🎙️ In Episode 2, Mikhail speaks with James McGhee, Director of Operations at FOOTASYLUM, about how they combine empathy, data, and operational excellence to deliver personalized experiences at scale.
“The experience you’re trying to provide isn’t always the one the customer receives. You have to meet them where they are — even if that means saving a butchered pig from a freezer failure.”
— James McGhee, Footasylum
🔑 Key Takeaways from the Episode
1. Meet Customers Where They Are
James shares a defining moment early in his career at AO that shaped his customer-first philosophy: a customer bought a freezer to store a butchered pig on a narrowboat — but it failed in the cold environment. This taught him that success isn’t about delivering the product — it’s about understanding the customer’s real use case and educating them to avoid failure.
James recounts the story of a customer who lost a year’s supply of pork because the freezer wasn’t rated for cold conditions — and how that led to operational changes and a mindset shift about what “customer experience” really means.
2. Personalization Wins, Even Post-Purchase
Footasylum excels at tailoring the customer journey — not just at the point of sale, but throughout delivery and beyond. For example, they train agents to uncover why each purchase matters (is it for a long-awaited date or just another pair of trainers?) and respond accordingly. That level of empathy drives loyalty and sets them apart in a competitive market.
James explains how understanding the why behind each purchase enables the team to personalize resolutions and exceed expectations.
3. Data and Feedback Are Power — Especially With Vendors
When Footasylum noticed delivery delays despite carriers reporting “green” metrics, they turned to customer feedback to uncover hidden failures. Armed with evidence, they pushed carriers to fix operational gaps and improve service.
James details how they used Chattermill feedback to identify and escalate a carrier bottleneck that was hurting Trustpilot scores and customer satisfaction.
đź’ˇ Why It Matters
From training frontline staff to listen for customer intent, to using operational data to hold partners accountable, Footasylum shows that customer experience happens at every level — and every handoff.
“If you say it’ll arrive tomorrow, the customer doesn’t care how — just make sure it does.”
🎧 Listen to How to Love Customer
If you're a CX, Product, or Customer Insights leader, this podcast is for you.
We bring you:
- Real stories (like the frozen pig!)
- Practical insights you can apply today
- Perspectives from some of the world’s most customer-obsessed brands
🎙️ Episode 2 is live now. Don’t miss it.
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Episode notes:
00:00 — Why CX Is More Than Fixing Problems
James opens with a powerful truth: every customer’s situation is unique — and you often don’t know what’s at stake until it’s too late.
01:00 — Who Is Footasylum & What James Oversees
60+ stores, a major online presence, and an operations remit covering contact centres, delivery, post-purchase comms, and feedback loops.
03:00 — The Pig Story: A CX Lesson That Changed Everything
Early in his AO career, James handled a customer whose entire year’s food supply (a butchered pig) spoiled due to freezer limitations.
Lesson: CX is defined by the experience the customer actually receives — not the one you intended.
06:00 — What Customers Don’t See About Retail CX
Frontline teams quietly tailor experiences to the “why” behind each purchase — from everyday trainers to milestone gifts. Personalisation happens even when the customer never notices.
08:30 — The Footasylum Delivery Crisis
During Christmas peak, complaints surged despite carrier data showing “everything fine.” Orders went missing, delayed, or unprocessed — harming Footasylum’s Trustpilot score.
09:30 — Using Chattermill to Uncover the Real Issue
Customer feedback revealed hidden delivery delays, incorrect carrier messaging, and even suspected depot cherry-picking. Standard carrier metrics had masked the failures.
11:00 — Escalating Fast & Forcing Action
Armed with customer verbatims, James confronted the carrier. Result: trailers located, stock processed, operational fixes implemented — and customer comms corrected.
12:30 — Delivering on “Deliver-to-Promise”
If Footasylum says “next day,” it must be next day. Going faster delights; going slower destroys trust. A simple but vital operational north star.
14:30 — Why Customer Intent Matters More Than Metrics
Internal culture focuses on why something matters to a customer — not just handle times, response speed, or compensation rules.
16:00 — Empowerment > Scripts
Agents get principles, not rigid prescriptions. They’re trusted to make the right decision for each customer, with guidelines (not limits) to support them.
18:30 — Does This Scale? Yes.
James argues CX improvement scales when 1) leadership genuinely believes in the mission, and 2) teams self-police to uphold standards.
20:00 — Daily CX Stories to Build Culture
Managers review one real customer interaction together every day — building a live, shared understanding of great vs. poor experience.
22:00 — Hot Take: Hyper-Personalisation Is Overhyped
Not everything should happen through a screen. Customers still want to touch, try, and feel — especially in fashion retail.
23:30 — Brand Getting CX Right
Represent Clothing — for building community-driven loyalty both online and in person.
24:00 — What Retail Still Gets Wrong
Too many retailers optimise for cost, speed, or fraud — and forget to understand customers at a human level.
26:00 — Favourite CX Book
Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh — a masterclass in culture and customer-first operations.
27:30 — CX Techniques He Uses in Parenting
“The best I can do…” — a versatile negotiation tool for customers and kids.
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