Customer Experience 102
In an earlier article, I attempted to define the difference between “Customer Service” and “Customer Experience” (CX).
Many organisations face problems on different levels when it comes to improving customer experience. Among these are the typical attitudes of:
- “We’ve always done it this way...”
- “We’re no worse than the competition!”
- It’ll cost too much…”
None of the above holds water except maybe in organisations that are “monopoly providers” and therefore don’t need to worry as nobody has any choice but to deal with them. Even then, I personally have noticed an improvement in how I’m handled by certain institutions compared with, say, 10 to 20 years ago.
A second level on which organisations find it hard to deliver consistently excellent experiences is their own internal mechanisms. They generally design their processes and systems to suit themselves (and the law (see below). This inward-looking attitude fails to consider that those very processes and systems that the organisation’s staff are so diligently trained to use don’t apply to their customers who aren’t trained at all.
The third level on which the problems arise is that our world is becoming increasingly regulated. Businesses may have to deal with any number of laws regarding confidentiality, transfer of data, provision of certain kinds of service (financial or health for example), advertising standards, product description… the list is endless. If all regulations are obeyed and followed to the letter, no business is likely to be able to deliver excellent customer experience consistently. Yet some manage to do it…
Certain industries, however, almost consistently get a “bad rap”. Among these are financial services, credit cards and telecoms.
Bernoff, Manning and Bodine suggest that every organisation should have a CX programme headed by a Chief Customer Officer (CCO). The job of the latter is to advocate on behalf of customers rather than the business.
Even if we have such a person and program in place, we need to measure its effectiveness. We need feedback of consistent quality and timeliness to know where things need improvement. For this to be successful and result in “high marks”, we need to understand our customers, their needs and how they interact with our business at every possible touch point. There’s no point in having highly trained, highly skilled and excellent frontline staff if back-office workers lack interpersonal skills and empathy!
The benefits of a successful CX programme and happy customers are:
- Happy customers (first and foremost).
- Happy customers buy more.
- Happy customers tell other others about how well we look after them.
- Happy customers are more willing to forgive us when we get it wrong.
- Happy customers will leave us last during hard times and finally…
- Happy customers will return to us first when times improve.
The finance director or CEO who doesn’t see the value of a structured and focused CX program in an organisation that depends on customers buying that organisation’s products or services will be the cause of its ruin.
I deliver change in markets ranging from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email.
Labels: Customer Care, Leadership, Productivity, Selling, Teamwork
posted by William Martin @ 08:20
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