When leaders share best practices and learn from one another, customer experiences improve. In this spirit, CX Today’s All-Star initiative was born.
Today’s All-Star line-up is stacked with industry leaders who have seen it all: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Recalling these experiences, 10 leaders put forward their most treasured lessons, which have held them in good stead as their careers have progressed.
Below, our All-Stars layout these lessons and – in some cases - offer cautions as to what could happen if their peers overlook their advice.
1. Innovate Now, or Be Left Behind Forever
Andrew Morawski, EVP & GM, Oracle Communications, articulated the importance of innovation perfectly. He explained, “The most valuable lesson around CX that I've learned is that the winners in every iteration of the next mobile generation are those who are constantly innovating.
[They look] at the latest advances in technology to create quicker, seamless, better customer experiences through the channels they prefer using.
“This means being everywhere your customers are but creating experiences that speak to their unique needs.”
A key point here is to understand customer intents and to compose an experience – blending channels, AI, and humans – that fits the bill.
2. Push the CX Train Forward with the Team Fully Onboard
Rosebella Abok, Global Head of Customer Experience at ENGIE Energy Access (Africa), stressed the importance of earning employee buy-in when moving the CX needle.
“Change management is core to successfully implementing a CX Strategy,” she said. “Our mindset and behavior as employees is an endeavor to be a role model; reinforce mechanisms; develop talent and skills; and foster understanding and conviction.”
3. Invest In CX, and Brand Loyalty Will Pay You Back
Jacob Eells, Customer Support Manager at CareScribe, urged his peers not to shy away from investing in CX. He said:
“By investing in the customer experience, you can see a return on investment that is beyond what new business can bring in, as well as build brand loyalty and make customers for life.”
4. Prioritize Empathy and Communicate with Care
Kumaraguru Loganathan, Contact Center Technology Manager at Priceline, gave tips on obtaining a gold standard in customer experience.
“The most valuable lesson that I learned in customer service is always to prioritize empathy and actively listen to understand your customer's needs and perspective,” he said.
“This builds trust and loyalty, even when providing imperfect solutions; essentially, ‘putting yourself in the customer's shoes’ to truly care about their situation.”
5. Lead with Your Head, Heart, & Hands
How to showcase leadership in CX could be a whole article in itself, but it can be articulated in three succinct focal points: hearts, heads, and hands.
That’s according to Georges Essama, Senior Manager of Customer Experience at Cameroon Telecommunications, who said: “I believe that sustainable success in driving change through customer experience is the combination of impacting hearts, heads, and hands.
“Hearts to convince people to willingly embrace change. Heads to equip them with the right skills and knowledge. Finally, hands to work hard and fight for the change that will impact your customers and employees. This is the most important role of the leadership.”
6. Collaborate with Critical CX Stakeholders
Out of all the talking points highlighted by the CX All-Stars, collaboration is by far the easiest to talk about but perhaps the hardest to implement.
The benefits of fostering a collaborative environment are unparalleled, with Susanna Baque, Senior Director of Global Customer Experience at SCIEX, emphasizing the “importance of working with multiple leaders and functions to ensure strategic alignment and successful implementation of CX initiatives and programs.
“CX is a team effort that requires effective leadership, too.”
7. Break Down Those Internal Silos
Businesses run the risk of human and data silos - ultimately harming customer experience and service – when they don’t cultivate cross-function relationships.