How do you scale Customer Experience across 17 European affiliates when you cannot lead CX from headquarters alone?
In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, Nienke Bloem speaks with Nicoline Valk, Department Manager Customer Experience at Daikin Europe. Nicoline shares how Daikin moved from a B2B focus towards a B2B2C approach and how she developed a centralized CX program that allows countries to take local ownership.
At the heart of their conversation is omotenashi: the Japanese philosophy of genuinely taking care of customers, paying close attention and anticipating their needs. Translating that philosophy into a European CX approach requires a different kind of leadership. Nicoline explains how she shifted from steering operations to influencing, connecting and building bridges across countries, cultures and departments.
Nienke experienced the strength of this network firsthand when she spoke at Daikin Europe’s CX Seminar Seminar. She was impressed by the energy, openness and genuine sense of community Nicoline and her team have created across the different affiliates.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How to shift from operational leadership to leading through influence.
- Why a strong internal network is essential when scaling CX across countries and cultures.
- How consistent visibility keeps Customer Experience on the agenda and encourages others to take ownership.
- How Daikin combines a centralized European framework with local customer insights and action.
You’ll also hear how newsletters, monthly calls, affiliate meetings, customer visits and shared action plans help Daikin turn CX into an ongoing way of working. Nicoline reflects on her own leadership growth, the value of learning from other industries and the achievement she is proudest of: seeing countries embrace CX and move from customer feedback to action.
If you are scaling CX, strengthening your internal network or wondering whether you are visible enough as a CX leader, this conversation offers plenty of practical insights and inspiration.
A small heads-up before you press play: you may notice a few minor audio hiccups along the way. Luckily, the conversation is far too valuable to let those get in the way.
Timestamped overview
00:00 Omotenashi, CX networks and visibility
04:40 Developing a CX strategy within a Japanese company
05:21 From operational excellence to CX leadership
08:12 Moving from B2B towards B2B2C
10:17 Starting with listening and building a European network
12:44 Working across 17 European affiliates
14:44 Lessons learned while building the CX program
15:59 Staying connected to customers
17:07 Building bridges across cultures and departments
19:19 Turning customer feedback into local action
21:37 Keeping the CX network visible and engaged
26:42 Leading through influence rather than hierarchy
27:50 Creating CX engagement with a small central team
30:50 Nicoline’s proudest CX achievement
32:55 Recommended books and learning from mistakes
34:33 Final reflections on CX leadership and visibility
Extra information:
Connect with Nicoline on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolinevalk/
Nicoline’s recommendations:
Nicoline’s next read is The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle, a book that was recommended to her for its insights into successful teamwork, psychological safety, active listening and creating an environment in which people feel free to make mistakes.
A book she already uses in her own work is The Diamond in the Rough by Steven Van Belleghem. She particularly recommends its practical concept of “friction hunting”: identifying small frustrations in the customer experience and taking concrete steps to resolve them.
About Nienke:
Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress.
She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.
Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations.
With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Newsletter to stay tuned.
