R&E News

Flipping Customer Experience: How Mel Howell Transformed Culture at BurgerFuel

What does it take to create an unforgettable customer experience?

For BurgerFuel, it wasn’t just about great food—it was about how customers feel the moment they step into a store. Leading this transformation was ECD Practitioner Mel Howell, who designed and delivered the largest-ever hybrid project for the Customer Experience & Emotional Culture Deck in the world.

In 2020, Mel launched a game-changing customer and employee experience programme across 50+ BurgerFuel stores in New Zealand. Her approach blended The Emotional Culture Deck with the Customer Experience Deck, helping store leaders design unique in-store cultures that drive customer engagement, employee satisfaction, and business success.

The Challenge: Creating Consistent Yet Unique Customer Experiences

Post-COVID, BurgerFuel recognised that customer experience would be the key differentiator in a competitive hospitality market. But how do you create a customer experience that feels authentic, not scripted? And how do...

The ECD Reaches Japan via GLOBIS University Graduate School of Management.

We're excited to see that The Emotional Culture Deck is making an impact in Japan! Last May, Leo Castillo, one of our ECD Certified Consultants, ran an ECD session titled “Communications and the Power of Emotions” for the Graduate School Global team at GLOBIS University Graduate School of Management. This is particularly special as GLOBIS is Japan’s largest MBA school and Leo's alma mater.

The team at GLOBIS faced challenges in cross-collaboration, which led to misunderstandings, decreased morale, and reduced performance and engagement. Recognising the need for a shift, they turned to The ECD to help craft their emotional culture.

Laying the Foundation for Emotional Culture

During the workshop, Leo guided the team in laying the foundation for the emotional culture they aspired to cultivate. As an internationally diverse group, they recognised the importance of a team where each member felt UNIQUE, OPEN-MINDED, and CONNECTED. These values were essential to support the growth