Heather Lee
Partner, Consulting
Heather is a Partner at Root, where she began her career in 2002. Her work focuses on the retail, hotel, restaurant, and healthcare industries. Heather is an expert at aligning senior teams on their experience strategy and developing launch and sustainment programs that engage managers and frontline employees to deliver an experience that matches the brand promise. She has also partnered with many companies to architect culture change strategies designed to increase employee and franchisee loyalty.
Her retail, hospitality, and foodservice clients include Delta Air Lines, Gap Inc., IKEA, Kroger, Lowe’s, Macy’s, Marriott International, Petco, Swarovski, Sysco, Target, and Yum! Brands. Her healthcare clients include Houston Methodist, Edward Elmhurst Health, and University Hospitals.
Heather also co-leads Root’s consultant group, focusing on onboarding, skill building, networking, and career development. She holds a BS in Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan, as well as an MS in Genetic Counseling from the University of Michigan Medical School. She also has an MBA in Corporate Strategy from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Before joining Root, Heather was a pre-natal certified genetic counselor.
Heather is an avid traveler and is currently planning trips to her sixth and seventh continents. When home, you’ll likely see her on the golf course or walking the neighborhood while listening to the latest audiobook bestseller. Every fall, you’ll find her cheering on the Michigan Wolverines and Auburn Tigers in football.
Posts By Heather Lee
Four Tips to Transform Employees Into Brand Advocates
Employees want to be a part of something bigger, to belong, to go on meaningful journeys & make an impact. Here's how to make this a reality within your organization.
The Changing World of Retail and Hospitality
The world isn’t going to stop changing so what is your retail or hospitality business doing to pivot and adjust strategy to meet customers where they are?
What Tier of Loyalty Do You Get with 35 Million Miles?
When celebrating your most loyal customers, remember to celebrate your employees as well. Their loyalty is why you have such a great customer experience.
User-Centered Design Works: Turning to Employees to Design a Better Uniform
Designing uniforms and implementing change have one thing in common, seek employee feedback if you want it to be successful.
Storytelling Lessons from…Airline Safety Videos? Indeed.
Find out the three keys that makeup successful storytelling. They come from an unlikely source that we've all probably experienced... airline safety videos.
Healthcare is Focusing on Patients AND Its People, So I’m Headed Back to My Roots
Healthcare is learning from retail and hospitality that in order to achieve the best patient experience they need to invest in the employee experience.
Is EQ the Most Important Hiring Factor?
Is hiring for EQ the right decision? Explore what makes a good hire and why hiring for EQ still the matters in today's online world.
How to Analyze Customer Satisfaction Data in Four Steps
Do your managers know how to analyze customer satisfaction data? If not, they probably are not using it to create a meaningful impact for your customers.The Customer Experience Lessons I Learned from Hamilton
Improve your customer experience by creating a customer community that people feel apart of and that their voice is heard.
How to Use Micro-Connections to Create Happy Customers Over the Phone
Create happy customers over the phone by taking the time to create micro-connections. Micro-connections can have a huge impact on your customers and brand.
Improve Customer Experience with Micro-Connections
Improve customer experience by focusing on the the micro-connections. Create a customer experience that is personable and focuses on the little things.
Customer Experience Advice from Vanilla Ice?
Some of the best customer experience advice can actually come from music lyrics. I get some of the best advice from artists such as Bruno Mars and Pitbull.
Customer Experience Lessons from the Super Flock (and yes, I’m referring to chickens)
Super-chickens can give you great customer experience lessons, but ensure you hire people who are focused on creating a team environment.
Two Questions to Drive Customer Experience
Retailers that do customer experience right engage their people in their strategy to drive mindset shifts and ultimately behavioral change.
The Way to Create Employees for Life and Ultimately Customers for Life
A customer’s experience never exceeds the employee’s experience. Yet most organizations don’t spend time on building employees for life
50 Things to Say to Your Frontline Employees
Make it a better workday by saying these things to front line employees. Follow the words with actions to show that you mean them.
