A great customer story that involves innovation whether it is related to products, policies or services. Early in my career I had the privilege of setting up the first operations centers for both LL Bean AND Lands’ End in Japan.
Long before Zappos got all the credit for their guarantees and culture, these two companies had it all figured out. You could say that LL Bean and Land's End set the standard.
The ingenuity of LL Bean in their US factories, in particular, was inspiring for the home-made inventiveness they applied to solving manufacturing challenges that were ultimately designed around what was best for the customer.
These companies excelled with customer service.
This year LL Bean celebrated their 100th anniversary. True to form, the innovation continued. It was not enough to make just a big boot, they wanted to put a truck inside a boot. ... and so they did.
The Bootmobile is still on the road touring America.
The L.L.Bean Bootmobile--a giant Bean Boot on wheels will kickoff L.L.Bean's yearlong 100th Anniversary celebration on January 18th in New York City. It will then travel around the country reminding everyone of the company's celebration and the boot that started it all. Want to see the Bootmobile? Check out the schedule here: https://100.llbean.com/join-the-fun/bootmobile
Inspiration comes from great customer stories involving innovation much like those from LL Bean where Strategic Planning was essential.
