CMSWire TV
The Gist
- Two customers, one standard: The UPS Store treats franchisees and end customers as core customers — because the customer’s experience will never exceed the franchisee’s experience.
- Phygital done right: Returns and services that start online and finish in-store are designed to feel “seamless,” from consolidated returns to mailbox, printing, and shipping for microbusinesses.
- Listen → Align → Act: Relationship/competitive NPS, call categorization, verbatims, and focus groups feed fast operational changes — often rolled into quarterly store visits and trainings.
- Recovery builds loyalty: Issues happen; rapid, transparent recovery (and guarantees like pack-and-ship) turn negatives into memorable, loyalty-building moments.
- Culture as CX engine: A company-wide “high say-to-do ratio” sets expectations for promises kept — to customers, franchisees, and teams.
- Next up: Investments in journey pain-point removal, upgraded tech platforms, tighter UPS integration, and near real-time tracking (RFID) for clearer, trust-building visibility.
Dom Nicastro, editor in chief of CMSWire, aka me, sits down with Sean O’Neal, Vice President of Retail Operations at The UPS Store, for a candid look at customer experience across 5,400+ locations. O’Neal details how franchisee enablement powers end-customer satisfaction, why “phygital” journeys (start online, finish in store) are the secret sauce for returns and small-business services, and how the team moves from feedback to fixes with a simple blueprint: listen, align, act.
From double-blind NPS to call-center verbatims, The UPS Store’s CX practice prioritizes action over dashboards, recovery as a loyalty lever and a culture anchored by a “high say-to-do ratio.” O’Neal also previews what’s next: modernized platforms, tighter UPS alignment for a one customer vision, and near real-time package visibility via RFID — all designed to raise the bar for both entrepreneurs and everyday consumers.
Table of Contents
- Episode Transcript
- Sean O’Neal’s Journey to UPS
- UPS Store vs. UPS: Brand Distinctions
- Delivering on Customer Service
- Recognition for CX Excellence
- Brand Loyalty in a Retention-First Era
- Culture: A High “Say-to-Do” Ratio
- Turning Customer Feedback Into Action
- Prompted vs. Unprompted Feedback
- Gathering Insights From Call Center Interactions
- The Silent Customers You Never Hear From
- Serving Multiple Customer Segments
- High Stakes of Customer Experience
- Looking Ahead: The Future of UPS CX
- Wrapping Up
Episode Transcript
Editor's note: This transcript was edited for brevity and clarity.
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: Hey everybody, Dom Nicastro, editor in chief of CMSWire.com here for our latest CMSWire TV series show, Beyond the Call. We're here with Sean O'Neal, vice president of retail operations at The UPS Store. Sean, what's going on?
Sean O'Neal: Not much, Dom. Really glad to be here and appreciate you taking a little bit of time with me. Certainly appreciate it.
Sean O’Neal’s Journey to UPS
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: Heck yeah. So we're gonna be talking about brand loyalty, leveraging customer data insights, KPIs and feedback, and then turning that into action — meeting customers where they are through innovation and tech. We’ll also get into serving a variety of customer segments, like micro business owners. But Sean, first tell me about the Sean story. How’d you arrive in this role? I saw some Seton Hall love down in Jersey — pretty good basketball program back in the day. Did you play?
Sean O'Neal: Yeah, definitely not at Seton Hall. I have a couple of intramural championships under my belt at Seton Hall — shout out to the Union, that’s the intramural team. Great basketball program. Maybe struggling a little right now, but I know Coach Shaw has visions for the future.
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: Nice. Legend.
Sean O'Neal: I grew up outside of Philadelphia, and college took me up to North Jersey to Seton Hall. I got my undergraduate degree in communication with a minor in business, stuck around and got my MBA. Absolutely love all things Seton Hall — met my wife there too. We’re a pirate family through and through. Shortly after graduation, this franchise consultant opportunity came up with The UPS Store. It was a wonderful chance to dive into working with small business owners, helping coach, counsel, and learn a lot myself. Honestly, our franchisees probably taught me more than I taught them early on.
Sean O'Neal: I started in field operations supporting Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Queens franchisees. Then I grew into an operations manager role, then regional vice president. Eventually, I got the call to move to sunny San Diego to take on this VP of retail operations role about four years ago. It’s been a heck of an experience so far.
UPS Store vs. UPS: Brand Distinctions
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: Educate us a little about The UPS Store. Branding-wise, there are distinctions within UPS. For me, it’s the brown truck delivering more things to my wife, and then there’s returning her Amazon packages down the street to The UPS Store. Kudos, by the way — it’s so easy. Before, with other shippers, I had to tape everything up myself. UPS made it seamless: “Give it to us, we got you.” That’s different from the others.
Sean O'Neal: Reverse logistics seems simple — a customer bought something, now they need to return it. But it’s really complex. You need to make it seamless for the customer while ensuring goods get back to companies quickly, safely, and intact. For example, in the Amazon program alone, we handle about half a billion items. It needs to feel simple to the customer, but behind the scenes there’s a lot of operational magic.
The Phygital Edge
Sean O'Neal: That’s part of our secret sauce: what we call a phygital experience, or what others might call omnichannel. A transaction might start online and finish in-store. When it feels seamless, you’ve got a winning formula. That’s what we have with Amazon Consolidated Returns — and not just Amazon. Our omnichannel customer experience programs include Happy Returns and partnerships with cable providers too. Customers bring in their items, our franchisees take care of it, and they’re on their way. That’s the formula.
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: Yeah. Does anyone keep products anymore? Return lines are through the roof. The return business feels like its own industry now.
Sean O'Neal: When you make returns so easy, people feel more inclined to buy in the first place. Amazon deserves credit for making returns seamless. If customers know it won’t be a hassle, they buy more confidently. That’s been key to encouraging buying activity, and we help on the back end when those products need to get back to the seller.
Delivering on Customer Service
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: And not one UPS Store rep has ever been frustrated with me for a cracked box. They just say, “We got you,” and tape it up. It’s magical. That’s real customer service. You guys even made Forbes’ Best Customer Service list. That’s something to be proud of.
Related Article: Understanding Customer Sentiment Analysis to Drive Business Growth
Recognition for CX Excellence
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: Two years running — congrats on that. What do you think has resonated most with the industry in recognizing The UPS Store’s CX?
Sean O'Neal: We’re really proud of it, first and foremost. Any time you land at the top of a list like that, it’s a kudos to the entire team. Winning an award requires a well-rounded approach that goes beyond saying “we have great customer service.” There’s strategy, there are tactics our field support teams execute, and our Solutions and Support Campus puts those tactics into motion. Then the magic happens at the front counter with our franchisees and their sales associates. If you fall short in strategy, tactics, or execution, you won’t be on any list.
From Strategy to Store Execution
Sean O'Neal: With 5,400 stores nationwide, we’re laser-focused on training and empowering teams to go above and beyond. It’s the simple things — “we’ll take care of you, Dom” — not nickel-and-diming over tape on a box. We’ll figure out a solution that works for you. That’s the standard we set as a customer experience leader.
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: I’ve felt the flip side, too — being told to step aside and find my own tape while everyone behind me stares. Those little measures add up into long-term customer happiness. I’m still talking about it years later, which has to mean something.
Sean O'Neal: A mentor once told me the goal of a retailer is to make customers feel smart in your environment. What you experienced elsewhere made you feel foolish. A good retailer says, “We want you here. If you’re not sure, we’ll help — no shame.” That’s what good service looks like: help customers feel smart, not intimidated.
Brand Loyalty in a Retention-First Era
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: Brand loyalty ties directly to those moments. We’re seeing a shift toward retention over acquisition. Acquisition never goes away, but retention is crucial. Why does brand loyalty matter so much right now?
Sean O'Neal: Brand loyalty is huge. We’ve worked to build an environment that caters to loyalty — especially for small businesses. One of our key offerings is mailbox services. Many mailbox customers are small business owners, and The UPS Store is a small-business solutions center. Once they’re in for mailbox services, we often handle their printing, fulfillment, and shipping. Most of what they need can be done inside those four walls. That creates a real connection between the business owner and their franchisee. We love hearing “that’s my UPS Store.” When customers take ownership, loyalty is strong.
Guarantees that Build Trust
Sean O'Neal: We also lean into “risk-it-all” moments, like our pack-and-ship guarantee. If we pack and ship your holiday gift, we guarantee it arrives on time and in the condition it left. If not — on the rare occasion it happens — we take care of you. Those guarantees build trust and customer loyalty.
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Culture: A High “Say-to-Do” Ratio
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: “Risk-it-all” is an interesting phrase. Is that embedded organizationally or more public-facing?
Sean O'Neal: Internally, we rally around something our CEO, Carol Tomé, emphasizes: maintain a high say-to-do ratio. Simple idea — if you say it, do it. You won’t hit 100%, but aim for the high 90s. It applies to customers and employees. That’s how you create a strong culture. If I say I’ll follow up with a franchisee, I follow up. If a franchisee promises a customer something, they deliver. If someone on my team commits to support, they execute. And if we fall short, we own it — directly, honestly, and transparently. Customers appreciate that. It’s core to how we operate and how we sustain brand trust.
Turning Customer Feedback Into Action
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: Customers are always talking, always giving feedback. With all the data and insights you collect, what’s important to you? Where are you measuring it, and how? And most importantly, are you able to successfully turn that feedback into action at scale? A lot of leaders tell us their analytics only provide baseline stuff, not enough to act on. What are your challenges, and how are you addressing them?
Sean O'Neal: I’m an operator at heart — masquerading as a CX person. I took on the CX responsibility at The UPS Store a couple of years ago because leadership wanted CX closer to where the action happens. My team oversees the tools that go out to our field team and franchisees. We have plenty of studies: relationship NPS at the store level (customers provide direct feedback to stores via dashboards), competitive NPS, SBO studies, focus groups. The key isn’t the scoreboard, it’s what you do with the scoreboard. What are customers telling us? What do we need to communicate to leadership? What actions should we mobilize against to keep our competitive advantage? For me, it’s all about listen, align, act.
Acting Quickly on Insights
Sean O'Neal: Because my team also controls tools for field teams, we can act fast. If CNPS studies highlight an issue, we can fold it into training during the next quarterly visit — and those happen at all 5,400 stores. That speed lets us move from listening to action without long delays, a core part of an agile customer experience strategy.
Prompted vs. Unprompted Feedback
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: I see feedback happening in two ways: customers willing to say something (usually when upset), or companies prompting them with surveys and texts. How do you gather feedback most successfully? Where do customers give you input without prompting, and where do you have to pull it out?
Sean O'Neal: You’re right. I also oversee our customer relations department, and most of those calls are negative — customers need support for a bad experience. That feedback is useful because it highlights our most frustrated customers, and we do everything possible to resolve those cases. But the real gold is in unbiased, double-blind studies. That’s where competitive NPS comes in.
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: Calls to the call center are one thing. But double-blind NPS gives you more candid insights?
Sean O'Neal: Exactly. In double-blind studies, I don’t know the customer, and they don’t know I’m asking. It strips away bias. If you know a survey is from The UPS Store, you might skew favorable. But if you’re asked to compare UPS Store with FedEx Office, Staples, USPS, etc., you’ll provide candid, honest feedback. That integrity is crucial. It gives us actionable insights about whether customers will use our services again — without sugarcoating. That’s why competitive NPS is so valuable.
Related Article: Customer Feedback Is Useless Without Integration — Here's What to Do
Gathering Insights From Call Center Interactions
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: To me, call center agents are the most important people in the company. Who’s more critical than someone dealing with an angry customer? It’s the best opportunity to learn, fix, and support. With the tools you have today, are you able to capture insights from those calls and make sense of them? Text analytics came up at a recent conference I attended — everyone was saying we need better text analytics. Can your teams leverage those insights effectively?
Sean O'Neal: We could be better. We have most of the tools, but it’s about prioritizing where to put energy. Every call gets categorized, and we pull verbatims to understand trends. A couple of years ago, claims were dominating feedback across channels — customer relations calls, CNPS, RMPS studies. That told us our claims platform needed an upgrade. Within a year, we built customer-facing and franchisee-facing portals to simplify claims processing. Recovery is key. Problems happen, but customers give you a chance to fix them. If your recovery is fast, proactive, and acknowledges the mistake, you can actually build loyalty from a negative experience.
Turning Negatives Into Positives
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: I had a great example myself. I sent a package to my wife’s friend, but there was an issue with the delivery setup. The driver called me personally to sort it out. It felt like a surprisingly intimate connection — and it turned a frustrating situation into something memorable. My wife was upset it was late, but once they connected directly, it turned around quickly. That kind of service sticks with you.
Sean O'Neal: Exactly. Ask 10 people to share a customer experience that wowed them, and many start with a negative. Something went wrong, but then the company recovered beautifully — and that created loyalty. That’s the challenge for any CX leader.
The Silent Customers You Never Hear From
Sean O'Neal: Like you, Dom, I don’t usually complain. If I have a bad experience, I just don’t go back. That’s the toughest nut to crack. Most customers won’t tell you about their bad experience — they’ll just disappear. That’s why we need to be consistently proactive about delivering great experiences. If we’re not, we lose people without ever knowing why.
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: Right. The only time that rule doesn’t apply for me is late-night pizza. It’s bad, but I keep going back — because it’s the only place open.
Sean O'Neal: I don’t know if I’ve ever had bad 2 a.m. pizza! It’s been a long time, but back in the day, Jersey pizza at 2 a.m. was always good. Here in Southern California, not quite the same.
Related Article: Customer Retention > Customer Acquisition. Period.
Serving Multiple Customer Segments
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: You serve customers like me, just individual consumers, and then microbusiness owners. Do you also count franchisees as customers?
Sean O'Neal: Absolutely. I serve two customers: franchisees and end customers. The customer’s experience will never exceed the franchisee’s experience. If franchisees are having a bad experience, you can forget about customer satisfaction. At our Solution and Support Campus, we focus on serving franchisees and giving them the tools to succeed. When franchisees succeed, we all succeed. That’s the heart of franchising.
Sean O'Neal: Microbusinesses — companies with zero to 10 employees — are also a huge priority. They are often our most important customers, relying on us for mailbox services, printing, fulfillment, and shipping. What makes The UPS Store unique is that our franchisees are entrepreneurs serving other entrepreneurs. They’re part of the same community, facing similar challenges, and that creates a bond that’s hard to replicate.
High Stakes of Customer Experience
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: Your customer experience impacts not just consumers, but also your business customers. If a caterer doesn’t get their big order on time, their reputation suffers — and they’ll blame UPS. That puts a lot at stake for your CX teams.
Sean O'Neal: Exactly. It’s high stakes. The success of those businesses is often in our hands, and we take that seriously. Our franchisees are deeply passionate about their customers. That passion is a big part of the secret sauce that gets us recognition, like being named to Forbes’ best customer service list.
Looking Ahead: The Future of UPS CX
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: Looking ahead, what’s top of mind for 2025 and beyond? Big projects? Tech investments? People investments?
Sean O'Neal: We’re investing in all customer journeys, removing pain points wherever they exist — whether in shipping, resolution, or daily transactions. Improving technology platforms and processes for franchisees and their customers is a huge priority. We may be brick-and-mortar, but digital capabilities are critical to our future. Being part of UPS gives us the chance to leverage “the power of the shield” and align on a one-customer vision. If you’re a UPS customer, you’re also a UPS Store customer. It’s not two different experiences, and that unified vision will guide us forward.
Digital and Physical Integration
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: I like those UPS delivery update emails. They tie together the digital and physical experience. They help me answer my wife’s questions about packages — sometimes that’s a lifesaver.
Sean O'Neal: And it’s only going to get better. RFID technology is coming soon, and packages will have chips embedded in their labels. You’ll be able to see near real-time package tracking, not just scan-to-scan updates. It will elevate transparency and customer trust, while supporting UPS’s already strong service commitments.
Wrapping Up
Dom Nicastro, CMSWire: Sean O’Neal, Vice President of Retail Operations at The UPS Store, thanks for joining us. You’re passionate about CX — and about 2 a.m. pizza. We’ll look forward to catching up again around the holidays when things are busy.
Sean O'Neal: Thank you, Dom. It was a pleasure to chat. Looking forward to connecting again.
