Zenni Optical’s 20/20 vision for exceptional customer service

Featuring Brian Kershon
Director, Global Customer Service at Zenni Optical

Brands known for loyal fanbases achieve that status through intensive focus on the customer experience. When companies go above and beyond to deliver exceptional service, that investment returns significant dividends in customer loyalty and lifetime value.

Gladly CEO Joseph Ansanelli recently sat down with Brian Kershon, Director of Global Customer Service at Zenni Optical, to discuss the glasses brand’s commitment to a radically personal, customer-first CX strategy. This discussion reveals how Zenni became a leader in ecommerce CX and how enterprise brands can scale similar success.

Zenni makes Newsweek's “Best CX” list for 6 consecutive years

Recognized for a sixth straight year by Newsweek Magazine as one of the best service operations in 2024, Zenni Optical has solidified its reputation for providing quality, efficient service built around a strong organizational culture and expert agents.

According to Brian, the secret is focusing on fundamentals. "I don't think there's necessarily any major secrets to being good at customer service," he explains. "Customers want high-quality support. They want it relatively fast. They want it at their disposal when they need it, where they need it. And I think we've done a really good job of building out our support for our customers.”

"Our customers are at the center of everything that we do. All the decisions that we make, the customer is at the forefront of it all."

Brian Kershon
Director, Global Customer Service, Zenni Optical

A digital CX built on in-person expertise

As an online-only business, Zenni designs its ecommerce experience to mirror the confidence of in-person support. They achieve this by leaning on the expertise of their in-house opticians to inform the digital journey, ensuring customers feel secure in their investment.

"Our agents are highly trained, we work very closely with our in-house opticians, and we're able to create that confidence that we want our customers to be able to have,” says Brian. This highlights a key insight for enterprise leaders: your frontline experts are a critical resource for optimizing the customer experience and driving revenue.

Empowering agents to deliver exceptional service

Agent experience is a proven driver of CX success. Our Hero Experience Report found that 37% of agents identify “assisting customers in resolving service issues” as their biggest workplace motivation. When agents are frustrated with their tools, that friction ultimately impacts the customer.

"We wanted our agents to be excited about the work that they're doing," Brian notes. "So for us to be able to remove any of those blockers that might get in the way of their ability to deliver amazing customer service was key, and that’s why we chose Gladly.”

By implementing a platform that provides a 360-degree view of the customer, Zenni empowered its agents to resolve issues efficiently and personally. This focus on the agent experience translates directly to higher customer satisfaction and stronger loyalty.

Listen to the full episode

Hear the complete conversation with Brian Kershon on the Radically Personal podcast to learn more about Zenni's award-winning CX strategy and how they leverage Gladly to put customers at the center of everything they do.

On this episode, you'll learn about:

• Preparing for generative AI and automation in the support center.

• Nurturing in-house employees to take on greater roles.

• Incorporating brand partnerships to further customer affinity.

• Creating a customer-centric culture that is ingrained from day one.