A strong signal: when a customer experience distinction becomes a strategic indicator
Being recognized for the quality of its welcome, services , and customer journey is far from insignificant in the luxury sector. Chanel's ranking in 3rd place in the " Customer Experience Excellence 2025-2026 " list published by KPMG France is a marker of maturity : the House demonstrates its ability to combine desire, high standards, and ongoing customer relationships, even in a market where scarcity and controlled distribution remain essential.
In an industry wherebrand image is built as much on a tweed suit, an iconic bag , or a cult fragrance as on the way a client is received, the experience becomes tangible proof of identity. Rankings then act as a mirror: they reflect perception, but they also influence trust.
For the houses, this is a business issue as well as a cultural one, because a credible premium customer experience fosters loyalty, word-of-mouth, the propensity to return and, more broadly, brand value.
What a Customer Experience Excellence ranking typically measures
Customer experience excellence rankings are most often based on recurring criteria that reflect the quality of an end-to-end customer journey. The first is personalization: the ability to recognize a customer, understand their preferences, and tailor recommendations. The second is integrity, meaning the trust inspired by the brand , transparency regarding delivery times, consistency between promises and reality, and transaction security.
Next come time and effort, two very concrete concepts: getting an appointment, accessing information, finalizing a purchase, or managing a return must be seamless, without feeling like a bureaucratic hurdle. Resolution is just as important: a delivery issue, an adjustment, a repair request, or a question about leather care are moments of truth where the brand demonstrates its high standards.
Finally, empathy and the integration of channels (store, telephone, website, messaging, after-sales service) become crucial in a luxury sector where customers expect a ritual, but also impeccable efficiency.
Such a ranking should be interpreted with caution: it measures a perceived and aggregated experience, not the entirety of a world. But it does highlight a key point: customer relations are no longer simply an art of hospitality; they are an orchestrated discipline where retail, data, logistics , and service professions work together.
The boutique as a theatre: the retail ritual, between savoir-faire and precision
In the luxury sector, a boutique is more than just a point of sale. It's a storytelling space where every detail matters: the welcome, the discretion, the gestures, the vocabulary, the pace of discovery. A premium customer experience often begins with a sensory perception: materials, lighting, ambient fragrances, controlled silence, the comfort of a lounge. This setting is only effective if it serves a purpose: to create a moment that enhances the customer's sense of value without ever overwhelming them.
The sales advisor's role is akin to that of a master of ceremonies. They know how to contextualize a piece, explain the craftsmanship, suggest an alternative, and anticipate hesitation. In fine leather goods, for example, explaining leather care, the expected patina, how to wear the piece, its weight, or how the chain hangs, is as much aboutproduct expertise as it is about interpersonal skills. Luxury is also expressed in the effortlessness required of the customer: the right pace, the ability to manage waiting times, the availability of a fitting room, and the attention given to providing personalized service.
This excellence ultimately hinges on consistency: the boutique must convey the same promise as the campaign, the fashion show, and the setting. This is where houses like Chanel, Hermès, Dior , and Louis Vuitton invest heavily: retail becomes a pillar of reputation, a place where the brand proves itself.
The appointment, a new unit of time for luxury: mastery, comfort, exclusivity
Appointments have redefined the concept of premium service. They meet two simultaneous expectations: preserving the quality of the interaction and offering the rare comfort of dedicated time. In a context where flagship stores can be very crowded, appointments allow customers to avoid friction, prepare a selection, combine sizes, have a garment brought in, or even organize a fitting based on a complete outfit.
This organization isn't just about planning. It requires advance preparation, the ability to match the client's profile with a relevant proposal, and seamless logistical coordination. The client doesn't need to know the internal structure; they simply need to feel that everything is ready, that nothing is improvised. When this level of preparation becomes the norm, it directly contributes to satisfaction and trust.
The appointment is also an elegant response to the inherent tension of luxury: reconciling the accessibility of the relationship with the rarity of the product. The brand can protect certain volumes, control allocation, while offering a seamless and respectful experience. This ability to balance control and attentiveness is often one of the driving forces behind the best customer experience performance.
Omnichannel without dilution: connecting touchpoints while preserving the aura
Omnichannel in the luxury sector isn't simply about "being everywhere." It's about connecting carefully chosen touchpoints with consistent tone, service, and information. A customer might explore a collection online, request information by phone, book an appointment, finalize their purchase in-store, and then track a delivery. The key difference lies in this seamless experience: the customer shouldn't have to repeat their needs or encounter conflicting answers.
This continuity requires not only technical integration but also cultural integration. Digital tools should extend the art of customer service, not replace it. The best customer journeys create the feeling that the brand is the same entity, whether it's an in-store interaction, an email, or a chat via messaging. In the beauty industry, for example, a shade recommendation, a skin analysis , or a routine tip must remain true to the brand's expertise while being simple and quick.
Luxury brands face a unique challenge: preserving their aura and avoiding trivialization. Offering online services risks creating an overly standardized customer journey. To address this, brands focus on editorial quality, tone, photography, inventory management, and above all, the ability to deliver a bespoke down to the smallest detail, from order confirmation to proactive follow-up.
Clienteling and data: personalization as a relational craft
The word " data " may sound impersonal, but in the luxury sector, it becomes invaluable when it serves a simple purpose: to know better in order to serve better. Clienteling refers to the art of cultivating an ongoing relationship, remembering preferences, sizes, colors, purchasing habits, and life events. Used judiciously, this knowledge transforms an interaction into a personalized experience.
personalization is anything but intrusive. It's characterized by its subtlety: suggesting a piece that complements a style, alerting customers to availability, offering alteration services, reminding them about silk care, anticipating an occasion without being pushy. The premium customer experience hinges on this ability to be relevant, not intrusive.
Operationally, this involves tools, rules, and ethics. Data governance, respect for consent, security, and team training are key elements, often invisible to the customer, but crucial to perceived quality. High-performing brands know how to align human skill with intelligent systems, ensuring that personalization remains a relational craft.
Services and after-sales: where the promise is truly fulfilled
In the collective imagination, luxury is expressed in the act of purchasing. In reality, it is also expressed afterward. After-sales service, repairs, alterations, maintenance, and the availability of spare parts or replacement components become indicators of reliability. When a client entrusts a bag, a watch, or a ready-to-wear garment to the Maison, they are also entrusting it with a sense of attachment, sometimes even the intention of passing it on.
Excellent customer experience is characterized by clear deadlines, accurate diagnostics, communication during the wait, and the ability to offer solutions. Alterations are a good example: they require coordination between the boutique, the workshop, sometimes specialized artisans, and a final quality control check. The goal is not just to correct, but to achieve a perfect fit.
Packaging and delivery are subject to the same high standards. The presentation, the paper, the protection, the discretion, the punctuality, the impeccable condition upon arrival—all of this forms the final chapter of the experience. In the French market, where reputations spread quickly, these details make the difference between polite satisfaction and lasting loyalty.
The KPIs behind prestige: loyalty, basket size, recommendations, and brand value
An award for excellence isn't just a badge of honor; it often translates into concrete metrics. A well-managed premium customer experience increases the likelihood of repeat purchases, supports upselling, and strengthens the relationship over time. It also influences recommendations, whether through conversation, social media, or measured signals like the Net Promoter Score (NPS), which is frequently scrutinized by retail and customer relationship management teams.
In the luxury sector, value isn't simply measured by the average purchase. It lies in the duration of the relationship, the trust in the brand, and the ability to consider the customer holistically. A successful interaction can open the door to a complete wardrobe, a regular beauty routine, or the gradual acquisition of iconic pieces. Conversely, even minor friction can lead to a silent loss, particularly in segments where there is a strong alternative offering, from Cartier to Van Cleef & Arpels, from Saint Laurent to Balenciaga, and more broadly among groups like LVMH, Kering, or Richemont.
Companies are therefore investing in customer experience to secure qualitative growth. In France, where retail also relies on department stores like Printemps or Galeries Lafayette, consistency of service between direct networks and partners is becoming a performance factor, because the customer does not compartmentalize.
Why Chanel benefits from recurring recognition of experience
Recurring among brands recognized for their customer experience suggests an ability to maintain high standards over time. However, in the luxury sector, consistency is a feat: tourism patterns evolve, digital expectations change, teams shift, and supply chain disruptions can impact availability. Maintaining a level of excellence despite these variables requires meticulous planning and execution.
For a house like Chanel, the challenge is twofold. On the one hand, it must protect its aura, creative standards, and heritage—from couture to the Métiers d'Art—without transforming the relationship into a standardized experience. On the other hand, it must meet contemporary expectations of seamless communication: the ability to obtain reliable information, receive a call back, have a request followed up, and feel genuinely cared for. The balance between these two aspects often makes all the difference in the perceptions measured by rankings.
This recognition also acts as reputational insurance in a market where customers compare products more than one might think. Even when the purchase remains highly emotional, the overall experience becomes a rational criterion: if two items are appealing, preference will often go to the brand that provides the feeling of being understood, respected, and perfectly supported.
The limitations of a ranking: what brands need to read between the lines
No ranking can fully capture the complexity of the luxury customer experience. It aggregates perceptions, moments, and channels, and relies on varying methodologies. A brand may excel in its physical stores but have room for improvement in its logistics, or vice versa. Therefore, the results should be considered a snapshot, useful for benchmarking, but insufficient for detailed management.
There is also a structural tension: luxury must maintain a form of selectivity, sometimes even rarity, while customer experience values reduced effort and accessibility. A journey that is too seamless can be perceived as "retail-centric," while one that is too restrictive can be experienced as indifferent. The key lies in a deliberate fluidity: facilitating what needs to be facilitated, while maintaining codes of service, appointments, presentation, and control over volume.
Finally, rankings can lead to homogenization. However, a premium customer experience is not a one-size-fits-all formula: it must reflect the personality of the brand. Excellence is not about being like others, but about being perfectly oneself, with impeccable execution.
What the luxury sector in France can learn: a premium customer experience, beyond the rhetoric
Chanel's performance in KPMG France 's " Customer Experience Excellence 2025-2026 " ranking serves as a reminder of an often underestimated truth: experience is not an added layer to the product, it is an integral part of the product. In the luxury sector, value is built on creation, materials, and craftsmanship, but also on the time invested, attentive listening, precision, and follow-up. A fashion house can work with the finest leathers, the most exquisite silk, and the most demanding finishes; but if the relationship isn't up to par, the whole experience loses its coherence.
For brands, the challenge is to think of the customer experience as a system. Retail stages the experience, digital connects, data illuminates, after-sales service reassures, logistics concludes, and the teams embody it.
