Journalism 240

Assignment Task: Part 1

Developing a Journalism Story on Voice of the Caribbean Customer

:Highlighting the importance of understanding and valuing customer feedback, with tips on how to effectively gather and analyze feedback.

Story Concept 1: Voice of the Caribbean Customer

  1. Research and Background:Conduct in-depth research to differentiate between customer service and customer experience. Define each concept clearly with examples to illustrate the distinctions.
  2. Industry Focus:Explore industries where customer service and experience are critical, such as hospitality, online retail, traditional retail, and restaurants. Look into local corporate entities like WAPA, VIYA, Tempo, HOT ONES USVI, Liberty USVI, T-Mobile, The Market Stx, and the USVI Government (e.g., St. Thomas Westin).
  3. Concept Draft:Develop a concept for the story focusing on the importance of customer feedback. Consider interviewing individuals on the street for their perspectives on customer service. Utilize social media for quotes and opinions.
  4. Journalism Story Draft:Craft a detailed, edited, and revised journalism story script for a Vice or Wall Street Journal YouTube-style video. Use a professional tone with proper citations. Incorporate potential quotes and interviews seamlessly.

Story Concept 2: Local Success Stories: CX Edition

  1. Identifying Local Businesses:Profile successful local businesses renowned for exceptional customer experiences. Highlight strategies implemented by businesses like KB MoneyHouse & SeN’s Hair Studio, Boomarang Eats, Apollo Legion, Felix London, Miss Naturalista St. Croix, Rugged Youth, Upper Class, Laced Legacy, and others.
  2. Research and Interviews:Conduct interviews with business owners and patrons to understand their customer-centric strategies. Gather insights on what makes their customer experiences stand out.
  3. Concept Draft:Outline the narrative for the local success stories, emphasizing the unique approaches these businesses have taken to excel in customer satisfaction.
  4. Journalism Story Draft:Develop a well-structured script for the video, integrating insights from interviews and research. Ensure the script mirrors the journalistic style of Vice or The Wall Street Journal videos. Include placeholders for quotes, interviews, and visual elements to be added later.

Part 2

Story Concept 1: Voice of the Caribbean Customer

Story Concept 2: Local Success Stories: CX Edition

Interview Questions for Guest Speakers:

  1. What customer feedback methods have been most effective for your business?
  2. How do you prioritize customer experience in your daily operations?
  3. What challenges did you face in improving customer satisfaction, and how did you overcome them?
  4. Can you share specific strategies or initiatives that significantly enhanced your business’s customer experience?
  5. How important is local community feedback in shaping your business’s customer service approach?

Street Interview Questions:

  1. What’s your most memorable customer service experience?
  2. How important is customer feedback in influencing your decisions as a consumer?
  3. What aspects of customer service do you value the most when interacting with a business?
  4. How do you think businesses can improve their customer experience?

then with your draft stories rom part 1 take your Story Concept 1: Voice of the Caribbean Customer &

Story Concept 2: Local Success Stories: CX Edition and create a Vice or Wall Street Journal-style video based on the assignment brief you’ve provided; you’ll follow a structured approach that blends journalistic storytelling with engaging visuals. Here’s how you can break down the process:

  1. Concept Development:
    • Research: Begin by conducting thorough research on the assigned topicscustomer feedback importance and local business success stories in customer experience (CX). Understand the nuances of customer service versus customer experience.
    • Identify Local Businesses: Compile a list of local businesses in the US Virgin Islands (USVI) that have excelled in customer experience. Use the provided resources above to gather information about these businesses and their strategies.
  2. Scriptwriting Story- Story Concept 1: Voice of the Caribbean Customer Story Concept 2: Local Success Stories: CX Edition
    • Drafting the Script: Craft a detailed script that aligns with the journalistic style of Vice or The Wall Street Journal videos or like this for each topic
      • Introduce the importance of customer feedback: Define customer service and customer experience, highlighting their distinctions.
      • Discuss effective methods for gathering and analyzing customer feedback.
      • Transition into profiling local success stories: Introduce each business and its unique strategies for delivering outstanding customer experiences.
      • Include placeholders for quotes, interviews, and visuals to be incorporated later.
  2. Interview Preparation:
    • Guest Speaker Questions: Develop insightful interview questions for business owners or representatives of the selected local businesses.
      • Inquire about their customer experience strategies, challenges faced, and the impact of customer feedback on their operations.
    • Street Interviews: Prepare engaging questions for street interviews to capture public perspectives on customer service and feedback.
  3. Visual and Editing Plan:
    • Visual Storytelling: Plan out visual elements that complement the narrativesuch as footage of local businesses, customer interactions, and community scenes.
    • Editing Style: Aim for a polished and dynamic editing style characteristic of Vice or Wall Street Journal videosincorporating graphics, text overlays, and music that enhance the storytelling.
  4. Production Execution:
    • Interviews and Filming: Conduct interviews with business owners and street interviews to gather content.
    • Footage Collection: Capture relevant B-roll footage showcasing local businesses and customer interactions.
    • Editing Process: Piece together the video using the drafted script, incorporating interviews, visuals, and graphics to create a cohesive narrative.
  5. Final Touches:
    • Review and Feedback: Seek feedback on the video draft to refine the storytelling and ensure alignment with the assignment requirements.
    • Incorporate Citations: Include professional citations and references as necessary to support the journalistic integrity of the piece.