The Evolution of Customer Experience: What is your customer experience like at the moment? 

Does it feel great, just good or leave you underwhelmed or worse, upset, annoyed and frustrated? 

Has it got better? 

Do you feel like you receive a ‘joined-up’ service? Or are you passed around? 

Does the NPS – C-Sat invitation inspire you or leave you cold? 

Does it feel personal to you? 

Does it feel like things have gone backwards? 

At MiM we often feel it’s not great, and in some cases, going backwards. We experience frustrations with wait times, standard COVID resourcing messages, slow processes that are not linked together and the continual need to provide the same information.  

McKinsey in their ‘The State of Customer Care in 2022’ research concluded: 

“Customer care leaders are facing a perfect storm of challenges…” 

Now ‘customer care’ is often used as the main component driving the ‘customer experience.’ In our view, the experience should be seen as related to both single events and patterns created by a series of interactions – across all channels and interaction points offered and used at all stages of a relationship, from an initial buyer to a long-term customer or partner. 

One of the biggest challenges that businesses face is getting to grips with their customer experience.  The experience of buying products is as key as service or care contacts. Similarly, customer experience is not just the preserve of the ‘experience team’ or people in ‘sales and service.’ It should be a strategic focus across the whole business – from the C-suite to the front line. 

Now…back to the storm. 

Volumes of contacts and interactions are increasing. Digital solutions are often not yet delivered. Skilled staff are more mobile and harder to replace; adding all this to the rising expectations, surging inflation, and cost pressure, makes a storm indeed.  

We see progress and solutions beginning at the top of the organisation, informed by the front-line colleagues who experience everyday challenges. 

Having executive alignment around strategy, objectives, actions and measures through to intentionally building the right culture and exhibiting the right behaviours to motivate, enthuse, and build trust – all are essential.  

Your strategy and plans should be comprehensive and be based on a clear understanding of what ‘customer experience’ actually is made up of and what you want it to be. Simplify where needed, apply skill and capability at the right times and link your customer’s experience to your people. 

You will need to invest in your technology and processes, due to continuous digital advancements. In parallel, you will be investing in your people, in their management, skills and capabilities, removing constraints and silo’s they often try to deliver through.  

Your spending needs to be smart to achieve its return. You will need to set matched and aligned KPIs and measures across marketing, sales, service and operations – it is an end-to-end requirement.  

You will need to communicate as adeptly inside your business as outside, and expertly in each interaction. You will be focusing as much on the emotional impact and empathy outcomes as meeting initial needs. 

As a reminder – Why are we doing this? 

• Your customers –  Salesforce published that 80% of customers now point to customer experience as a key differentiator and 67% have higher standards than ever before.  

• According to Deloittes, spending can increase by up to 140% after a positive experience and care costs can reduce by 33%. 
• Brands that scored in the top 25% in terms of employee engagement scored 10% higher on customer metrics. (Forbes)  

• Your competition – According to CX Index, 34% of companies surveyed had motivating and building trust with employees as a primary strategic target and 44% were increasing budgets for customer experience initiatives. 

• All CEO surveys show a continued focus on growth, digital and technology but a sharply rising priority around workforce, diversity and sustainability – reflecting your customer’s views. 

You may be facing challenges at the moment, related to growth, performance, integration, change or leadership. Those challenges may be based on capability or process, or may be reflected in culture and mindset.  

Our starting point is you and your business. We invest time in talking to you. Once we understand the nature of your challenges and the opportunities that you have, we can help. 

We build from within, not apply from outside. Creating method, rhythm and rigour within change. Developing and enhancing from a baseline that is yours and yours alone. Changing mindsets, behaviours, capabilities, processes, interactions and, importantly … outcomes. 

We may agree to be a sounding board for ideas and approaches. We could be expert advisors, facilitators, trainers, coaches or change partners. 

We never forget that it is fundamentally about you and your customers, creating results and continually improving. 

Transform your Customers and People’s Experience with Masters in Minds. You know what to do if you want to discuss! 

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