Progress Isn't Linear: How to Know If Your CX Strategy Is Working
DCX Poll; Links to Industry news and the DCX Thought Leader Profile of the Week
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Progress Isn't Linear
How to Know If Your CX Strategy Is Working
Today, I want to get real about something I grapple with in my CX work.
How do I know if I'm actually making a difference?
I don't know about you, but every so often, this nagging doubt creeps in - am I moving the needle here or just spinning my wheels? Some days, I leave work feeling pumped about the customer insights my team uncovered, the fixes we delivered. Other days, I find myself wondering if any of this really matters.
The path of progress in CX can be murky, that’s for sure. Sometimes, you make what feels like a game-changing breakthrough, but metrics barely budge. Other times, a small tweak has a strangely huge impact. Go figure!
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the signals throughout my career that gave me confidence I was on the right track. Here are five key indicators I’ve come to trust:
Our survey metrics start showing more positives than negatives
There's no better feeling than when hard numbers validate you're getting somewhere. I watch our NPS and verbatim survey comments like a hawk. When we see trends toward more unsolicited praise and fewer complaints directly related to initiatives we're working on - bam! The shift toward favorable feedback energizes my whole team to keep the momentum.
People across the organization actively surface customer pain points
I love it when the customer-focused mindset takes hold broadly. When colleagues from sales, product development, IT, and more proactively share pain points or ideas from various touchpoints, I get pumped. Whether it's through our Voice of Customer sharing forums, cross-functional meetings, or impromptu Teams conversations - having more people tapped into the customer lens helps us connect dots. It means CX is becoming more baked into our DNA across departments.
Other departments ask me to workshop their plans
One of my favorite things is when other teams seek out CX guidance for their own work. Whether it's marketing asking for input designing a new campaign, product wanting feedback on a problem they are looking to solve, or the care team sharing concerns about contacts, I light up when collaborative workshop invites hit my calendar.
It shows CX perspectives and best practices are increasingly valued in driving company-wide initiatives. My team's time becomes a coveted and finite resource! Our voice matters, which makes all those long nights poring over journey maps worth it.
Leadership gives CX more runway
There’s no better sign of momentum than when executives offer up more resources, funding, and clearing of roadblocks. That growing air cover makes everything move faster!
I watch carefully for senior leaders visibly removing barriers and smoothing the way. It may be signing off on the headcount I’ve long argued for. Finally, greenlighting that analytics budget. Or even just vocally cheering on priorities in company all-hands meetings.
Having the C-suite or Board invest more in CX makes my job infinitely easier. It gives me tools and political leverage to empower my team. And nothing catalyzes a culture shift faster than knowing this goes straight from the top.
My intuition just feels we're getting somewhere
Yes, it sounds fluffy, but you need to trust your gut in CX! Despite data fluctuations or general business challenges, if I still have passion in my belly, a vision for where we're headed, and a sense we're making lives better - that comes from somewhere.
I don't ignore the numbers but balance quantitative metrics with the qualitative feel in my bones. Especially in the early days when foundational work rarely has an immediate impact, you need to rely on instinct and emotional intelligence.
Over the years, my intuition has developed, and I can just feel when the flywheel starts spinning faster. There's positive momentum in how people talk, an extra shine of possibility despite hurdles.
Of course, we also track all kinds of metrics - NPS, funnel conversion, etc. But in this game, numbers only reveal part of the story. The human gut-feel indicators matter enormously.
Sometimes, CX progress relies less on the data and more on our passion and belief that we can improve things. Even on the tough days when impact feels fleeting, I draw strength from those human signals - my team’s dedication, leadership’s buy-in, and the customer’s voice ringing loud and clear.
That’s my latest pep talk to myself!
Would love to hear how you gauge progress and stay inspired. Drop me a line, friends!
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DCX LinkedIn Poll of the Week
This week, I asked our colleagues in the Customer Experience Professionals Group on Linkedin, Is the customer always right?
A nuanced perspective has emerged from this poll among Customer Experience (CX) professionals, challenging the age-old adage that "the customer is always right." The findings reveal that a commanding 91% of CX professionals do not subscribe to this mantra unequivocally.
This data suggests a transformation in customer service ideology, with implications for how businesses might recalibrate their approach to customer interactions. The results imply an evolving emphasis on discernment and balance, rather than a blanket policy of customer appeasement.
Contextual Skeptics (57%): This group believes that the correctness of a customer's claim is not absolute but varies depending on the situation. They advocate for a case-by-case evaluation of customer interactions.
Realists (34%): These professionals outrightly disagree with the idea that the customer is always right, suggesting that customers can indeed be mistaken and may have unreasonable or unfeasible demands.
This collective skepticism signals a transformative shift away from the traditional customer service paradigm that places the customer's opinion above all else.
Implications for Business Strategy: The emerging consensus calls for a more strategic approach to customer service that balances customer satisfaction with practical business considerations. In response, businesses may take several actions:
Develop training programs that empower employees with the skills to diplomatically handle situations where the customer may be mistaken, ensuring that service quality remains high even when challenging customer expectations.
Reassess customer service policies to incorporate flexibility, enabling representatives to make judgments based on the specifics of each encounter.
Foster a supportive environment that acknowledges the complexity of customer relations and maintains employee morale, even when facing unreasonable demands.
Evaluate the potential for industry-specific customer service models, recognizing that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be effective across different sectors.
The report concludes that the era of the infallible customer is being reexamined. The prevailing sentiment among CX professionals is a call for a more realistic, situation-based assessment of customer claims and a strategic balance between customer satisfaction and operational integrity.
Industry News, Ideas, and Insights
Some auto companies want to put ChatGPT in your car (emergingtechbrew.com)
TomTom, Volkswagen, and Amazon are working on AI technology for easier driving and navigation. Michael Harrell of TomTom believes it will transform the way people interact with their cars. Some in the industry are skeptical due to current limitations. Harman is focusing on using AI to improve driver monitoring systems and non-generative features.
A delivery firm in the UK, DPD, had to turn off part of their AI chatbot after a customer made it swear and criticize the company. The customer, a musician, was frustrated with the chatbot's inability to help with his missing parcel and posted the conversation on social media. DPD has since disabled the inappropriate part of the chatbot and is working on updating their system. The customer believes this incident highlights the frustrating and impersonal experience of using poorly implemented chatbots.
Immersive presentations: how Porsche is stepping into mixed reality - Porsche Newsroom
Porsche is using advanced technology (mixed-reality and spatial computing) to create immersive and informative product demonstrations and technical briefings for media. They have previously used augmented reality on iPhones and are now utilizing mixed-reality to bring virtual worlds to the user. This technology saves costs and resources and has been well-received by journalists. Porsche plans to continue enhancing their presentations with this technology in the future.
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DCX Thought Leader Profile of the Week
Every week, I introduce you to another inspiring professional from LinkedIn who has the potential to make a significant difference in your life and career.
This week, I am pleased to introduce you to Victoria Bough, Partner, CX Transformation at McKinsey & Co.
Victoria Bough is a seasoned Partner at McKinsey & Company with a career marked by impactful roles in customer experience, consulting, and technology. She brings her experience at the forefront of customer-centric transformations, currently co-leading McKinsey's customer experience practice and overseeing its solutions portfolio. Here, she leverages predictive analytics and technology to reshape the client's interaction paradigm with their customers.
Before her ascent at McKinsey, Victoria carved her niche at Forrester Research, having launched its global consulting business and directed the customer experience practice. Her tenure saw her spearheading cross-functional marketing and strategy consulting projects across diverse industries.
“Historically, companies invested in customer experience based on a belief that improvements in customer satisfaction would yield business results,” she says. “But it was always challenging to show the concrete return on their investments during the annual budgeting process.”
An alumnus of illustrious institutions, Victoria holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Masters of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. She blends academic knowledge with practical insights to drive strategic interventions that propel business growth and enhance customer experience.
Victoria's global perspective is underpinned by her travel experiences across over 20 countries, infusing her approach with a diverse viewpoint that enriches project outcomes. She is based in Denver, Colorado, and is passionate about hiking and skiing, finding balance, and inspiration amidst nature.
Respected and valued by her peers, Victoria is not just committed to her professional journey, but also taking the customer experience discourse to greater heights industry-wide.
Thank you for reading this week.
Please share with others you think would benefit.
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-Mark
You’re most certainly on the right track. Getting other departments to request your expertise must be both validating and fulfilling.
Great example of chatbots gone wrong! Keep em coming!