emotional connection . And