Just as brands need consumers to purchase their goods and services to stay afloat in today's competitive market, social networks would be nothing more than online ghost towns without the people who populate these pages with their thoughts and experiences. But, while social media offers consumers an outlet for their opinions, such channels also open up the opportunity to build relationships that exist beyond the company's traditional offerings and cultivate the strong trust and loyalty behind brand advocacy.
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Firms crave differentiation. But the truth is that even companies with dedicated time and budget for customer experience innovation focus most of their efforts on two things - whatever their competitors are doing and whatever the latest technology enables them to do. When companies blindly add shiny new features or trendy technologies to their mix of customer experiences, they're innovating just for innovation's sake.
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Facebook has revolutionized the way consumers interact with friends, family, and brands. But, just as these shoppers have incorporated the social network into their daily routines, companies must also work to make social media an integral part of their customer strategy. For Migros, winner in the Social and Mobile Engagement category of this year's Gartner & 1to1 Media CRM Excellence Awards (EMEA/APAC region), Facebook now represents the key component behind the brand's interactive loyalty program.
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Plato said knowledge is the food of the soul. For companies aiming to engage intelligently with their customers, knowledge is the appetizer, main course, and dessert. Without knowledge about their customers, companies can't understand their needs, preferences, or buying histories and therefore are unable to deliver the most optimal service strategies as a result of that deficit. Siloed information, multiple customer channels, and legacy systems continue to threaten knowledge's stronghold in organizations.
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Though many companies are product or service driven, customers remain at the heart of every operation. In most instances, consumers have numerous options when it comes to the companies they interact with, and in today's increasingly competitive market, price no longer reigns as the deciding factor--customer service trumps all.
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I recently came across an interview with Amazon Chairman and CEO Jeff Bezos, in which he was quoted this: "What's dangerous is not to evolve...You have to have a willingness to fail.... It's not enough to just listen to customers; you have to invent on their behalf."
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Sometimes employees do stupid things that negatively affect the customer experience. And sometimes the leadership of those companies can flip a potential disaster into a positive public relations coup, gaining positive customer sentiment as a result.
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At some point after their companies find-and-fix the low-hanging fruit that create problems for customers, customer experience leaders hit a wall. That wall is the outdated operational models upon which most companies were built. These models were conceived decades ago, based on the existing capabilities and constraints of the day, when the primary vehicle for value was tied up in the product/service itself. Within these operating models, firms have worked to optimize processes like marketing, sales and distribution focused on
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Good customer service is difficult to come by these days, but even more elusive is fun service. Some companies like Southwest Airlines and Zappos rely on laughter to stand out from the competition. In fact, Zappos, famed for its customer service that goes the extra mile for customers, has created a company culture that instills having fun on the job. One of Zappos' core values is, "Create Fun and a Little Weirdness," which includes 10 principles, among them, "Deliver WOW
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There are many management styles and advice available to business leaders today, but maybe none as pertinent as lessons from Sir Terry Leahy, former CEO of Tesco and author of Management in 10 Words.
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Forrester has just released the latest version of an annual favorite: "How Companies Improved Their CXi Scores, 2013." As we do each year, we compiled a list of brands whose scores went up five or more points in our Customer Experience Index over the past year (in this case, between 2012 and 2013). We asked CX leaders from those brands if they'd be willing to tell us what they did to drive those improvements. Finally, we synthesized their answers into
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The key to success is often the ability to adapt to change. When it comes to showrooming, trying out products in stores and then ordering them from online competitors that charge less, some retailers are realizing the importance of not only adapting to this change, but also embracing it.
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At Forrester, we define customer experience as how customers perceive their interactions with your company. Over the past few years, my colleagues and I have written a lot about the perceptions piece of that definition. Here's a quick overview: Customers' perceptions occur on three different levels, which we collectively refer to as the customer experience pyramid. At the base of the pyramid is "meets needs." Do customers perceive that you've met their basic needs and provided value through the interaction?
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A chemical manufacturer with a solid customer listening program noticed an uptick in complaints about pricing. Unlike many firms, which would take the comments at face value and take action accordingly, this company first stepped back and reflected on its strategy: It sold premium chemical for advanced applications targeted at particular industries, so it surmised that the company shouldn't see this kind of feedback. It conducted some root cause analysis, talking to those customers. It learned that some distributors were
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There's a distinct difference between hearing and listening. While most companies hear what their customers are saying about the brand via social media, very few truly listen to the problems at the core of customer sentiment so they may act upon such feedback to improve experience. Social insight presents companies with an interesting and educational look into how customers interact with and perceive the brands they do business with, yet most companies remain at the starting stages of strategic expansion,
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When it comes to providing the best service experience possible, the customer defines success. Though many companies approach service and support as just another metric to be maximized, those that emphasize quality over call times differentiate themselves from the competition and excel in customer satisfaction. For Cisco and Cigna, winners in the Customer Service Optimization category of the 2013 Gartner & 1to1 Media CRM Excellence Awards, superior service isn't simply a goal to be attained, but also a foundation on
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Today we announce the winners of the 2013 Gartner & 1to1 Media CRM Excellence Awards. I've been with 1to1 Media since the inception of the awards and have seen it evolve into what it has become today: An international program that recognizes customer experience leaders--companies that have taken chances and have overcome adversity to advance their customer-centric practices forward.
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Each year, the Gartner & 1to1 Media CRM Excellence Awards are given to end-user organizations that have implemented successful customer strategy and CRM initiatives. These awards spotlight excellence among organizations that take a customer-centric approach to improving their business performance and have proven results from doing so.
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As an avid personal investor I'm often appalled by cable shows that report on the markets as if they were non-stop sporting events. Seriously, how many people care how the NASDAQ or the Dow are doing on any given minute of any given day? But apparently there are enough day traders out there that noon reports from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange are as compelling as half-time reports during the NFL playoffs.
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No matter where you choose to sit on a train, there will be a time when each seat goes backward or forward. But, just because every car's situated in this fashion does not mean that the rail line's policies and practices should be, too. When it comes to Amtrak's ticketing procedures, some methods have taken off with great speed and determination, while others have stalled out at the station.
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Of the six disciplines in Forrester's customer experience maturity model, design is probably the least understood. It's is not taught in most business schools (although this is starting to change at institutions like Stanford and the University of Toronto). It's also not widely practiced in most companies outside of specialized groups that focus on digital touchpoints. And so it remains a mystery to most business people. That's a shame, because design is an incredibly valuable business tool -- and it's
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Companies are in a constant state of courtship. Though each first encounter may only be brief, they must put forth much effort to nurture that initial spark and kindle the potential flame. Each customer represents another chance to develop a long-term relationship, but communications often only come in intermittent bursts at first. If that first transaction proves positive, the brand in question may just warrant a repeat purchase--maybe even lifetime loyalty if all goes well!
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It disappoints me when customer experience professionals at B2B companies won't even consider CX practices from business-to-consumer companies. Sure, B2B firms can learn a lot from other B2B firms: Cisco has an amazing voice of the customer program, Boeing does great work conducting field studies of their customers, and Adobe has a notable CX governance practice. But unless B2B customer experience practitioners want to run the CX race with one foot in a bucket, they should also learn strategy from
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A well-aligned strategy serves as the building blocks of a company's products and services, and eventual growth. But that doesn't just mean that a company's marketing messaging or customer service must be consistent across channels; it also means that an organization's marketing must align to the actual products and service it delivers.
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Just one week ago, as white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel, millions of people took to Twitter to express their joy and excitement over the election of Pope Francis. With nearly 130,000 tweets per minute, citizens across the globe welcomed the new pope, the first elected since the advent of the smartphone, the tablet, and Twitter. But it wasn't until the smoke cleared that we could finally see technology's impact on our lives in just eight short years.
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"Truly elegant design incorporates top-notch functionality into a simple, uncluttered form." -David Lewis I consider myself a design devotee. Not of high-end fashion, but the kind that lends itself to functional and seamless customer experiences. So much so that I'm not only in constant pursuit of flawless customer experiences, but I also take note of imperfect ones that stick out like a sore thumb.
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There's no question that executive support can make or break a voice of the customer program. With an executive (or several) on board, VoC teams can get the funding and tools that they need to succeed. And VoC leaders from Forrester's 2012 Voice of the Customer Awards almost unanimously gave others the advice to build executive support.
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Though the Better Business Bureau may "start with trust" at its core, for the council's Southern California chapter, the journey ended in expulsion. Built upon honesty, the BBB works to protect every consumer's best interests by making sure companies across industries uphold the highest standards and keep true to their promise. But when an ABC News investigation uncovered this hidden "pay to play" culture, the BBB determined that this chapter did not maintain the very standards this organization commands.
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Over the past seven years, Forrester has observed the trend of companies putting in place a senior executive responsible for leading customer experience efforts across a business unit or an entire company. Whether firms call them a chief customer officer (CCO) or give them some other label, they are sitting at the highest levels of their companies and exist in both B2C and B2B companies as diverse as GM, UnitedHealth, Fidelity, Level 3 Communications, and Eli Lilly.
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Last month I was in Europe with a group of customer experience professionals from various divisions of the same large company. Although their expertise was at varying levels, no one was clueless and everyone seemed highly motivated. About halfway through the all-day session, one of the attendees asked me a question that I'm going to paraphrase here.
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Relationships often begin with a spark. For some, the fire burns bright, withstanding the test of time, but for others, the flame quickly fizzles into a puff of smoke. But, just as person-to-person relationships take much time and effort to maintain and grow, business-to-customer relationships require work to keep the attraction alive. Here at 1to1 Media, we spoke with Keith Pearce, head of market dynamics at Genesys, to explore why customers become "disenchanted" by their brand relationships, how companies can
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When you tell someone you remember card catalogs in a time before online databases, they immediately assume you have three grown children and a mortgage. But, once people discover you're really a 25-year-old woman with the countenance of a teenager, you suddenly become the enemy--a lobotomized creature that cannot function without the support of their smartphone. To most companies, I am not an individual, but one of many. I am just another piece in a puzzle they cannot seem to
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To quote Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, "'Trust is the new black." But in these days where making the bond between brands and their customers is essential to economic prosperity, it seems like some companies are still donning yesterday's trends of relying on deceptive practices by not proactively reaching out to customers to help them make informed decisions.
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I was flipping through the 2012 Forrester Voice of the Customer Award nomination forms the other day, and I realized that I've been unwittingly holding on to a valuable resource -- all the advice that we asked nominees to impart on other voice of the customer programs. The very last of the six questions on our nomination form is, "What advice would you give to other organizations to make their programs successful?" We got some great answers from the 40
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Gone are the days when the average tourist wandered around with a paper map in one hand and a camera around their neck. Thanks to smartphones, these travelers can carry a world of maps and their trusty camera right in their back pocket. But for those popular attractions and tourist destinations that recognize this change in behavior, mobile devices have the ability to engage visitors in an entirely new way.
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Last October, Barnes & Noble announced a data breach at 63 of its stores, reporting that one PIN pad device used by customers to swipe credit and debit cards had been compromised in each affected store. The bookseller didn't report the breach for at least one month in order not to impede an ongoing federal investigation.
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If you peruse the shelves of your favorite store, what you see isn't necessarily all you can get. Through DailyGrommet.com, creators have an opportunity to share their concepts and products--those that have yet to enter the mainstream retail world--with consumers through the website's product launch platform. DailyGrommet.com provides individuals with the chance to share their innovative, unique creations with their robust, "citizen commerce" community. But, while users were once limited to phone, email, or Web submissions, creators and consumers now
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Despite professed customer centricity, many firms don't think to involve customers, employees, or key partners in the experience design process. That's unfortunate, because this activity - called co-creation - can help companies understand what types of interactions will best meet people's needs, and then figure out how to implement those interactions the right way.
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Customers are kind, mean, and everything in between. But, every now and then, customer service representatives encounter customers that are off the charts. These requests leave service professionals scratching their heads as they conjure up ways to satisfy the consumer despite their confusion. Yet, while these interactions may be strange at the time, they typically make for entertaining stories after the fact.
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Allow us to paint a vision of the future for you: After interactions with your favorite companies, no one asks you how you liked those interactions. Your email inbox contains no requests for a few minutes of your time. No one asks you to wait on the phone line to answer a few questions. The word "survey" has vanished from your vocabulary.
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Months ago, an old friend from college recommended I visit the nail salon she frequented during her time at school. My mother and I were in search of cleanliness and reliability, so we both turned to Facebook for trusted recommendations. Since then, we've become regular customers, visiting every now and then to indulge in the traditional manicure/pedicure. While my mother enjoys the chance to escape reality, I've come to depend on the flawless appearance to deter me from my nervous
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Delta proved last week that it must have learned a thing or two from United Airlines' lack of response in 2008 to now famed passenger David Carroll when a flight crew broke his guitar after tossing it, prompting him to record "United Breaks Guitars." The song launched him into an Internet sensation and made him the poster boy for the power of social media when customers are wronged.
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The way that firms can deliver value to clients has massively changed. Firms can interact with customers in the context of using products (e.g. think Rosetta Stone and language coaches). In fact, customers interacting with each other within the product may deliver more value than the product itself. Companies can harness the data exhaust of product usage and turn it into powerfully useful information to help customers succeed at their goals (e.g. think Nike+ and fitness).
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It's that time of year again, when predictions, trends, and resolutions articles come out of the woodwork to help guide our expectations for the coming year. At 1to1 Media, we've included a few of our own around the customer experience.
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Over the past two years, consumer technology adoption and market forces have catapulted the field of customer experience into strategic stature. In 2012, this shift manifested itself privately through sweeping organizational changes at companies in nearly every industry -- and shined publicly through professional organizations, the media, and even in the courts.
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The New Year has arrived, and companies across industries are creating their own resolutions for 2013. But for these improvements to take root, customers have to be willing to better themselves alongside their favorite brands. Many satisfying experiences hinge upon customer-to-customer interactions, yet companies rarely look to alter customer etiquette in their attempt to boost satisfaction. Customers consistently expect more from their most trusted brands, yet they often neglect to give in return.
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A couple of months ago, I spoke at a conference in Las Vegas. Immediately before my talk, two advertising execs, one a professed quant geek and the other a "creative," spoke about how their agencies rely less on hunches these days and more on quantitative data to drive emotional relevance between their clients and consumers. "We can identify human emotions in massive rivers of data," the ad men said. When I pressed them for an example during the Q&A session,
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Every Christmas, my mother complains because she has no idea what to get me. I haven't asked for a dollhouse in years, but I have yet to move into an apartment of my own, leaving her in gift-giving limbo because I don't quite fit into anything but the gift card demographic (and gift cards just aren't personal enough). She begs me to give her hints or ideas, but nothing comes to mind. Instead of clamoring for every must-have gadget and
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As 2012 draws to a close, I have a few wishes for 2013 to ensure that we all have better customer experiences.
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In the absence of a chief customer officer (CCO)--or even real buy-in from executives for expending time and resources on improving the customer experience--many customer experience leaders struggle to ignite the kind of culture change that re-focuses how executives and employees do things. I came across a Harvard Business Review article by Debra Meyerson called "Radical Change, The Quiet Way," from October 2001, which offered sage advice that applies to any customer experience leader.
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Though the "end of the world" looms, none of us will know whether the Mayan predictions hold true until Friday. But, even if Saturday comes and life continues as usual, there's no reason we shouldn't have a little fun as we fight our potential fate. For JELL-O, this means appeasing the Mayan gods with the "funnest" sacrifice--JELL-O Pudding.
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Santa sees you when you're sleeping, and he knows when you're awake, but the average Christmas song neglects to highlight this jolly old man's keen business sense. Just take a moment to evaluate St. Nick's behavior in Miracle on 34th Street and you will discover that under his white beard lies the face of an experienced customer service professional.
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We can expect it every year around this time: Video clips featured in the news of busy delivery men hoisting holiday packages over customers' fences or whipping them into theiryards, breaking the contents within.The news anchors, horrified at what they're witnessing, then discuss options to remedy this behavior.
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Recently I was on a panel about the impact of cultural change on customer experience. My fellow panelists included Meltem Uysaler, a senior vice president of customer experience for Citi; and Patricia John, the customer experience director for Europcar U.K. (a car rental agency).
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For most of my life, I've been considered a child in the eyes of the law. But, even though my ID now claims I'm older than I appear, there's no denying that the holiday season ignites the spark that brings my inner child back to life. Retailers can put every TV, tablet, and smartphone in the entire store on sale and I will still gravitate toward the toy aisle.
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