Customer Experience lacks a standard definition, and this means that any one new to the industry can struggle in knowing where to start or how to set goals. In the evolving CX world we're also faced with a new question, is it simply a piece of technology or a full business strategy?
HBR notes that “like “innovation” and “design” it is difficult to find a clear, commonly-held definition (of CX), even though many businesses see improving their customer experience as a competitive differentiator.”
Improving Customer Experience should benefit the customer and the business, and many brands have proven that it does have significant benefits, so how do you start to narrow down what Customer Experience is and start to make significant changes in your business.
Where do you start with Customer Experience?
When executives say, “we’re going to improve the Customer Experience,” it’s important to establish whether they know which aspect of the Customer Experience they’re looking to improve, and where they expect to receive a return on their investment.
By setting this benchmark, businesses won’t lose sight of where they are going to specifically focus their attention on the customer journey or their business processes. It also allows businesses to focus on how particular technologies that will improve their CX rather than waste investment.
Clearing up the definition of Customer Experience before making changes to your business will ensure that everyone is on the same page from the start and do not become diverted or invest time and money in areas that aren’t fundamental to CX development.
In today's world is Customer Experience just about technology?
Customer Experience is often thought of as a single technology which, once implemented, will magically solve all of the company’s problems related to how they interact with their customers. CX technologies are becoming increasingly powerful, allowing customer service agents and marketers to connect with customers and provide a better service with increasing flexibility and ease.
However, as useful as technology is, Customer Experience should be thought of as a business strategy. Only when a business understands how the Customer Experience impacts metrics such as customer acquisition, retention, loyalty, and advocacy can it consider what technologies to adopt to meet their goals.
Business strategies that impact the customer relationship have undergone several iterations over the years. However, whether you’re talking about CRM, social CRM or the Customer Experience, you’re discussing the interaction between a company and its customers. To build a consistent and compelling Customer Experience, businesses need to build a strong business strategy that includes relevant technologies, but also takes other areas of the business into account.
Why does getting your definition right matter?
According to Gartner, 89% of marketers believe that Customer Experience will be their primary differentiator by 2016. This means that getting your definition right and understanding how business strategy drives your CX decisions is your first concern. From this, you can invest in technology to support your business strategy and establish a CX that sets your company apart from the rest of the market.
We’ve put together an Infographic outlining 10 Hacks to help you transform your Customer Experience (with some great Life Hacks we found along the way...) From keeping customers in the loop and making it easy for them to share their feedback to motivating your employees, these 10 Hacks will show you how you can create an engaging and effortless Customer Experience by doing things differently.
