Knowing how to start an article is perhaps the most challenging part. Sitting at my computer, this is one of those pinch-yourself moments where I find myself penning an article for the Customer Experience Magazine (CXM) – a publication I follow and greatly admire.
When I asked my CX mentor, Ian Golding, how I could differentiate my article, his advice was to “tell your story”. So, here it is. These are my personal insights, stories, and perspectives into the world of CX.
Starting my career path
Looking back on my career, I was eager to gain experience within the workplace at a young age. I had my first part-time job when I was just 14 years old. Strict employment laws meant that, while legally permissible, it was challenging to find a business willing to employ someone younger than 16. I persevered and visited a local pet shop with no initial vacancies. I told them I would work for free and could start immediately. The surprised store owner accepted my offer.
After observing my work, they began to pay me from my first day. This store was a 20-minute taxi journey away from where I lived. My pay only covered my travel expenses, but I was ecstatic. I was being paid with something far more valuable than money – life experience!
The job involved looking after various snakes and lizards – I was chosen as many other store workers feared exotics. Thriving in environments which others may seek to avoid would later become a recurring theme throughout my career.
At the time, I did not realise that I was deploying a skill that I would be drawing upon heavily throughout my career. Empathy. I am an empath at heart. I could read how people and animals felt and made it my job to understand why they felt that way. I applied the same approach to customers.
I revelled in the customer interaction side of the role. I can vividly recall the palpable excitement when they took their new family member home — my first taste of genuine job satisfaction. I have applied this same aim, seeking ways to leave a lasting impression and make things easier for our customers, wherever I have worked.
Being in the CX community
My philosophy is simple, without customers, we have no business! Therefore, it makes logical business sense to place your customers at the heart of your operations. Your business priorities should be dictated by your customers’ needs and not the other way round. Many businesses claim to take this approach in a press release, but how many truly do that?
Making a difference for our customers motivates me. As I gained experience and opportunity, I gained great satisfaction in discovering ways to make tangible differences. This is where I found myself one amongst the CX Professionals.
To be a successful CX professional, you must authentically care about your customers’ experiences. You also need to bring high energy and passion to the table. Without this drive and determination to make a difference, it would be like possessing the latest iPhone without a charge. Capable of delivering a multitude of fantastic applications, but with one crucial component missing required to unlock the full potential.
Focusing on CX with purpose
Focusing on your customers’ requirements is, undeniably, what is needed to take your business to the next level. Well, how do you go about putting this into action? Great question! And one that is difficult to reply to with a one-size fits all approach.
It depends on a myriad of factors. For example – the size of your organisation, the market you operate in, your available resources, and your customers’ interests.
Here are some structured tips for you to work on and implement.
1. Have a focused effort on unstructured feedback channels
Organisations often have a wealth of (loyal) customer insight actively supplied through unstructured feedback loops and listening posts. Yet, they are paying little attention to this insight. This is a colossal mistake, as it means that those organisations are not unlocking the full potential of their customers’ feedback. They are not leveraging the value.
2. Pay close attention to forecasted customer issues
Doing so enables you to identify pain points throughout your journeys and provide enhancement recommendations for process improvements. Then make sure to share the sentiment of your customers widely with key decision makers. It is a disservice to your C-Suite if you keep this insight to only your VOC/CX team, and do not empower your leaders with a glimpse into the experiences your customers are encountering. Knowing your customers’ likes and dislikes (and understanding them) is core to ensuring your journeys and experiences align with your customers’ needs.
3. Ensure you are present wherever possible
As CX professionals, we add significant value by viewing matters through a uniquely customer-focused lens. This is part of the magic that CX professionals bring to the table. While each stakeholder represents an alternatively valuable perspective, we are the sole representatives whose focus is exclusively targeted towards enhancing CX. We can only do that if we are part of what is happening. Your CX representatives should be involved in anything significant that will touch your customers.
Once you have tackled the above, you have laid the foundations for accelerating your CX efforts. If you are successful, you will have built credibility and earned authority in the process.
Staying human as CX professionals
When conceiving initiatives, it’s essential to prioritise your efforts by what will have the most significant impact on CX optimisation, and what helps your organisation achieve its strategic objectives. It is not about what looks good in the company newsletter but instead, leaving a lasting impression.
My philosophy is that companies need to shift their focus from purely profit-driven, to driven by a strong sense of purpose. We need to ask – “why does our organisation exist?” “What do we offer to the communities we serve?” I appreciate the need for businesses to turn a healthy profit. But I believe that companies which achieve their purpose are profitable by default.
Whenever your organisation finds itself at a crossroads, make sure you are asking yourself the following questions:
- “How would we feel in the customer’s shoes?”
- “Can we make this easier?”
- “Is there a better way?”
- “Is the focus on our customers?”
As CX professionals, we know that customers only remember two experiences: the very good and the very bad. We need to ensure that our organisations are memorable for the right reasons.
We also understand that how customers feel is integral to this success. After all, the emotional element of an experience is what customers remember. This is what drives their purchasing decisions.