The 90-second preview transcript provides a nice taster for the main course
Prelude to the main podcast
Now, as you already mentioned there, Ran, at the end of the day, everything comes back to customer experience. It’s the customer who creates all the work for our organizations. So it makes sense that we should be focusing our attention on how do we deliver successful customer outcomes. So in the context of generative AI, that puts our whole CX world on steroids, if you like, because many of the things that we’ve been saying for the last 15 or 20 years are now able to come to fruition in double quick time.
So with those sort of things in mind, you know, setting the sort of the scene there, you know, we’ve got, we’ve got areas, I won’t dive into detail. I’m certainly not going to go technical today, but we’ve got the areas like personalization, you know, the ability to be able to understand that our customers at a singular level.
So whether we’re a B2C, a B2B, a government, a not for profit, a charity or whatever, getting a real intimate understanding of our customers and the data associated with that allows us to really [00:01:00] personalize a service and a product we can deliver. Likewise, there’s things that we can do which have always been like, you know, we quest for 24 7 service, don’t we?
We want to deliver that for our customers, but it could become inordinately expensive. But with generative AI now, we can offer that as a service where people can interact, you know, in, in multimodal models. So, you know, through the phone, through the web, you know, through their apps and anyway they want to have a consistent set of interactions and be able to capture that in a way that seamlessly can connect with customer successes.
Steve Towers, Chief Experience Officer for the BPG, an expert in customer experience, enjoys spreading his enthusiasm for this field through coaching, consultancy, keynote speeches and books.
He helps companies win the triple crown – the simultaneous ability to increase revenues, decrease costs, and enhance service – through the CEMMethod, which is now in version 15.
With over three decades of experience working with large enterprises worldwide, Steve has distilled the successful strategies of top-performing organizations into a proprietary methodology that can be easily imparted to CX teams and executives.
His forte lies in envisioning the future of customer-centricity, customer experience, process management and realizing long-term benefits from business transformation. Steve’s approach combines customer-focused thinking, cutting-edge technologies, and a human touch.
Steve is also an entrepreneur and an early-stage investor in software companies like Parallel.
Here’s just one example from last week of all times where Tesla, let’s put the name out there as a warning to others, has been, over the years, the top in Net Promoter Score performance, if you like, across their particular industry. And yet at the same time, their customers are experiencing increasing issues.
Poorer customer service has mapped through the number of complaints that they were receiving. So how could it be that they were being so successful with N P S compared with the rest of the industry? While at the same time the number of complaints have been increasing. And last week it was noted that people were gaming the system.
if you pay people for doing dumb stuff, they’ll get really smart at it.
Steve Towers
Tesla not measuring up
They were doing this by attaching the NPS and Customer Satisfaction scores to bonus schemes. Hence, not surprisingly, the scores were going up, the scores were improving month on month, quarter on quarter and year on year, right? And as it says, if you pay people for doing dumb stuff, they’ll get really smart at it.
And that’s precisely part of Tesla’s problem. And this goes back, and this isn’t like one incident. This goes back six or seven years, and there are reports that you can get through the links later on. They laid off a whole bunch of staff in finance and marketing for actually gaming the system and being very selective about who they asked and who they surveyed to produce the right results.
Steve Towers, Chief Experience Officer for the BPG, an expert in customer experience, enjoys spreading his enthusiasm for this field through coaching, consultancy, keynote speeches and books.
He helps companies win the triple crown – the simultaneous ability to increase revenues, decrease costs, and enhance service – through the CEMMethod, which is now in version 15.
With over three decades of experience working with large enterprises worldwide, Steve has distilled the successful strategies of top-performing organizations into a proprietary methodology that can be easily imparted to CX teams and executives.
His forte lies in envisioning the future of customer-centricity, customer experience, process management and realizing long-term benefits from business transformation. Steve’s approach combines customer-focused thinking, cutting-edge technologies, and a human touch.
Steve is also an entrepreneur and an early-stage investor in software companies like Parallel.
📈 So many Metrics, So little Time. Smash through the Barrier!
Get the Deck and The CX Measurement system that works Immediately. 👍
Welcome to the corporate jungle, where the role of the Chief Customer Officer (CCO) is as fresh as it is precarious. Cast your mind back to 1999, the dawn of this pivotal role at Texas Power and Light. Fast forward, and we’ve got over 500 CCOs strutting their stuff across the globe—some with the badge, others without. But here’s a brain teaser: Why do less than 7% of the big guns—the Fortune 500—have a CCO in their corner? Could it be we’re witnessing a trend on the brink of extinction?
Here’s the skinny on what a CCO’s gotta do: fire up profitable customer antics, make the business revolve around the customer, and steer the corporate ship towards the horizon of growth. But here’s the kicker: despite these make-or-break goals, CCOs are finding themselves on the thinnest ice within the C-suite. Why? With an average stint lasting just over two shakes of a lamb’s tail (29.4 months, to be precise), it’s clear they’re juggling hot potatoes that could be too hot to handle.
The quagmire for the CCO is real. It’s rooted in a sort of identity crisis—a role that’s as defined as a blob of mercury. Back in the day, it was about herding customers—either corralling new ones or keeping the old ones from straying. But as the plot thickens, we see that wielding the power to make real changes for the customer is where the true battleground lies. The evolution is undeniable, but it’s tangled up with the need to carve out respect and clout in the old-school corporate hierarchy.
Being a CCO isn’t a walk in the park. It’s about untangling knotty customer conundrums, crafting a competitive edge sharper than a samurai sword, and embedding a customer-first ethos into the company’s DNA. This is no small feat—it takes a Herculean effort from the top brass to give the CCO the muscle to flex. If the backing’s not there, the CCO’s journey is like navigating rapids without a paddle.
How do you get that and then sustain that backing? You need to deliver on the CX promise of winning the Triple Crown – simultaneously growing revenues, reducing costs and improving service. And yes not in some far distant time – but now. The good news is that has already happened for pragmatic results focused CCOs. They are the ones still in their jobs and going onto bigger and better.
To wrap this up, let’s lay it on the line: if a CCO is going to make waves, the role needs to be crystal clear. We need a blueprint for authority that doesn’t crumble at the first sign of trouble and an unwavering commitment from the C-suite crew. The revolving door of CCOs sends a distress flare—we need to wise up and fortify this role if we’re serious about winning the customer loyalty race and clinching that trophy of enduring triumph.
So, what’s the scoop from the CCO Council? It’s a treasure trove of insights into the trials and triumphs of the CCO odyssey. This is no mere spiel; it’s a tapestry woven with the threads of experience, painting a picture of a role that’s both vital and vulnerable. It’s time for businesses to buck up and rethink their strategy if they want to capture the full potential of customer-centric leadership. Because, at the end of the day, isn’t the customer what it’s all about?
It is the Chief Customer Officer’s most Perilous Journey
Resources
The BPG’s CEMMethod provides a framework to implement a practical and immediate improvement to both operational and strategic CX.
if you pay people for doing dumb stuff, they’ll get really smart at it.
Steve Towers
Meet Steve Towers
Steve Towers, Chief Experience Officer for the BPG, an expert in customer experience, enjoys spreading his enthusiasm for this field through coaching, consultancy, keynote speeches and books.
He helps companies win the triple crown – the simultaneous ability to increase revenues, decrease costs, and enhance service – through the CEMMethod, which is now in version 15.
With over three decades of experience working with large enterprises worldwide, Steve has distilled the successful strategies of top-performing organizations into a proprietary methodology that can be easily imparted to CX teams and executives.
His forte lies in envisioning the future of customer-centricity, customer experience, process management and realizing long-term benefits from business transformation. Steve’s approach combines customer-focused thinking, cutting-edge technologies, and a human touch.
Steve is also an entrepreneur and an early-stage investor in software companies like Parallel.
📈 So many Metrics, So little Time. Smash through the Barrier!
Get the Deck and The CX Measurement system that works Immediately. 👍
This article explores the five customer experience trends in 2024 that businesses need to monitor.
As we look towards 2024 and beyond, the customer experience (CX) landscape continues to evolve rapidly.
To stay ahead in today’s highly competitive market, businesses must embrace emerging CX trends and make them an integral part of their strategy.
Five CX Trends influencing your path in 2024
Key Takeaways:
CX is a critical factor in today’s competitive landscape.
Designing memorable CX experiences is crucial for driving customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Effective CX management can drive business success.
Leveraging CX metrics can provide valuable insights for decision-making.
Personalization, omnichannel CX, AI, automation, emotional CX, and customer feedback are all key trends that businesses need to embrace.
CX done well, will win the Triple Crown (simultaneously improving satisfaction, growing revenues and reducing costs)
The Importance of CX Strategy
A well-defined CX strategy is crucial for businesses to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. CX strategy encompasses the framework and processes put in place to ensure that every customer interaction is meaningful, valuable, and delivers a consistent experience across all touchpoints. The ultimate goal is to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, which in turn wins the Triple Crown and drives business success.
Having a solid CX strategy can differentiate your brand from competitors and turn customers into loyal advocates. It involves understanding your customers’ needs, pain points, and preferences and aligning your business objectives to meet them. By doing so, you are more likely to retain customers, increase revenue, and gain a competitive advantage.
The Importance of CX Strategy
“A customer’s interactions with a brand should be seamless, personalized, and consistent across all channels. A well-executed CX strategy is essential to achieving this and driving customer satisfaction and loyalty.”
Designing Memorable CX Experiences
Creating memorable customer experiences is essential for any business looking to stay ahead in today’s competitive landscape. To achieve this, CX design and user experience (UX) play a key role in crafting delightful interactions that leave a lasting impression on customers.
The Key Elements of CX Design
Successful CX design involves a deep understanding of the customer’s needs, wants, and preferences. By putting yourself in the customer’s shoes, you can identify pain points and opportunities for improvement in the customer experience.
Here are some essential elements of CX design:
Clear and intuitive navigation
Consistent branding and messaging
Engaging visuals and multimedia
Personalization and customization
Easy access to customer support
By incorporating these elements into your CX design, you can create a seamless and enjoyable experience for your customers.
Why UX is Key to CX
User experience (UX) is a vital component of CX design, as it focuses on the usability and functionality of digital interfaces. A well-designed UX can enhance the overall customer experience and drive customer satisfaction.
Here are some ways that UX can improve CX:
Reduced friction in the customer journey
Clear and concise communication
Efficient and effective task completion
Seamless integration across devices and platforms
By prioritizing UX in your CX design, you can create a consistent and positive experience for your customers across all touchpoints.
“Good design is good business.” – Thomas J. Watson Jr.
As Thomas J. Watson Jr. famously stated, good design is essential for business success. Incorporating CX design and UX principles into your business strategy can create memorable and enjoyable experiences that drive customer satisfaction and loyalty.
The Role of CX Management
CX management is vital in ensuring that businesses deliver a seamless customer experience and boost customer satisfaction. Effective CX management involves understanding customer needs, analyzing customer feedback, and utilizing the right tools and techniques to optimize their experience.
There are several key components of CX management, including:
CX strategy: A solid CX strategy aligns with business goals and objectives and provides a framework for delivering a consistent and positive customer experience. It involves identifying customer pain points, mapping out customer journeys, and defining customer personas.
CX measurement: To ensure that CX management efforts are effective, businesses must track and analyze customer feedback and behaviour. This involves leveraging CX metrics such as Customer Experience Six (CX6), Customer Effort Score (CES), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) and Net Promoter Score (NPS). .
CX design: CX design plays a crucial role in crafting memorable interactions that leave a lasting impression on customers. It involves optimizing touchpoints across the customer journey, creating user-friendly interfaces, and delivering personalized experiences.
CX technology: CX technology, such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems and chatbots can streamline processes and enhance customer interactions, leading to improved satisfaction and loyalty.
By investing in CX management, businesses can boost customer satisfaction, increase revenue, and gain a competitive advantage in the market.
Leveraging CX Metrics for Success
Measuring and analyzing CX metrics is crucial for gauging the success of your customer experience initiatives. By leveraging the right metrics, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize the customer experience and drive customer satisfaction and loyalty.
The Metrics that Matter
Not all CX metrics are created equal, and focusing on the ones that matter most is important. Here are some key metrics to consider:
Measures the potential areas to improve in the Customer Experience
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Measures the likelihood that a customer would recommend your brand to others.
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
Measures how satisfied customers are with a specific experience, such as a purchase or interaction with customer support.
Customer Effort Score (CES)
Measures how easy or difficult it was for customers to complete a specific task or interact with your brand.
Churn Rate
Measures the percentage of customers who discontinue doing business with your brand over a certain period.
Tracking these metrics regularly can help you identify areas for improvement and measure the impact of any changes made to the customer experience.
Leveraging CX Metrics
Once you have identified the metrics that matter most, it’s important to use them to drive continuous improvement in the customer experience. Here are some tips:
Set goals: Use your metrics to set achievable goals for improving the customer experience. For example, aim to improve your CX6 rating by 15% over the next quarter.
Act on feedback: Use Real-time customer feedback collected through listening across channels to make meaningful ‘in the moment’ changes to the customer experience.
Track progress: Monitor your metrics regularly to track progress towards your goals and identify any areas that need further improvement.
By leveraging CX metrics effectively, you can drive continuous improvement in the customer experience and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
The Power of Personalization in CX
One of the most significant trends in CX optimization is the power of personalization. Customers today expect personalized experiences that cater to their unique needs and preferences. In fact, according to a study conducted by Epsilon, 80% of customers are more likely to do business with a company that offers personalized experiences.
To achieve this level of personalization, businesses need to gather and analyze customer data. This includes demographic information, purchase history, and customer feedback. By leveraging this data, businesses can create tailored recommendations, customized experiences, and personalized interactions that resonate with customers.
Personalization can also be achieved through dynamic content. This involves showing different content to different users based on their interests, preferences, and behaviours. For example, an e-commerce website can display product recommendations based on a user’s browsing and purchase history.
Examples of Personalization in CX
Here are a few examples of how businesses are using personalization to enhance the customer experience:
Company
Personalization Strategy
Result
Amazon
Product recommendations based on browsing and purchase history
35% of Amazon’s revenue comes from personalized recommendations
Netflix
Customized content recommendations based on viewing history
Personalized recommendations account for 80% of what people watch on Netflix
Starbucks
Personalized mobile app that remembers customer preferences
Mobile orders account for 22% of Starbucks’ sales
As these examples show, personalization can have a significant impact on CX optimization. By personalizing the customer experience, businesses can increase customer satisfaction, loyalty, and revenue.
The Rise of Omnichannel CX
The traditional customer experience has evolved to encompass multiple touchpoints, including online, offline, mobile, social media, and more. As a result, businesses must adapt to meet customers’ needs and provide a seamless omnichannel experience.
Providing a consistent brand experience across all channels is essential for CX optimization and customer satisfaction. Omnichannel experiences enable businesses to build stronger relationships with their customers by providing them with the flexibility to interact with the brand on their preferred channels.
Personalization is key to achieving a successful omnichannel experience. Customers expect businesses to provide tailored interactions and recommendations based on their preferences and behaviour. Businesses can deliver personalized experiences that drive engagement and loyalty by leveraging customer data and insights.
The Role of AI and Automation in CX Optimization
Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are revolutionizing the customer experience landscape. From chatbots and virtual assistants to predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms, businesses are leveraging AI and automation to optimize CX and enhance customer satisfaction.
One of the significant advantages of AI and automation in CX is the ability to streamline processes and reduce customer effort. For instance, chatbots can provide immediate assistance and resolve common queries, reducing wait times and increasing the speed of service delivery. Furthermore, predictive analytics can help identify customer issues before they occur and enable proactive interventions to minimize the impact on customer satisfaction.
Another critical aspect of AI and automation in CX is personalization. By analyzing customer data and behavior patterns, businesses can provide personalized recommendations and tailored experiences that meet individual needs and preferences. For example, Netflix’s recommendation engine uses machine learning to suggest content based on user viewing habits, increasing engagement and customer satisfaction.
The Benefits of AI and Automation in CX Optimization
The table below summarizes some of the key benefits of using AI and automation in CX optimization:
Virtual assistants, chatbots, AI-powered customer service
As the capabilities of AI and automation continue to evolve, businesses that embrace these technologies are poised to gain a competitive advantage in CX optimization. By leveraging data-driven insights and personalized experiences, businesses can drive customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, business success.
The Role of Emotional CX
When it comes to optimizing the customer experience, tapping into your customers’ emotions can be a game-changer. Businesses can significantly enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty by creating emotionally impactful interactions.
A study by Forrester found that companies that excel at emotional CX outperform their competitors by 26% in revenue growth. One way to create emotional connections with customers is through personalized experiences that cater to their unique interests and preferences.
Another way to tap into emotions is by leveraging storytelling. By telling stories that resonate with customers on a personal level, businesses can create a deeper emotional connection that goes beyond transactions and fosters long-term loyalty.
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou.
In addition to personalized experiences and storytelling, it’s important to remember that empathy plays a crucial role in emotional CX. By understanding and empathizing with your customers’ needs and pain points, businesses can create a more positive and empathetic experience that shows they care.
Overall, emotional CX is a critical component of optimizing the customer experience. Businesses can enhance customer satisfaction and foster long-term loyalty by creating emotionally impactful interactions through personalization, storytelling, and empathy.
The Importance of listening to every interaction for Continuous CX Optimization
Establishing listening posts is a crucial component in the ongoing effort to optimize the customer experience (CX). To improve CX, it is important to collect and analyze Real-Time customer interactions, identify areas for improvement, and make ‘in the moment’ changes.
Traditional feedback is expensive and only provides a retrospective view of CX. It is like driving a car by only looking in the rear-view mirror (potentially with disastrous consequences). Proactively listening and building a rich, actionable capability to introduce improvements immediately is a key differentiator.
Using CX Metrics for Continuous Innovation
Metric
Description
How to Use It
Customer Experience Six (CX6)
Measures the CX across six elements: How, Fast, Easy, Convenient, Trackable, Personalized and Predictive
Identify areas for improvement and track changes over time
Customer Effort Score (CES)
Measures how easy it is for customers to complete a specific task
Identify friction points and streamline the customer journey
Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)
Measures overall satisfaction with a specific interaction or experience
Pinpoint areas for improvement and track changes in satisfaction over time
Using effective CX metrics enables businesses to track performance and identify areas for improvement. It is important to establish a baseline and set goals in order to measure success and understand the impact of changes made based on customer feedback.
Acting on Customer Feedback
Collating RealTime feedback is only the first step. It is important to act on the information ‘in the moment’ and make necessary changes to improve the customer experience. Here are a few steps businesses can take to act on customer feedback:
Establish listening posts at every customer interaction
Implement ‘action in the moment’ capabilities
Enable individuals and teams at the listening posts to make decisions and execute changes immediately
Share feedback with relevant teams and stakeholders
Prioritize feedback based on frequency and impact
Create an action plan to integrate the learning and changes
Communicate changes made based on feedback to customers
Track and measure the impact of changes made
By listening intently at every interaction across the customer experience, businesses can continuously improve the CX and ensure customer satisfaction, lower costs and higher revenues.
In conclusion, gathering and acting on customer feedback is essential for continuous CX optimization. By listening through various channels, using effective CX metrics, and acting on the data, businesses can improve the customer experience and drive customer satisfaction.
Conclusion
As we look towards 2024 and beyond, it is clear that the customer experience will be a crucial element of any successful business strategy. By staying ahead of emerging CX trends, businesses can optimize their customer interactions and drive satisfaction and loyalty.
The Importance of a Well-Defined CX Strategy
A well-defined CX strategy is crucial for businesses looking to stand out in a competitive landscape. By prioritizing the customer experience, businesses can enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately driving success.
Designing Memorable CX Experiences
The key to memorable customer experiences lies in smart CX design. By leveraging UX principles and prioritizing customer needs, businesses can create interactions that leave a lasting impression and drive loyalty.
The Power of CX Management
Expertly managing the customer experience can turn satisfied customers into loyal brand advocates. By utilizing the right tools and techniques, businesses can optimize their CX strategy and drive success.
Leveraging CX Metrics for Success
The right CX metrics can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of customer experience initiatives. By measuring and analyzing these metrics, businesses can make data-driven decisions to optimize their strategy and enhance customer satisfaction.
The Importance of Personalization in CX
Personalization is key to optimizing the customer experience in today’s landscape. By tailoring interactions to customer preferences and needs, businesses can stand out and create lasting relationships with their customers.
The Rise of Omnichannel CX
Providing a seamless omnichannel experience is becoming increasingly important for businesses looking to drive satisfaction and loyalty. By integrating various touchpoints, businesses can enhance the customer journey and drive success.
The Role of AI and Automation in CX
Artificial intelligence and automation are transforming the customer experience landscape. By leveraging these technologies, businesses can streamline processes and enhance interactions, ultimately driving satisfaction and loyalty.
The Importance of Emotional CX
Emotions play a key role in the customer experience. By tapping into emotions and creating positive interactions, businesses can drive satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately driving success.
Customer Feedback for Continuous Improvement
Gathering and acting on customer feedback is crucial for businesses looking to improve their CX strategy continuously. By listening to their customers and making meaningful changes, businesses can optimize the customer experience and drive success.
By staying ahead of emerging CX trends and prioritizing the customer experience, businesses can drive success in 2024 and beyond.
FAQ
What are the top five customer experience trends in 2024 and beyond?
The top five customer experience trends in 2024 and beyond are: CX strategy, CX design, CX management, CX metrics, and personalization in CX.
Why is having a well-defined CX strategy important?
Having a well-defined CX strategy is crucial because it can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
What are the key elements of designing memorable customer experiences?
The key elements of designing memorable customer experiences are user experience (UX) and CX design.
How does CX management drive business success?
CX management drives business success by effectively managing the customer experience and optimizing customer satisfaction.
Why is measuring CX metrics important?
Measuring CX metrics is important to gauge the success of customer experience initiatives and make data-driven decisions.
How does personalization impact the customer experience?
Personalization significantly impacts the customer experience by creating tailored interactions and customized experiences.
What is the importance of providing an omnichannel customer experience?
Providing a seamless omnichannel customer experience is important as it drives customer satisfaction and loyalty.
How does AI and automation transform the customer experience landscape?
AI and automation transform the customer experience landscape by streamlining processes and enhancing customer interactions.
How do emotions impact the customer experience?
Emotions play a significant role in the customer experience and tapping into emotions can create positive interactions that drive satisfaction and loyalty.
Why is listening at every interaction important for continuous improvement?
Establishing listening posts is important for continuous innovation as it helps businesses gather insights and make meaningful changes to enhance the customer experience.
Resources
The BPG’s CEMMethod provides a framework to implement a practical and immediate improvement to both operational and strategic CX.
if you pay people for doing dumb stuff, they’ll get really smart at it.
Steve Towers
Meet Steve Towers
Steve Towers, Chief Experience Officer for the BPG, an expert in customer experience, enjoys spreading his enthusiasm for this field through coaching, consultancy, keynote speeches and books.
He helps companies win the triple crown – the simultaneous ability to increase revenues, decrease costs, and enhance service – through the CEMMethod, which is now in version 15.
With over three decades of experience working with large enterprises worldwide, Steve has distilled the successful strategies of top-performing organizations into a proprietary methodology that can be easily imparted to CX teams and executives.
His forte lies in envisioning the future of customer-centricity, customer experience, process management and realizing long-term benefits from business transformation. Steve’s approach combines customer-focused thinking, cutting-edge technologies, and a human touch.
Steve is also an entrepreneur and an early-stage investor in software companies like Parallel.
📈 So many Metrics, So little Time. Smash through the Barrier!
Get the Deck and The CX Measurement system that works Immediately. 👍
YOU may be measuring Customer Experience in the wrong way
Measure CX Right or Risk Business Failure – 5 Ways to Improve Your CX Metrics
This 18-minute keynote from Africa’s Customer Service Symposium reveals the pitfalls of poor CX measurement and precisely how you can fix the shortfall.
KEYNOTE DOWNLOAD THE DECK (PDF) AND VIDEO RECORDING
Here’s just one example from last week of all times where Tesla, let’s put the name out there as a warning to others, has been, over the years, the top in Net Promoter Score performance, if you like, across their particular industry. And yet at the same time, their customers are experiencing increasing issues.
Poorer customer service has mapped through the number of complaints that they were receiving. So how could it be that they were being so successful with N P S compared with the rest of the industry? While at the same time the number of complaints have been increasing. And last week it was noted that people were gaming the system.
if you pay people for doing dumb stuff, they’ll get really smart at it.
Steve Towers
Tesla not measuring up
They were doing this by attaching the N P S and Customer Satisfaction scores to bonus schemes. So hence, not surprisingly, the scores were going up, the scores were improving month on month, quarter on quarter and year on year, right? And as it says, if you pay people for doing dumb stuff, they’ll get really smart at it.
And that’s precisely part of Tesla’s problem. And this goes back, and this isn’t like one incident. This goes back six or seven years, and there are reports that you can get through the links later on. Where they laid off a whole bunch of staff in finance and marketing for actually gaming the system and being very selective about who they asked and who they surveyed actually to produce the right results.
Steve Towers, Chief Experience Officer for the BPG, an expert in customer experience, enjoys spreading his enthusiasm for this field through coaching, consultancy, keynote speeches and books.
He helps companies win the triple crown – the simultaneous ability to increase revenues, decrease costs, and enhance service – through the CEMMethod, which is now in version 15.
With over three decades of experience working with large enterprises worldwide, Steve has distilled the successful strategies of top-performing organizations into a proprietary methodology that can be easily imparted to CX teams and executives.
His forte lies in envisioning the future of customer-centricity, customer experience, process management and realizing long-term benefits from business transformation. Steve’s approach combines customer-focused thinking, cutting-edge technologies, and a human touch.
Steve is also an entrepreneur and an early-stage investor in software companies like Parallel.
Choosing the best customer experience, customer journey management and process courses with professional qualifications can be a challenge. Find out about the Award winning professional qualification classes. Read the testimonials from hundreds of clients and they will make your mind up.
Earning the prestigious Accredited Customer Experience Professional (ACXP) credential is pivotal in any CX leader’s career.
Established in 2010 by the BP Group, Academy of Customer Experience (ACE) and Affiliates, the ACXP provides long-overdue industry recognition of CX as a critical business discipline.
🏅 Individual and Team Success
The ACXP offers dedicated professionals a clear path to advancement and increased earnings potential. If you are a CX Leader seeking to grow your teams professionalism and impact on your business, the ACXP provides the skills, tools and framework to deliver results immediately.
🤩 CX Mastery
The ACXP credential reflects an individual’s mastery of the latest CX frameworks and commitment to delivering wow-worthy customer experiences. Applicants must have a proven business track record driving business change, process and CX transformation and improvements.
🥇 Qualification process
The qualification process is rigorous and experiential, based on the delegate’s work and experiences. The training courses are supplemented by practical exercises based on the worlds leading CX organisations and include the full spectrum of CX management, including strategy, customer understanding, design, metrics and more.
🌎 Global community
By successfully passing this gold-standard assessment, ACXPs join an exclusive global community of CX thought leaders united by a shared vision – creating customer experiences that deliver the triple crown – higher revenues, lower costs and improved service simultaneously. The ACXP contributed directly to improving shareholder value, building brand loyalty and driving sustained growth.
The ACXP is more than just initials after your name. It’s a badge of honour representing your dedication to CX excellence.
🏢 A few of the companies who have qualified ACX people in their ranks
The ACXP movement is sweeping the globe!
🌍 Already over 23,000+ dedicated professionals in 137 countries proudly carry the ACXP designation. While the United States and Europe lead with over 11,000+ ACXPs and counting, vibrant communities are growing worldwide – 3,000 in South Africa, 500 across the rest of Africa, 600+ in Australia and New Zealand, and 500 across the GCC area. This exponential growth reflects the universal importance of customer experience. Forward-thinking organisations rely on their elite force of ACXPs to drive CX transformation.
👯 Peer network
ACXPs gain an invaluable global peer network of 23,000+ colleagues to exchange insights and shape the future of CX.The ACXP journey is rigorous, making earning those coveted initials rewarding.
🥇 Been there and done it Mentors & Coaches
More than 40 world-class Recognized Consultancies, Training Providers and professional organisations offer courses led by qualified ACXP coaches and mentors with real-world expertise.
🏆 Celebrating success together
When new ACXPs are announced, we celebrate their commitment and achievement. The ACXP badge represents a dedicated CX professional ready to deliver wow-worthy customer experiences
💪 Individual & Team credibility
Earning the ACXP credential provides an undeniable career boost! Major global brands eagerly seek accredited CX professionals to drive customer experience strategies. For a team it also demonstrates the capability to help organisations transform to achieve pragmatic results quickly and sustainably.Companies, including the following, list ACXPs in their ranks and emphasise the difference pragmatic, hands-on ACXPs make to their businesses.
The attainment of the ACXP qualification is highly prized and contributes to individual, team and organisation success.
🏃♂️ CX as a competitive advantage
As customer experience becomes an essential competitive advantage, organisations need proven CX leaders who speak the language and have the strategic vision. Earning your ACXP credential sets you apart – unlocking new career potential and salary growth. The numbers speak for themselves – major brands worldwide seek ACXPs to drive their CX agenda.
THANK YOU so much for a really fantastic learning experience. This course provided a terrific holistic framework for how to think more about MOTs. It’s a terrific program that I’d recommend and encourage others to consider strongly. Jim Lecinski, Professor of Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, USA (former SVP at Google where he invented the Z-MOT and Micro MOTs) We held our session last week focusing on a critical experience for bank customers. We had a really fantastic session – not only did we walk away with the deliverables we needed, but people had a lot of fun too! Thanks again for the session. It was one of the most valuable and enjoyable sessions I have attended! Sharon Laemie Naya, Head of Commercial Change Strategy, TD Bank
Thank you for being an amazing mentor, guru & inspiration. You truly have a way of bringing all principles, especially the divine principles, back into the workplace. Thank you for empowering me to see a different view. Nancy Moodley, Head of Customer Experience, Digital & CRM, Nissan Africa
What an incredible experience. We loved every minute and super excited to up our game. Sarina de Beer, Managing Director at Ask Afrika, South Africa
An excellent course enabling engineering of a great customer experience! Gavin Smith, Continuous Improvement Lead, Industrial Development Corporation, South Africa
Thank you, Steve, for the high quality & insightful training you delivered. Your innovative approach, critical thinking & up to date case studies facilitated this achievement 👍 Muath Al-Azzam, Principal Services & Operations Specialist, Dubai Municipality, United Arab Emirates
What an amazing journey to Accredited ACX Coach, this experience has completelytransformed how we measure, collaborate, communicate and innovate with the customer in mind. Keen to guide the next willing souls on this journey. Durrel Ramrathan, Head of Operational Analytics and Data Management, Multichoice, South Africa
Thanks, Steve, for providing a great learning platform. It was inspiring to hear your experiences as they presented a great source of knowledge. Not only have you been a fantastic mentor to me but you have taught me how to mentor others. Thanks for being so supportive and getting me through. Chandan Chabbra, Head of Content and Operations, MX Live, MX Player, India
Thank you, the experience was enlightening, empowering, educating, encouraging and engaging. Natasha Doren, Member Experience Manager, Eskom Pension and Provident Fund, South Africa
I have to say, every day since I left Denver, I have been able to apply some of my learning during the ACXM event into not only my job, but my personal life as well. Thank you so much for everything that you’ve done to advance the field of customer experience! Brett Gill, Regional Sales Manager, Morrison Container Solutions, United States
Another fantastic learning, personal and professional development experience with you! Lyall Shapiro, Head of Experience, Design & Fulfilment Transformation, AMP, Australia
Thank you Steve, very intense 4 days but amazing and already putting it into practice! Edwin De Lange, CX Principle, Immersion Group, South Africa
Thank you so much Steve.. this achievement means a lot to me & huge credit goes to you.. looking forward to my next learning Amal Shaira, Director– Head of Client Service Improvement, Business Planning & Strategy, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, UAE
An honour to work with you Steve. A fantastic course Kath Milne, Director & Chairperson, Equality Lawyers, Australia
What an amazing journey to Accredited ACX Coach, this experience has completelytransformed how we measure, collaborate, communicate and innovate withthe customer in mind. Keen to guide the next willing souls on this journey. Durrel Ramrathan, Senior Analytics & AI Leader & ACX Mentor, Multichoice, South Africa
Thanks very much for an amazing course! You are a fantastic facilitator and I’m trulyblessed to have you share your wisdom with us. Jenny Simpson, Associate Director, National Australia Bank, Sydney, Australia
Learning by doing and exploring up-to-date real-life is what the program is all about. This is my third course with Steve, and I have witnessed tremendous improvements to its content and delivery and have never failed to leave amazed by the power of the techniques. Saud Albuainain, Director of Business Transformation, EY, Saudi Arabia
A year after training in London, I just wanted to note my continued gratitude.Hope to remain involved in the events and work with you again.. that mentoring was beyond invaluable. Juliana Coates, Member Services, University of Albany, New York
I’m writing to endorse the program. It completely changed the way I think. Steve Towers taught us amazing secret techniques of improvement. The program allowed me to apply all the learnings immediately after the training. Very practical training with a wealth of knowledge to share. This is a must training for everyone interested in making their lives better! Maria T Ferreira, Vice President, Client Experience Process Improvement Citi, New York
Steve has an amazing insight into some of my personal challenges and really helpedthrough his mentoring for me to refocus my energies with immediate renewed personal and career success CIO, Telco, South Africa
Thanks for your time and the fantastic course, delivered in Auckland recently. Looking forward to attending in June – will see if I can bring some colleagues!! Neal Ross, Chief Technology Officer, Ricoh, Australia
The detail was very relevant and extremely well presented. Steve is a great communicator and spoke extremely well. Paul Botes, Senior Manager, Standard Bank, South Africa
Brilliant Workshop. The speaker was awesome and gave great guidance on matters I am finding in the workplace. Cindy-Lee Muller, Marketing Coordinator, TPN Credit Bureau, South Africa
The workshop is highly recommended for anyone who wishes to simplify and thereby enhancing satisfaction. The speaker is immensely knowledgeable and demonstrates vast experience in the subject. David Mulovhedzi, Senior Manager, DPSA, South Africa
I did the training 2 weeks ago and it completely changed my world. Since then things are going really fast within our organisation. The rest of the guys in our executive team are completely sold on the concepts. To be honest I did not think it would happen that quick. Nachiket Gole, Chief Information Officer, Cap Gemini, India
You’ve fundamentally changed the way I think about every process. And inspired me to try Outside-In (OI) in all walks of life. The first two levels should be included in educational curriculums (yes, even at the junior levels). If everyone started applying OI, the world would be… where it should be. Mahesh Mirchandani, Group CTO, TruDoc HealthCare
If you are looking to improve your own professional then I would recommend the program and Techniques Stephen Nicholson, Certified Process Professional Master, BPM Systems, Australia
Excellent presentation, clear and concise. Absolutely Gripping Devendra Maisnam, Business Analyst, National E-Health Transition Authority, Australia
Thanks to you for a fantastic mentoring programme … I am an Outside-In fan now ! Jimmy Cuadra, CIO, ICI Paints Asia Pacific, Singapore
I was struck with awe on your versatile yet practical experience. Thanks for the wonderful session on CPP this week Syed Raashid, Specialist, Qatar Energy, UAE
Thanks again for the fantastic course and insights you provided. Sean Schurmann, Consultant, e&e Solutions, Australia.
Just a short note to say thanks again for the course. It was a truly mind-blowing experience and I will never think about process the same way again. Craig Reid, CEO & Founder, Professional Holiday Homes.
I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the book! It really helped tie together various concepts and practices I have been evolving towards over a number of years, crystallizing them into a simple but powerful framework. Steve Melville, Support Delivery Director, Oracle, USA.
Steve led the best training sessions I have ever taken in my 20+ years as a professional. After those sessions, I was able to have an immediate impact on my organization. Steve is a very sharp, personable, interesting individual and a real pleasure to work with. I continue to remain in regular contact with Steve and consider him an invaluable resource on BPM and on change management in general. Mark Barnett, Director of Global Process Practice, ACN, Inc. USA
I would like to thank you for a wonderful experience for me to know the nuances of ABPM. Taking us to a new level on how to view processes & implement by way of sharing your wealth of experience and enlightening us with the case studies & exercises. Director Quality Management Group, 3i Infotech Ltd., India
Exceptional and life-transforming. This training should be on every corporate agenda CIO, Apotex Pharmaceutical, Canada
Simple and different concepts which is path-breaking and easy to understand and deploy Director Business Consulting, Chennai, India
Excellent – he is a very good leader Senior Quality Analyst, AEC, Saudi Arabia
I want to thank you for the great content and coaching that you provided, the concepts resonated even more clearly when presented with your enthusiasm and experience. Director, H&R Block, USA
I really enjoyed last week and really learned a lot. I feel I had a Eureka moment yesterday when the wholeprocess diagnostics suddenly clicked into place. I remember you saying that once you grasp this, you will never look at processes in any other way. I am now actively evangelizing the CEM approach with our team. Senior Analyst, Investment Bank, London
Steve is an inspiring global thought leader. He is a creative visionary working on the edge of breakthrough change. Kenneth Mortimer, Principal, MBA & Associates Ltd
You are the tops! Everyone in the field should be exposed to the techniques experienced in this course. Personnel Director, Business Management, Bank of America
…was so helpful. The ability to ask questions/having a discussion after the day’s end was extremely good. I really appreciated the professional approach Telco Director, CIO of CEU, Hungary
Steve, as you know, I’ve been an advocate and activist for you and your program for over 10 years – the skill set that I received from you and your insights are essential and are key to keeping me relevant and preferred by my clients across so many business industries. Keep going, Steve, I appreciate it. Maxx Kochar, C.P.P., A.A.E., Sustainable Development Consultant, Silver Dart Group, North America
I think it’s been a lot of fun. It’s a practical process. It’s quite clearly mapped. You can understand; I think that’s how I’ve experienced it. There’s a real tying together of the Outside-in to a pragmatic way of thinking about improvement to an empirical base, to show people that it’s real and to do it quickly and I think that’s been refreshing. Reynardt Uys, CEO and co-founder, Fringe Studios, Johannesburg, South Africa
It was engaging, it was quick. I found it to be very practical. And very comprehensive So that, that was excellent. Also to see how many industries it has been applied to. I think there’s a real a track record there which increases my confidence in all of this.We now have Outside-In dashboards. We see it’s quantifiable. It’s not what I call fufu shihi which is, all the other stuff. But it’s like, to the point and I can see it’s executive. Nehal Shah, MD and co-founder, Fringe Studios, Johannesburg, South Africa
“This course provided a terrific holistic framework for how I can more richly think about how MOTs connect to Customer Experience and Customer Journey Management. It’s a terrific program that I’d recommend and encourage Professionals to strongly consider.”
Jim Lecinski, Professor, Kellogg School of Management
(Jim is the creator of ZMOTs and Micro MOTs as a VP at Google 2006-2018)
L.G. Lavengood Outstanding Professor of the Year Award (2022)
Choosing the best customer experience, customer journey management and process courses with professional qualifications can be a challenge. Read these testimonials from hundreds of clients and they will make your mind up.
Proven across 137 countries with 140K+ professionals qualified in its use.
Here are the concepts, techniques, tips and tricks available now.
The table below outlines various concepts, acronyms, and explanations of the CEMMethod v15 for customer experience management.
Key concepts include Moments of Truth (MOTs), Handovers (HOs), Business Rules (BRs), Customer Outcomes, the Triple Crown, the Disruption Factor, and measurement approaches like the Outside-In Dashboard.
MOTs, HOs, and BRs are core diagnostics that map and analyze the customer journey.
The goal is to drive improvements by transitioning from current to future state MOTs, HOs and BRs.
Customer Outcomes, ABACUS, CX6, and the Triple Crown framework focus on metrics and measurement.
Tools like the Disruption Factor, Outside-In Dashboard, and CX Diagnostic Relationship Map visualize and quantify the customer experience.
The methodology provides a systematic way to transform organizations and optimize customer experiences.
Here is the overview of the main CEMMethod concepts:
CEMMethod v15 Concepts
Ref.
Concept
Acronym
Explanation
1
Business Outcome Based Costing
BOBC
The costs associated with achieving a particular Business Outcome
2
Business Rules
BR
A BR is any decision point in an Experience.
3
Business Rules Type
BRT
“There are three kinds of Business Rules (a) Strategic (b) Regulatory, and (c) Operational”
4
Causal Flow
CF
“Causal Flow is a visual representation of the Cause and Effect relationships between MOTs, Hos and BRs.”
5
Customer Attributes
CA
Describe customers as if they are your friends (rather than segment by circumstance with demographics)
6
Customer Categorisation
CCAT
Customer Categorisation identifies three types of Customer (a) Funders (b) Watchers and (c) Enablers.
7
Customer Expecations
CEX
Customer expectations are the set of behaviors or actions that customers anticipate when interacting with a company’s products or services.
8
Customer Experience Audit
CXA
A customer experience audit is a comprehensive assessment of customers’ interactions and perceptions of a brand during every touchpoint of the customer journey.
9
Customer Experience Diagnostic Relationship Map
CXRM
“This technique is a visual representation of the cause and effect relationship between Moments of Truth, Handovers and Business Rules across a customer experience.”
10
Customer Experience Diagnostics
CXD
“The CX diagnostics include Moments of Truth, Handovers and Business Rules. Referred to as ‘diagnostics’ they are the ultimate Cause of Work.”
11
Customer Experience Justification Deck
CXJ
“A management deck that builds the case for Customer Experience. It uses as its justification the Triple Crown idea of simultaneously growing revenues, reducing costs and improving service.”
12
Customer Experience Lifecycle Elements
ABACUS
“The elements of the Customer Experience including Awareness, Buyin, Acquisition, Customisation, Use and Share.”
13
Customer Experience Lifecycle Map
CXLM
A visual representation of the MOTs in the context of the ABACUS elements.
14
Customer Experience Management Office
CXMO
The means to transform an organisation from the Outside-In.
15
Customer Experience Map
CXM
A representation of the Causes of Work and their associated tasks and Activities.
16
Customer Experience Six Measurement
CX6
The Outside-In CX measurement approach that goes way beyond traditional measures like NPS and CSat
17
Customer Outcome Based Costing
COBC
The costs associated with achieving a particular Customer Outcome
18
Customer Performance Landsape
CPL
A representation of the relationship between everyone and everything connected to the Successful Customer Outcome.
19
Disruption Factor
DF
A calculation based on MOTs and HOs that demonstrates the degree of disruption created by a change to the Customer Experience.
20
Disruption Factor Chart
DFC
“A graph of the status of the Disruption Factor including these elements: Death Spiral, Chaos, Uncontrolled, Inefficient, Optimised and Ideal.”
21
Disruption Factor Improvement
DFI
The improvement possible from the Current State CX to the Future State CX. Usually expressed as a % improvement.
22
Disruption Factor Status
DFS
The current Disruption Factor score.
23
Four Es Approach
4EA
An advanced measurement technique relying on objective data for 100% of MOTs
24
Future State Customer Experience
FSCX
“The MOTs, HOs and BRs associated with the Future State.”
25
Handover
HO
Any interaction in the Customer Experience not directly involving the customer.
26
Handover Type
HOT
“The type of Handover which could be Person-Person (PP) Person-System (PS) System-Person (SP), and System-System (SS)”
27
Key Customer Outcome
KCO
Part of the Customer Performance Landscape Key Customer Outcomes feed into the Successful Customer Outcome. They are documented also within the Successful Customer Outcome Canvas.
28
Moments of Truth
MOT
Any interaction with the Customer.
29
Moments of Truth Action Plan
MOTAP
The migration plan of Current State MOTs to Future State MOTs
30
Moments of Truth Level
MOTL
“MOTs can be at three levels: Macro, Operational and Micro.”
31
Moments of Truth Owner
MOTO
“The MOT owner. Ideally an individual, more often a department.”
32
Moments of Truth Type
MOTT
“The type of Moment of Truth which could be Person-Person (PP) Person-System (PS) System-Person (SP), and System-System (SS), Person-Product/Service or Prodct/Service-Person”
33
North Star Alignment Template
NSAT
A matrix which states the organisation objectives and the individual/team objectives
34
North Star Metrics
NSM
The aggregation and prioritisation of all SCOC Key Customer Outcomes.
35
OI Task Activity Map
OITAM
Two layers within the Customer Performance Landscape showing tasks and activiites.
36
Organisation Readiness & Competence Assessment
ORCA
The maturities model for the Habitat of the organisation.
37
Organisphere Relationship Map
ORM
“The relationship diagram showing the customer, the inner circle and the outer circle and their connections.”
38
Organisphere Structure Diagram
OSD
A picture of all the organispheres for certain/all categories of customer
39
Outside-In Action Plan
OIAP
The action plan with responsibilities and timescales for moving from current to future state
40
Outside-In Dash Framework
OIDF
A five day model of reviewing any inititaive to generate an actionable plan by day 5 delivering triple crown benefits within a month
41
Outside-In Dashboard
OID
A complete picture of the key metric to be monitored and controlled as part of the migration to customer centricity
42
Outside-In Innovation Landscape
OIIL
An itemised list of possible innovations and their associated value
43
Outside-In Migration Plan
OIMP
A prioritised listing of deployments to achieve Outside-In Customer Experience culture
44
Outside-In Stakeholder Assessment Matrix
OISAM
Key players impacting the outside-In Migration Plan
45
Outside-In Strategic Control System
OISCS
The strategic and operation approach for implementing the CEMMethod
46
Outside-In Strategic Matric
OISM
A matric contrasting the Process view (industrial age) with the Customer view (Outside-In age)
47
Points of Failure
POF
A formulaic approach to understand the status of an experience
48
Points of Failure Action Plan
POFAP
Moving from inside-out to Outside-In requires specific actions and ownership. The action plan details these.
49
Points of Failure Documentation
POFDOC
The document that identifies the removal of Moments of Truth and the associated benefits
50
Proactive-Reactive Index
PRI
A calculation based on how proactive an experience is converted into an index to understand the % improvements
51
Process Performance Landscape
PPL
A representation of the relationship between the processes and systems connected to the Successful Customer Outcome.
52
Red Amber Green Analysis
RAGA
A listing of metrics contrasting outputs measures v. outcome measures.
53
Risk Evaluation Table
RET
Not every MOT is created equal. The RET assess the likelihood of failure at any MOT within an experience.
54
Risk Impact Matrix
RIM
A visual comparison of the MOTs regarding the impact of failure against the customer and organisation vectors.
55
Six Step Innovation
6Si
An Outside-In measurement system that can assess the performance of experiences and their associated MOTs
56
Successful Customer Outcome
SCO
The stated achievement of customer needs by delivering against outside-In measures identified in the SCOC.
57
Successful Customer Outcome Canvas
SCOC
“Eight questions answered that build an objective understanding of a customers needs, expectations and aspirations.”
58
Triple Crown
TC
“The simultaneous ability to grow revenues, reduce costs and enhance service.”
59
Triple Crown Value
TCV
A measurement of the scale of the Triple Crown wins.
You can access the CEMMethod through the
BP Group and Partners professional qualifications, including:
“This course provided a terrific holistic framework for how I can more richly think about how MOTs connect to Customer Experience and Customer Journey Management. It’s a terrific program that I’d recommend and encourage Professionals to strongly consider.”
Jim Lecinski, Professor, Kellogg School of Management
(Jim is the creator of ZMOTs and Micro MOTs as a VP at Google 2006-2018)
L.G. Lavengood Outstanding Professor of the Year Award (2022)
Choosing the best customer experience, customer journey management and process courses with professional qualifications can be a challenge. Read these testimonials from hundreds of clients and they will make your mind up.
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THANK YOU so much for a really wonderful learning experience. This course provided a terrific holistic framework for how I can more richly think about MOTs . It’s a terrific program that I’d recommend and encourage others to consider strongly. Jim Lecinski, Professor of Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, USA (former SVP at Google where he invented the Z-MOT and Micro MOTs)
Thank you for being an amazing mentor, guru & inspiration. You truly have a way of bringing all principles, especially the divine principles, back into the workplace. Thank you for empowering me to see a different view. Nancy Moodley, Head of Customer Experience, Digital & CRM, Nissan Africa
What an incredible experience. We loved every minute and we’re super excited to up our game. Sarina de Beer, Managing Director at Ask Afrika
An excellent course enabling engineering of a great customer experience! Gavin Smith, Continuous Improvement Lead, Industrial Development Corporation, South Africa
Thank you, Steve, for the high quality & insightful training you delivered. Your innovative approach, critical thinking & up to date case studies facilitated this achievement 👍 Muath Al-Azzam, Principal Services & Operations Specialist, Dubai Municipality, United Arab Emirates
What an amazing journey to Accredited ACX Coach, this experience has completely transformed how we measure, collaborate, communicate and innovate with the customer in mind. Keen to guide the next willing souls on this journey. Durrel Ramrathan, Senior Analytics & AI Leader & ACX Mentor, Multichoice, South Africa
Thanks, Steve, for providing a great learning platform. It was inspiring to hear your experiences as they presented a great source of knowledge. Not only have you been a fantastic mentor to me but you have taught me how to mentor others. Thanks for being so supportive and getting me through. Chandan Chabbra, Head of Content, MX Live, MX Player, India
Thank you, the experience was enlightening, empowering, educating, encouraging and engaging. Natasha Doren, Eskom Pension and Provident Fund, South Africa
I have to say, every day since I left Denver, I have been able to apply some of my learning during the event into not only my job but my personal life as well. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done to advance the field of customer experience! Brett Gill, Regional Sales Manager, Morrison Container Solutions, United States
Another fantastic learning, personal and professional development experience with you! Lyall Shapiro, Head of Experience, Design & Fulfilment Transformation, Australia
Thank you Steve, very intense 4 days but amazing and already putting it into practice! Edwin De Lange, CX Principle, Immersion Group, South Africa
Thank you so much Steve.. this achievement means a lot to me & huge credit goes to you.. looking forward to my next learning Amal Shaira, Director– Head of Client Service Improvement, Business Planning & Strategy, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, UAE
An honour to work with you Steve. A fantastic course Kath Milne, Director & Chairperson, Equality Lawyers, Australia
What an amazing journey to Accredited ACX Coach, this experience has completely transformed how we measure, collaborate, communicate and innovate with the customer in mind. Keen to guide the next willing souls on this journey. Durrel Ramrathan, Senior Analytics & AI Leader & ACX Mentor, Multichoice, South Africa
Thanks very much for an amazing course! You are a fantastic facilitator and I’m truly blessed to have you share your wisdom with us. Jenny Simpson, Associate Director, National Australia Bank, Sydney, Australia
Learning by doing and exploring up to date real-life is what the program is all about. This is my third course with Steve, and I have witnessed tremendous improvements to its content and delivery, and have never failed to leave amazed by the power of the techniques. Saud Albuainain, Director Business Transformation, EY, Saudi Arabia
A year after training in London just wanted to shoot a note of my continued gratitude. Hope to remain involved in the events and work with you again.. that mentoring was beyond invaluable. Juliana Coates, Member Services, University of Albany, New York
I’m writing to endorse the program. It completely changed the way I think. Steve Towers taught us amazing secret techniques of improvement. The program allowed me to apply all the learnings immediately after the training. Very effective training with a wealth of knowledge to share. This is a must training for everyone who’s interested in making their lives better! Maria T Ferreira AVP, Client Experience Process Improvement Citi, New York
Steve has an amazing insight into some of my personal challenges and really helped through his mentoring for me to refocus my energies with immediate renewed personal and career success CIO, Telco, South Africa
Thanks for your time and the fantastic course, delivered in Auckland recently.
Looking forward to attending in June – will see if I can bring some colleagues!!
Neal Ross, Chief Technology Officer, Ricoh, Australia
The detail was very relevant and extremely well presented. Steve is a great communicator and spoke extremely well. Paul Botes, Senior Manager, Standard Bank, South Africa
Brilliant Workshop. The speaker was awesome and gave great guidance on matters I am finding in the workplace. Cindy-Lee Muller, Marketing Coordinator, TPN Credit Bureau, South Africa
The workshop is highly recommended for anyone who wishes to simplify and thereby enhancing satisfaction. The speaker is immensely knowledgeable and demonstrates vast experience in the subject. David Mulovhedzi, Senior Manager, DPSA, South Africa
I did the training 2 weeks ago and it completely changed my world. Since then things are going really fast within our organisation. The rest of the guys in our executive team are completely sold on the concepts. To be honest I did not think it would happen that quick. Nachiket Gole, Chief Information Officer, Cap Gemini, India
..You’ve fundamentally changed the way I think about every process. And inspired me to try Outside-In (OI) in all walks of life. The first two levels should be included in educational curriculums (yes, even at the junior levels). If everyone started applying OI, the world would be… where it should be. Mahesh Mirchandani, Group CTO, TruDoc HealthCare
If you are looking to improve your own professional life then I would recommend the program and Techniques Stephen Nicholson, Certified Process Professional Master, BPM Systems, Australia
Excellent presentation, clear and concise. Absolutely Gripping Devendra Maisnam, Business Analyst, National E-Health Transition Authority, Australia
Thanks to you for a fantastic mentoring programme … I am an Outside-In fan now ! Jimmy Cuadra, CIO, ICI Paints Asia Pacific, Singapore
I was struck with awe on the versatile yet practical experience that you shared. Thanks for the wonderful session on CPP this week Syed Raashid, Specialist, Qatar Energy, UAE
Thanks again for the fantastic course and insights you provided. Sean Schurmann, Consultant, e&e Solutions, Australia.
Just a short note to say thanks again for the course. It was a truly mind blowing experience and I will never think about process the same way again. Craig Reid, CEO & Founder, Professional Holiday Homes.
I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the book! It really helped tie together various concepts and practices I have been evolving towards over a number of years, crystallizing them into a simple but powerful framework. Steve Melville, Director, Oracle, USA.
Steve led the best training sessions I have ever taken in my 20+ years as a professional. After those sessions, I was able to have an immediate impact on my organization. Steve is a very sharp, personable, interesting individual and a real pleasure to work with. I continue to remain in regular contact with Steve and consider him an invaluable resource on BPM and on change management in general. Mark Barnett, Director of Global Process Practice, ACN, Inc. USA
I would like to thank you for a wonderful experience for me to know the nuances of ABPM. Taking us to a new level on how to view processes & implement by way of sharing your wealth of experience and enlightening us with the case studies & exercises. Director Quality Management Group, 3i Infotech Ltd., India
Exceptional and life-transforming. This training should be on every corporate agenda CIO, Apotex Pharmaceutical, Canada
Simple and different concepts which is path-breaking and easy to understand and deploy Director Business Consulting, Chennai, India
Excellent – he is a very good leader Senior Quality Analyst, AEC, Saudi Arabia
I want to thank you for the great content and coaching that you provided, the concepts resonated even more clearly when presented with your enthusiasm and experience. Director, H&R Block, USA
I really enjoyed last week and really learned a lot. I feel I had a Eureka moment yesterday when the whole process and CX diagnostics suddenly clicked into place. I remember you saying that once you grasp this then you will never look at processes in any other way. I am now actively evangelizing the CEM approach with our team. Senior Analyst, Investment Bank, London
Steve is an inspiring global thought leader. He is a creative visionary, working on the edge of breakthrough change. Kenneth Mortimer, Principal, MBA & Associates Ltd
You are the tops! Everyone in the field should be exposed to the techniques experienced in this course. Personnel Director, Business Management, Bank of America
…was so helpful. The ability to ask questions/having a discussion after the day’s end was extremely good. I really appreciated the professional approach Telco Director, CIO of CEU, Hungary
“This course provided a terrific holistic framework for how I can more richly think about how MOTs connect to Customer Experience and Customer Journey Management. It’s a terrific program that I’d recommend and encourage Professionals to strongly consider.”
Jim Lecinski, Professor, Kellogg School of Management
(Jim is the creator of ZMOTs and Micro MOTs as a VP at Google 2006-2018)
L.G. Lavengood Outstanding Professor of the Year Award (2022)
A cornerstone of the best CX companies is their ability to win the Triple Crown. What is that and How Can You win it too.
Image Source: Unsplash
In today’s highly competitive business landscape, companies of all sizes and industries face the challenge of achieving sustainable, profitable growth. Traditional strategies focused on new customer acquisition are no longer sufficient in a world where offerings are becoming increasingly commoditized and digital-native firms disrupt the market with innovative and personalized offers. To overcome these challenges, companies need to shift their focus towards their most powerful competitive advantage: their existing customer base.
The Power of Experience-Led Growth
According to McKinsey, compensating for the value of one lost customer can require the acquisition of three new customers. On the other hand, 80% of the value creation achieved by the world’s most successful growth companies comes from unlocking new revenues from existing customers. These companies have mastered the art of experience-led growth, a strategy that revolves around providing a distinctive customer experience (CX) consistently and proactively.
Experience-led growth is a powerful strategy that sets successful companies apart from their competitors. It allows them to entice existing customers to choose their brand, leading to behavior changes that can be measured by concrete financial metrics such as share of wallet, repeat purchases, or net revenue retention (NRR). Companies that prioritize customer experience and delight their customers are able to achieve greater value from their current customer base, resulting in significant financial outcomes.
Shut Up and Listen to Your Customers
One classic example of experience-led growth is the transformation of a mobile telecom operator that faced an existential crisis. The company was losing customers to competitors who offered better network coverage and enticing cut-price offers. In an effort to retain customers, the company used contracts to lock them in, but this strategy backfired and created resentment among customers.
The CEO of the telecom operator had a wake-up call when he listened in to customers’ calls to the call centers during his morning commute. The frustration expressed by customers shocked him and prompted a turnaround in the company’s approach. The company eliminated contracts, allowed anytime upgrades, made every new customer offer available to existing customers, and improved its network. Additionally, the company reinvented its approach to service.
The results were remarkable. Customer satisfaction ratings jumped from worst to first in the industry, and customer churn rates were reduced by 75 percent. Over a three-year period, the company’s revenues nearly doubled, outpacing its key competitors’ revenue growth threefold. This success story emphasizes the importance of listening to customers and addressing their pain points to drive growth.
The Link Between CX and Revenue Growth
There is a strong correlation between a company’s CX ratings and its revenue growth. McKinsey’s analysis shows that companies that are leaders in CX achieved more than double the revenue growth of “CX laggards” between 2016 and 2021 in the United States. Furthermore, CX leaders rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic more quickly than other companies.
Growth outperformers are more likely to know their customers personally, have a compelling growth story, and use predictive analytics to deliver the right messages to the right customers at the right time. These companies prioritize long-term growth over short-term profit and cultivate growth from existing customers by making it enjoyable to use more of their products and services over time.
The Three Pillars of Experience-Led Growth
Experience-led growth strategies rest on three pillars: setting a clear growth aspiration and purpose, transforming the business through customer-centricity, and enabling the change by reimagining culture and capabilities.
Setting a Clear Growth Aspiration and Purpose
Companies executing experience-led growth strategies start by defining a clear vision for their desired financial outcome. Instead of driving CX for its own sake, these companies prioritize the customer experiences that will deliver the desired outcomes. They also identify the metrics they will use to measure success, such as share of wallet, repeat purchases, or NRR.
For example, a major logistics company set a bold aspiration to become the logistics player of choice for both its business customers and their end-customers. The company aimed to build long-term, value-generating relationships with customers by providing exceptional experiences. This aspiration was closely tied to additional revenues targeted in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Transforming the Business: Reinventing Customer-Centricity
Leaders in companies executing experience-led growth strategies understand the pain points that hinder growth and translate their ambitions into redesigned customer journeys and an effective cross-functional operating model. They are adept at expanding revenue pools by inventing new offerings and experiences.
A global B2B power-tools company recognized the need for a step change in its approach to CX to remain ahead of competitors. The company set a clear aspiration for its CX transformation: faultless reliability, accessibility, and transparency. It redesigned customer journeys, identified key moments of truth, and implemented actionable “voice-of-the-customer” metrics. These efforts led to tangible improvements in customer journeys and continued double-digit annual revenue growth.
Enabling the Change: Reimagining Culture and Capabilities
Large companies implementing experience-led growth strategies must shift their organizational cultures and build new capabilities. These capabilities range from design thinking to cross-functional collaboration to effective use of CX measurement insights, ensuring sustained improvements in wallet share, cross-sell rates, and retention rates.
A major regional healthcare provider embarked on a multi-year transformation by training employees on agile ways of working and implementing powerful new advanced analytics capabilities. The company developed a customer data hub that aggregated millions of records from multiple data sets. This enabled the provider to build machine-learning models that triggered proactive interventions based on data-driven analysis. The improved capabilities enabled the company to sustain the benefits of its transformation over time.
The Benefits of Experience-Led Growth
Successful experience-led growth strategies can deliver a range of significant financial benefits. According to McKinsey, these strategies can increase cross-sell rates by 15 to 25 percent, boost companies’ share of wallet by 5 to 10 percent, and improve customer satisfaction and engagement by 20 to 30 percent.
Companies that prioritize customer experience and embrace experience-led growth deliver 30 percent higher Total Return to Shareholders (TRS) and nearly double the shareholder value compared to their industry peers, on average. These companies achieve sustainable revenue growth by providing exceptional experiences to their existing customers.
Conclusion
In a world where offerings are increasingly commoditized and disruptive digital-native firms target customers with innovative and personalized offers, companies must shift their focus to their existing customer base. Experience-led growth is a powerful strategy that allows companies to unlock new revenues from existing customers. By providing a distinctive and proactive customer experience, companies can drive sustainable, profitable growth.
To succeed with experience-led growth, companies must set clear growth aspirations and link them to value. They must transform their businesses by reinventing customer-centricity, redesigning customer journeys, and expanding revenue pools
Do You want the Inside track? Let’s talk! A no obligation discovery chat where I will provide specific examples and valuable takeaways you can use immediately to deliver PRAGMATIC CX success.
“This course provided a terrific holistic framework for how I can more richly think about how MOTs connect to Customer Experience and Customer Journey Management. It’s a terrific program that I’d recommend and encourage Professionals to strongly consider.”
Jim Lecinski, Professor, Kellogg School of Management
(Jim is the creator of ZMOTs and Micro MOTs as a VP at Google 2006-2018)
L.G. Lavengood Outstanding Professor of the Year Award (2022)
A cornerstone of the best CX companies is their ability to win the Triple Crown. What is that and How Can You win it too.
🌎 The ongoing challenge for any business is Growing Revenues, Improving Service and Reducing Costs. The best examples can do this simultaneously. Doing that is called winning the Triple Crown 👑
20 years ago, I worked with a multinational company on a massive transformation program. One day, my colleague had an epiphany: if we could simplify work, we could lower costs.
And if we could achieve successful customer outcomes (SCO) more quickly and with fewer bumps in the road, we would grow revenue.
But that wasn’t enough for us. We wanted to improve service measurably by better aligning our transformation and the resulting processes and experiences with the SCO.
So we set out to create something new and exciting. We called it Triple Crown, and it was first introduced in a book I co-wrote in 2006 called “Customer Expectation Management – Success without Expectation”.
Since then, Triple Crown has become our go-to offering and has often helped us deliver for our client’s double-digit growth.
If you want to know more about Triple Crown benefits and how to implement the approach that makes it real (within days) reach out for a 15-30 minute conversation here:
“This course provided a terrific holistic framework for how I can more richly think about how MOTs connect to Customer Experience and Customer Journey Management. It’s a terrific program that I’d recommend and encourage Professionals to strongly consider.”
Jim Lecinski, Professor, Kellogg School of Management
(Jim is the creator of ZMOTs and Micro MOTs as a VP at Google 2006-2018)
L.G. Lavengood Outstanding Professor of the Year Award (2022)