The CX Perfection Paradox

A key CX guiding principle may be harming your CX program and how to transform it into experiences that truly build trust and loyalty.

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Weekly inspiration, education, and coaching for customer-obsessed leaders.

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This week’s newsletter goes deep into why flawless CX is a myth and how you can assess and plan a better strategy:

• The Price of Perfection

• The Science of Trust

• Unlocking Authenticity

• Professional Insights: Authentic Examples

• Authenticity & Transparency: Practical Tactics

• The Authenticity and Transparency Audit

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The Price of Perfection

We've all heard the buzzwords: seamless, flawless, exceptional.

The perfect customer experience. Sounds great, right?

But let's get real - what does "perfect" even mean when it comes to CX?

And is it actually possible (or even something we should be aiming for)?

You've probably felt the pressure to deliver perfection—to stick to the script, put on a flawless show, and never let 'em see you sweat.

But here's the thing: CX perfection?

It's a total myth. And chasing after it can seriously backfire.

Okay, so on the surface, trying to be perfect might seem like a good thing. I mean, who doesn't want to give their customers the best of the best?

But take a closer look, and you'll see some major downsides:

1. Fakeness Alert: When you force employees to follow scripts and plaster on a fake smile, things start feeling robotic and insincere real quick.

Customers can sniff out a forced grin or a canned response from a mile away, and it puts up a wall between you and them.

2. Burnout City: Constantly pushing for perfection? Talk about stress.

It's a one-way ticket to CX team burnout, sky-high turnover, and a staff that's perpetually on the brink of a meltdown.

No thanks.

3. Missed Connections: When perfection's the end-all-be-all, there's not much room for the kind of authentic human interactions that actually build relationships.

Sure, customers might be wowed by a flawless performance, but they won't feel truly valued or understood.

So, if perfection's not the answer, what is?

Before we get to that, let’s examine what really drives loyalty—trust. The science behind it is pretty darn fascinating.

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The Science of Trust

Ever heard of the "truth-default theory"?