Overhauling the Customer Experience to Embody a New Positioning

In September 2022, a Perene franchise in Annecy had to relaunch after the previous franchisee's bankruptcy, which had seriously damaged the brand's local reputation. At the same time, the brand was repositioning toward premium offerings and comprehensive interior design.

Mission: restore local trust and embody this new positioning through a customer experience worthy of an interior architecture firm. Challenges: rebuild brand trust locally, support the premium repositioning, differentiate through an exclusive experience, and attract full design projects beyond kitchens.

Interviews were conducted with clients and prospects to identify profiles, real needs, expectations, pain points, and decision criteria. This work enabled mapping the full customer journey and identifying key experience moments with their associated emotions.

Key insights: trust is built from the very first contact, which sets the tone for everything that follows. Clients want to understand the process — the more legible and anticipatable the journey, the more relaxed they are. Premium clients seek an experience that reflects the attention given to their project. Budget transparency is non-negotiable from the earliest stages.

01 · Discovery — Turn a first visit into a qualified appointment. The first contact immediately communicates the premium positioning. Solutions: strengthened welcome communication, expanded appointment availability.

02 · Engagement — The discovery appointment covers showroom tour, needs exploration, and constraints definition. Hand-drawn APS sketch books are the key differentiator. Solutions: standardized process, visual journey document, digital project access.

03 · Design — Turn enthusiasm into a concrete decision. Solutions: simplified validation process, transparent sharing of technical validations.

04 · Execution — Give clients visibility into a process they don't control. Solutions: shared timeline with key milestones, dedicated communication channel, reception checklist.

05 · Delivery — After-sales is the moment of truth: a well-handled issue builds more trust than a perfect delivery. Solutions: systematic after-sales follow-up, personalized care guide.

06 · Re-engagement — Turn satisfaction into referrals and new projects. Solutions: follow-up program at 3, 6, and 12 months.

UX methodology applies to any context where a user interacts with a service. A showroom is an interface. A discovery appointment is an onboarding. Returning to hand-drawn sketches in a sector pushing toward full digitalization was a bet — and it created the most perceived value in the premium segment.