Personalization isn’t a “nice to have” for customers anymore. It’s now essential for keeping and earning their loyalty — and this personal touch could be what makes them choose your brand instead of a competitor.
Customers have seemingly endless options these days, and they receive a lot of messages and offers from stores and solution providers trying to woo them. Organizations have focused on delivering personalized interactions over the last decade, and 89% of business leaders believe personalization is crucial to their success in the next three years.
This focus on personalization is proven to improve the customer experience and generate tangible business results:
Personalization is a powerful way to boost your organization’s success and greatly improve your customer experience. If you’re considering new ways to strengthen your personalization strategy, let me explain what’s working for organizations, where teams may be falling short, and how you can get ahead.
Personalization extends well beyond using someone’s first name in marketing emails. Thoughtful personalization can be demonstrated at every stage of the customer journey — from first hello to final purchase and every touchpoint in between.
Every organizational channel can display personalized messages and images that are more likely to resonate with individual customers and visitors:
Organizations that unify these experiences create something powerful: a seamless journey where the customer never has to repeat themselves or feel like just another number.
Let’s break down three specific personalization tactics that customers actually appreciate, along with examples of brands who are getting it right.
The best support doesn’t wait for customers to raise their hands. These teams anticipate needs, remove friction, and make life easier (sometimes before the customer even knows what they need).
Airline mobile apps send real-time alerts for gate changes and boarding times, and they also offer baggage tracking. If your flight’s delayed, airlines proactively suggest rebooking options. It feels like a personal travel assistant in your pocket. (I recently got excited to see the American Airlines app leverage the “dynamic island” space for notifications on my iPhone. This means I don’t even have to open the app!)
Known for its legendary customer service, Chewy often surprises customers with hand-painted pet portraits or handwritten sympathy cards after a pet passes away. Their team makes the heartbreaking experience of losing a pet as easy as possible for customers and automatically cancels recurring orders and ensures it doesn’t refer to those pets in future messages.
Why customers love it: It shows empathy, saves time, and builds trust. It says: We’ve got you.
Recommendations that reflect real interests are a win-win: They help customers discover more of what they love while making brands feel more relevant and thoughtful.
Spotify’s “Discover Weekly” and “Daily Mix” playlists are powered by listening behavior, not demographics. The result? Music curation that feels like it was made just for you, because it was.
Sephora combines online behavior with Beauty Insider loyalty data to recommend products, tutorials, and samples tailored to each customer’s skin type, tone, and previous purchases.
From “You might also like…” to personalized homepage layouts, Amazon’s entire shopping experience reflects the customer’s unique interests and journey, from browsing to buying.
Why customers love it: It removes decision fatigue and makes shopping feel more intuitive and less overwhelming.
Customers appreciate when rewards are more than just points or discounts. They want programs that reflect their values, behaviors, and preferences.
Starbucks Rewards offers tailored deals like double star days on your favorite drink or birthday surprises, which creates a sense of recognition and celebration.
REI Co-op Members receive personalized activity recommendations, early access to gear they’ll actually use, and even dividend checks based on their shopping habits. It’s a community as much as a loyalty program.
Nike Members get personalized product drops, exclusive event invites, and workout content based on past purchases and fitness interests, all integrated through their app ecosystem.
Why customers love it: It’s not about transactions, it’s about feeling seen, understood, and rewarded in meaningful ways.
While personalization can delight and deepen relationships, it’s just as easy to turn customers off if it’s done the wrong way. The best customer experiences are thoughtful and intentional — not creepy, clunky, or careless.
Here are a few common pitfalls we encourage our clients to avoid:
Automation can be efficient, but when it replaces human empathy, it backfires. Customers can tell when your messages are mass-produced or when a chatbot is faking human tone.
Avoid it by: Layering automation with human insight. If you’re using a customer’s name, make sure the content actually fits them.
Recommending items a customer already purchased or showing irrelevant content based on outdated data can be more annoying than helpful.
Avoid it by: Keeping your data fresh and dynamic. Make sure your recommendations are informed by recent behaviors, not just broad segments or guesswork.
Using data customers didn’t knowingly share — or weren’t expecting you to use — can feel intrusive. Customers want personalized experiences and privacy. There’s a fine line between helpful and “how did they know that?”
Avoid it by: Practicing radical transparency. Let customers know how their data will be used, give them choices, and always prioritize consent.
You might have a beautifully personalized email strategy, but if that experience doesn’t carry over into your website, app, or support team, the impact is lost.
Avoid it by: Creating a connected omnichannel experience. Customers should feel known across all touchpoints, not just one.
Your customer’s needs, goals, and preferences change, and so should your personalization efforts. Static personas can quickly become outdated.
Avoid it by: Treating personalization as an evolving strategy. Test, learn, and iterate based on real-time feedback and behavior.
Customer experience is about listening well, responding thoughtfully, and leading with empathy. Personalization efforts show that you care and can create a lasting cycle of innovation — just ensure your efforts are built on trust, transparency, and choice.
Ask yourself:
When in doubt, choose humanity over automation.
The personalization tactics that customers actually love aren’t necessarily the flashiest or most high-tech; they’re the ones rooted in empathy. When customers feel known, respected, and supported, they keep coming back.
At Experience Investigators, we specialize in helping brands turn data into meaningful experiences that drive loyalty, advocacy, and growth. Whether you’re looking to map your customer journey, fine-tune your touchpoints, or implement smart personalization strategies, we’re here to help you humanize every interaction.
Let’s partner to design the personalized experiences your customers truly deserve. Contact us today.
Jeannie is an award-winning customer experience expert, international keynote speaker, and sought-after business coach who is trailblazing the movement from “Reactive Customer Service” to “Proactive Customer and Employee Experience.” More than 500,000 people have learned from her CX courses on LinkedIn Learning, and her insights have been featured in Forbes, The Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal and NPR.
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