Let’s say you’ve found a way to reduce customer effort in your billing process. The evidence for this change is backed up by customer feedback, operational data and robust financial analysis.It should be a no brainer.
So, why aren’t senior execs listening? Why are you told the budget ‘doesn’t exist’ for VoC programmes? And why isn’t the senior team as customer focused as you?
If this sounds familiar, read on to discover how you can best work with senior execs that aren't customer focused.
Go for bite-sized chunks
As people, we're often resistance to change - especially if it requires dramatic updates to systems, processes and personnel. This thinking is especially common in businesses that can’t pivot quickly. You may have to concede that your recommendations are simply too big for now.Instead, scale them back and deliver them in bite-sized chunks. Use small test cases to show the impact of your changes. If you can highlight the moments of truth where you’re able to make the big differences with the small changes, then senior execs will be more inclined to listen - particularly if you can back this up with data and insight from customers.
Make your case irrefutable
By gathering enough data and customer feedback to support your claims, you’ll make the suggested changes harder to dismiss. Scores and data can create a strong argument for change and by linking these back to the bottom line you'll demonstrate exactly what impact these changes have made.You can also share the why behind the score, using individual customer stories brings the customer (and customer emotion) to life, which makes the arguments for change much harder to ignore.
Seek support from peers
The CX profession is thankfully an inclusive one, with help from others readily available. Someone else will have experienced the same frustrations you’re encountering now, and if you spend some time networking with fellow CX managers, you’ll find out how they tackled similar challenges and be able to adopt their tactics.Be persistent
If you keep plugging away, something will happen. You’ll either break down the wall of defiance or a change will take place that means inaction is no longer an option. The more persistent you are, the clearer it will become that you won’t back down, and if that persistence coincides with the loss of important customers due to the concerns you’ve raised, the senior team will be far more likely to sit up and listen.
