Developing a holistic CX programme
I was chatting to a friend outside of the industry not long after my piece about Voice of the Customer went live and she made the excellent point, “Fine, but what should businesses do?” Good question. In fact, it fits with what I’d planned to write about for a while now, Developing a holistic CX programme.
Last time I explained why I believe that Voice of the Customer (VOC) programmes (and Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) software) were not sufficient for a CX programme. They’re useful for tactical purposes but risk missing the point if used in isolation.
Let’s begin by considering a four-level hierarchy which may be used to contextualise a CX programme.
1. Visionary. Medium to long-term industry and consumer trends to be aware of and understand when making decisions around CX investment. E.g. ride sharing, a looming recession/depression (as much as one can predict such things), open banking implications, the development of the internet (were we to be running this in the 1990’s).
2. Strategic. One to two-year horizon to cover the majority of major CX investment decisions. The 2-3 big initiatives of the coming year. E.g. launch of a major app., drive to digital support, rebranding, entry of a disruptive competitor.
3. Tactical. Refinements and improvements to existing programmes over the coming months. E.g. various campaigns, staff training, website improvements.
4. Operational. Day-to-day operations. E.g. website, call centre, store operations, fulfilment, support etc.
One can appreciate that at the Visionary level the scope for change is wide and the ability to quantify is low. Conversely, at the Operational level, the scope for change is practically non-existent whilst the ability to quantify performance is high. To my way of thinking, the challenge for a CX programme is thus to:
1. Provide long-term guidance in a constantly changing market
2. Identify the need and then support the development and rollout of major CX initiatives
3. Support the continually refinement of all customer touch-points
4. Drive consistency in everyday interactions
And if that’s not enough:
5. Ensure an appropriate level of investment (just enough to achieve objectives) in each part of the customer experience
6. Be able to respond quickly to a crisis or unexpected opportunity
When I find a little time, I’ll jot down some thoughts on the components of a holistic CX programme.