Room & Board's website says it best:

Since opening our doors in 1980, our focus has been on you, our customer. From offering the best in modern design and American craftsmanship to making every step of the shopping experience enjoyable, we put you first.

Sustainable design, natural materials, and high-quality American made products keep customers satisfied and happy, but it's Room & Board's approach to an exceptional customer experience that keeps its loyal customers coming back for more.

To support its ongoing mission of delivering extraordinary customer experiences, Room & Board selected Salesforce to provide timely, relevant customer communications. What lessons can you take away from Room & Board's well-crafted customer journey?

1. The Powerful Combination of Online and Offline Data

Looking at customer interactions with email and activity on its website, Room & Board can reach out with the highest level of customer service and personalized solutions to help each customer find the perfect piece for their space.

"When we first engaged with Salesforce Marketing Cloud, we uploaded all our offline data as well as our online data," explains Kimberly Ruthenbeck, Director of Web Customer Experience for Room & Board. "That turned out to be a very 'happy accident' for us. What we discovered is that having that rich breadth and depth of information made our Predictive Intelligence algorithms even more accurate and effective."

Incorporating online reviews, in-store sales, and more has proven to deliver the most accurate advice, recommendations, and personalized service for Room & Board customers.

2. The Importance of a Well-Crafted Journey

When an email subscriber first opts in, she receives a month-long series of welcome emails, introducing key products and services that might be relevant to a new customer. After the initial welcome period ends, the subscriber then receives weekly global emails.

As opted in customers interact with the Room & Board website, they receive an automated email with helpful content based on their browsing activity. For example, if a customer looks at five or more pages or searches related to sectionals, she will receive an email about Room & Board's sectional assortment, including highly personalized recommendations.

Once a prospective customer engages with Room & Board's website by creating a custom piece and adding it to her wish list, she receives reminder emails complete with links and photos to her customized product. These emails are sent daily - usually three to five days after the initial interaction.

When a customer completes a purchase either in-store or online, Room & Board provides constant communication throughout the entire sales process - from order confirmation to delivery updates to a customer survey to product reviews - to ensure the journey was smooth, seamless, and satisfactory.

3. Relevance is Key in Completing the Dream

Room & Board customers frequently express that their room never feels as complete as a room in the store. To remedy this common concern, Room & Board developed a reminder email to help them "complete the room." As Ruthenbeck explains, "If a customer purchases a sofa, we'll send an email suggesting a lamp, then decorative pillows, then, wall art and frames. Our goal is to help a satisfied customer complete the look she's intending to create."

An additional goal of the "complete the room" email is to drive repeat purchases within the first two months of a furniture purchase.

Room & Board also sends email announcements based on geographic segmentation. Customers within a zip code-based region receive notifications of local store openings and special events.

"Our goal is never to send too many communications or to overstep our bounds," Ruthenbeck explains. "Instead, we aim to keep our customers informed and in-the-know about the products they've grown to love."

Key Learnings from an Iconic Brand

After a few years with Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Room & Board has seen a significant shift in sales - and in customer satisfaction.

"Making the right offer to an engaged customer at the optimal time is every retailer's sweet spot," says Ruthenbeck, "That's when we see the most conversions, and that's what Salesforce Marketing Cloud helps us achieve."

Room & Board describes its approach to customer communications as a crawl, walk, run scenario. "We don't always move quickly," Ruthenbeck explains, "but we move deliberately and with great forethought. We like to focus on the 'art of the possibility,' and in helping map a customer journey that feels highly personalized and exciting. Our end goal is to present the customer with content that is relevant, not invasive."

The result?

Satisfied, loyal, and highly-engaged customers - with beautifully decorated homes.