There’s no shortage of statistics supporting the value of building a solid customer experience (CX) program.
For example, a recent Walker study found nearly 9 out of 10 customers will pay more for better experiences; and that the customer experience will become the key brand differentiator by 2020.
Since we know the customer’s experience will continue to play an increasingly important role in growing revenue and market share, why aren’t all brands shifting majority resources toward developing unique, memorable customer experiences?
That question can be answered with another question; who’s to say they aren’t?
Just because a brand intends to offer unique, memorable customer experiences doesn’t mean they will be successful in their efforts. Just like anything else, careful planning and focused execution are paramount to the development of a successful CX strategy.
First, a brand must clearly understand what its customers want. This is no simple task as the ever-changing preferences of the modern consumer can shift daily. Offering customers the chance to voice their opinion and provide feedback whenever possible will help a brand stay aligned with, or at least aware of, customer preferences and expectations.
Upon gaining a handle on preferences and expectations, the brand must establish a collective-internal vision of what ultimate CX “success” would look like. Outlining and articulating details of the overall CX goal provides a framework to guide ongoing decision making and promote consistency across all departments. If the vision becomes fragmented, efforts become disjointed causing disruption along the CX flow.
Once the vision is clear and everyone involved understands their respective roles, there needs to be a system of tracking and reporting key metrics along the way. This will benchmark progress throughout each strategic phase helping to identify areas in need of attention or adjustments in real-time, before they cause irreparable damage.
But before even considering these types of strategic details, a brand needs to determine whether or not it is in a position to take on a CX initiative of this magnitude. Establishing available resources and limitations will give key stakeholders a snapshot of where things currently stand in relation to where they want to go. While it’s always helpful to review industry-leading customer experiences and best practices during the initial conceptualization phases, there’s also value in considering efforts that have fallen short in an effort to learn from the missteps of others.
For a great read covering common pitfalls and pain points of CX strategy development, click here.
If you’d like to discuss how your brand can start or strengthen a CX strategy, give us a call.
We’ve spent over 30 years equipping brands across the country with the strategic guidance, support and data-driven insights needed to build stellar customer experiences. When you win, we win; and we like to win.
