Many people believe they have CX sussed, but so often at our masterclasses when we ask our delegates what they think customer experience means, or what they think they need to achieve great customer relationships, the same untruths surface every time.
So, we want to put these untruths to bed once and for all. Here we bust 5 of the customer experience myths we hear all the time.
1. CX is about Tech
Yes, tech is totally an enabler. We believe that digital customer engagement tools can truly give your business a competitive edge, but technology it isn’t a silver bullet. Investing in tech will only make your business stronger if it is used correctly. Technology is an opportunity to automate certain customer interactions, but it isn’t a replacement for human interaction – aside from streamlining processes and making your customers’ lives easier, your tech should be freeing up your employees to make meaningful connections and lasting impression with your customers.
2. You need a big budget.
Improving CX doesn’t need to cost big bucks, it just takes big change a shift in paradigms. The only thing your organisation must invest in is spreading your message and ensuring that everyone is on board with constantly and consistently applying your CX principles across your entire organisation. The people, the product and the processes that impact on your customer must all be lined up like little ducks with your customer-centric principles neatly in a row. Consistency, not cash, is the key.
3. CX is the remit of the few.
Implementing initiatives to enhance customer experience is about getting all 1,000 people that work for you to apply one small improvement, rather than a few people in your organisation to make dramatic, sweeping changes. For change to be meaningful, it must be universal. Enhancing customer experience is about changing your business at its core, and developing policies and strategies that permeate your entire organisation. Start with small changes, scale them up, then keep growing your initiatives. Ensure you record and communicate the incremental improvements and success to everyone in your business.
4. If I am measuring customer satisfaction, then I am customer-centric.
Sadly, wrong. If you measure your weight, does that make you health-conscious? No, it just means you know what you weigh. That’s a good step towards health-consciousness, but it isn’t enough – you need goals, you need accountability and you need action. In much the same way, if the outcomes into your research into customer satisfaction are not linked to KPIs and accountability then you are totally wasting your (and your customer’s) time.
5. The customer takes front and centre stage.
Nope, wrong again. Your customer is your raison d’etre, of course, but there is someone at the core of your business who without you cannot and will not achieve positive customer relationships. Who? Your employee. Think of the people who work for you like an internal customer, because you cannot expect great CX without awesome SEX (staff engagement experience.) Your employer brand and reputation will impact on your commercial brand and reputation, but there is more at stake than that. The people who work for you are the most important part of your business because only when you get it right with them will they be getting it right with your customers. Forget that at your peril.
It’s time to stop believing in these CX fairytales that are preventing your business from gaining the competitive advantage that truly exceptional customer experience can bring. If you aren’t looking at CX as a strategic differential value, then you are behind your competitors, and it’s time to play catch up.
It’s nlighten’s mission to help you uncover more truths about CX and how it can lead your organisation to success. Contact us to find out the ways we can work with you to do just that.
View the previous nlighten article by Nathalie Schooling: No Pain, No CX Gain
nlighten. enhancing customer experience: www.nlightencx.com
Customer Experience Masterclass: Get results by thinking like a customer experience pro – Invest a day in our value-packed interactive CX coaching. The quality of your customers’ experiences defines your success. | JHB – 9 October 2019
Improve your customer/client experience
nlightencx. shares with you, our latest CX tips, trends and articles on how to create the ultimate experience for your customers.