In the tapestry of my career, there lies a thread of synchronicity-mysterious, yet undeniably powerful. Imagine this scene from just fourteen days ago: my office for the day on the 17th floor in North Sydney with a view of the harbor and the Parramatta River.

The journey to this incredible moment began over six months ago, with the decision to visit the Professional Speakers Australia - PSA convention in Perth. The question came: How could I transform this trip into a combination of connection and impact within customer experience? My network, a peer group of CX professionals and clients, lead to three engagements across Sydney and Perth.

Then, as an opportunity materialized from the ether-a request for the CX Game in Sydney landed in my mailbox. An international corporation was in search of an innovative way to engage their team around customer centricity at their Annual Kickoff in March. The stars had aligned, placing me in Australia precisely when needed.

My conviction that the universe provides when we walk the right path has been a guiding light. In my book, "CX is a Pilgrimage: 50 Strategies to Spice Up Your Leadership," I delve into this belief in a chapter titled "Trust the Universe.

And so, the universe delivered. With my client, we explored the possibilities, sealed the deal, and I journeyed to Sydney, bringing with me the CXGame boards, bells and train-the-trainer manuals. The result of this adventure was the privilege of a day program to empower five new trainers to champion the The Customer Experience Game®.

And here I stand, on that 17th floor with this Sydney harbor view, through a series of synchronicities that only the universe could orchestrate. As I reflect on this journey, I am reminded of the power of staying true to our path and the incredible impact we have, when we do.

The CX Game is more than just 'a game'; it's a serious game, a perfect and tested tool, that helps organizations become customer centric. That engages all employees and gets them to reflect and act.

This experience has reaffirmed my belief in the magic of synchronicity and the importance of trusting the universe. But more importantly, it has shown me the incredible power of our community-how, together, we can push boundaries, innovate, and elevate CX to new heights.

I cannot yet reveal the name of the company that embarked on this CX Game journey , but I am confident in their success and the lasting impact of today's event. I thank Babs Asselbergs - CCXP for helping me on this engagement and to everyone who has been a part of this adventure, thank you for your trust, your enthusiasm, and your commitment to excellence.

Let's continue to trust in the path we're on, embrace the synchronicities that guide us, and together, create experiences that not only meet expectations but exceed them. Who knows what the universe has in store for us next?

Most Customer Experience Stories, well um ... make me want to walk AWAY.

Yes, that is the truth and I need to say it this harsh. Because at the start of a new year - okay it is almost March, but still - you have the opportunity to realize that your CX story might suck too and that you have a chance to change it. Too many CX leaders think that they have a solid story, and most of them are wrong. So, let's see if you are part of that group, or... Hopefully not.

Five issues

The five issues I mostly see - and I have mentored so many CX leaders on their CX Stories, that I know my trade - is that CX stories are:

  • Too functional and boring - there is no emotion anywhere in the presentation, maybe it is even too corporate.
  • Too general - it could be any organization's CX Story or is not memorable.
  • Lacking you as a leader - there is no way people can connect with you as the presenter.
  • Too analytical - you talk about trends and larger numbers, but the true customer is absent.
  • An open door - everybody in the audience agrees, but has either no clue what to do next, or is not engaged in a call to action.

How to create a good CX Story

First. What is a CX Story? It is a term that I use when it comes to your transformational customer change story. A good CX story contains at least these four elements:

  1. Personal story (what engages the audience with you as a leader?).
  2. Sense of urgency (where are we now, what is our BHAG or goal and why should we change?).
  3. CX Strategy (what is the path you envision for change, what is your change plan?).
  4. Call to action (what is it that you want your audience to DO?).

A great CX Story is a story that you can share in ten minutes, half an hour or even elaborate in a deep dive of an hour. But that ten minute one is your foundation. Your team can use it, and you will repeat it time and time again. In the end, it becomes the CX Mantra that everybody will know and understand.

Game changer

A good CX Story IS a game changer. Being able to share an incredible CX Story, will make you the King (or Queen) of CX Transformation. Trust me.

Do you want to spice up your CX Story - including your CX Strategy? It is something that you can do yourself, with a little of my help (and a big save on money for consultants). For Dutch CX leaders: in April a new CX Leadership Masterminds starts, where you and a select group of other CX leaders build and deliver your own CX Story and shape it to perfection. Please let me know in a response to this blog(or in the CX Greetz that it comes with) what mistake of the five you recognize. And maybe I can give you some personal tips what to do next!

In the dynamic of Customer Experience (CX) leadership, communication is essential for engagement, persuasion, and education. However, even the most seasoned CX leaders can fall prey to certain communication pitfalls. With the result that they don't get their message across, colleagues don't understand them and more important, people don't get into action. Identifying and addressing these 'six blind spots' can transform how leaders communicate, connect, and influence their teams and customers.

Blind spot 1: being too complete

The Overload Trap: CX leaders often feel compelled to provide every detail in their presentations, believing that more information equates to better understanding. However, this completeness can lead to information overload, losing the audience's interest and diluting the core message.

The Fix

Focus on simplicity and clarity. Distill the story to its most essential elements to keep your audience engaged and the message impactful.

Blind spot 2: being too boring

The Engagement Gap: A common misstep is sticking to a dry, fact-based narrative and not much engagement. This approach can make your presentation, strategy and stories unrelatable and forgettable.

The Fix

Incorporate elements that have unexpectedness. That spark emotions - humor, surprise, or personal anecdotes. Engage your audience with a narrative that resonates and makes them remember.

Blind spot 3: being too conceptual

The Abstract Challenge: CX leaders might lean heavily on abstract concepts or industry and especially customer experience jargon, making it hard to grasp.

The Fix

Ground your story with concreteness. Use real-world and customer examples and relatable scenarios. Simplify complex ideas with metaphors or analogies to make them more accessible.

Blind spot 4: being too corporate

The Corporate Veil: overemphasis on corporate perspectives can make your presentation or strategy feel impersonal or propagandistic and might feel that it is just your CX idea.

The Fix

Humanize your story and add in true customer data to build credibility. Have a CX data sheet, that you can use and share experiences and lessons from a personal viewpoint. Combine data with stories and relate to everyday experiences that transcend corporate walls.

Blind spot 5: being too unpersonal

The Relatability Rift: presentations lacking a personal touch fail to connect with the audience on an emotional level. Often people won't connect and don't understand what to do next.

The Fix

Build in emotion to connect and let your personal stories come into play. Let your vulnerability and authenticity shine through to build a stronger connection with your audience. Also be specific on your call to action, what you want your audience to DO.

Blind spot 6: being too functional

The Functional Focus: focusing solely on the functional aspects of Customer Experience, like methodologies, processes or outcomes, can make it uninspiring.

The Fix

Weave in the human element and add stories. Highlight the impact on people, whether it's customers, employees, or communities. Stories that showcase human experiences and emotions are more engaging and memorable.

My conclusion and tips for you

Effective communication in CX leadership is about striking the right balance. It is my suggestion to use the success formula of Dan and Chip Heath from the book Made to stick. So, you start to focus more and get your ideas and communication across. To stand out from the crowd.

It's about being informative yet engaging, professional yet personal, and functional yet inspiring.

By addressing these six blind spots, you as a CX leader can craft stories that are not only heard but also felt and remembered. This approach not only enhances communication but also fosters a more profound connection with teams and customers, ultimately driving a more impactful CX strategy.

 

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What I find really cool is sparring with colleagues. Whether that's in the field of customer experience, master classes or the speaking profession. It always delivers so much. Besides energy and connection, concrete ideas and business opportunities always arise.

Still. If I'm honest, I don't make enough time for it. While it is so valuable. See here the first Open Door. But this Open Door is not what this blog is about.

I am a hiker, you may have already known that. So how nice is it to not only spar, but to combine this right away with a walk. The ideal combo and that's why I call it my Walk and Talk appointments.

For example, this week I walked with Guido Thys through the woods near Naarden. He is the least sought-after speaker in the Netherlands, at least that is what he says himself. Which made me laugh right away. He has over 25 years of speaking experience and a very refreshing take on basically everything. It is exactly that twist, which I find funny and which makes me think.

We both talk about customer experience, and yet we are different. For example, he has a really cool workshop Chasing Customers Away and I focus more on speaking about and training in the subject of customer experience management. We are very different and yet... During the walk we explored the challenges in customer experience and found that they have actually been the same for years.

After all, has much changed in recent years? Of course, there's the rise of digital channels. Is CX getting better organized. But if we look at behavior change, where customer experience and culture come together ... well. That's where we had to draw a sad conclusion.

Leaders are still not eager to engage with customers. Quite honestly; leaders find customers annoying entities and so making time for customers is an afterthought. Run along in the contact center? Go along with a mechanic or truck driver? Or join the in-house solar panel mechanic for a day on the road to customers? Structurally? No.

That's the Open Door I'm talking about. That door that has been open for decades. In my view, that Open Door is the quick win to customer-centric behavior and the boost for a customer-centric culture. Such a culture is about leaders who understand what customer contact is all about. Where the win-win occurs so that leaders understand customers as well as employees at the front end of the organization.

Maybe we should open this door wide. And think of it as a red carpet. This is THE Open Door to the customer-centric organization, for every executive. It's already open, so take off those blinders and cross that threshold. On the other side, you'll find customers and employees who will welcome you with open arms.

 

This blog was written for CustomerFirst and published on October 3, 2023

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Ah, it's summer. As customers, then we are all in a great mood. We go on vacation and show the best of ourselves. Right? Or not...

I got these reviews from a guide who showed us around Jamaica over eight years ago and I have to laugh and cry at the same time. What a bunch of cryers we humans are sometimes. These are real reviews she received from the tour operator. Long live open feedback that you can get from reviews and surveys.

I've listed the 11 worst ones for you.

1. 'It should be forbidden to sunbathe topless on the beach. My husband was very distracted by that, he just wanted to relax a bit and that didn't work out now.'

2, 'We went on vacation to Spain and had a problem with the cab drivers. We couldn't understand them because they all spoke Spanish.'

3. 'The beach was just too sandy. We had to clean and de-sand everything when we got back to our room.'

4, 'We discovered that the sand was not like the sand in the brochure. Your brochure shows the sand as white, but it was yellower in real life.'

5. 'No one told us there would be fish in the water. The fish scared our children.'

6. 'The roads were uneven and bumpy, preventing us from reading the local travel guide during the bus ride to the resort. As a result, we were unaware of many things that really would have made our vacation much more enjoyable.'

7. 'I compared the size of our one-bedroom suite to our friends' three-bedroom suite. And ours was considerably smaller.'

8. "We had to stand in line outside to get the boat and there was no air conditioning. That was very disappointing to us.'

9. "It is your duty as a tour operator to inform us of noisy or unruly guests before we travel.

10. "My fiancé and I had requested two twin beds when we booked, but instead we got a room with a king-size bed. We hold you and your organization responsible and want compensation for getting me pregnant. This would not have happened if you had given us the room we booked.'

11. "I was bitten by a mosquito. The brochure didn't mention mosquitoes.'

What should you do with this when you get this kind of feedback in your own surveys? I would just do nothing. These people deserve zero attention. You wouldn't even wish these customers on your competitor.

 

This blog was written for CustomerFirst and published on September 5, 2023

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Let's go back in time for a moment. I think it was sometime in 1999. I was working at AMEV as a Life inspector and I closed my mortgage. Because as an employee I got a nice discount on the mortgage interest and I was happy to take advantage of that. A few years later I started to renovate and again, AMEV was a great help.

Within AMEV, there was a special office for employees, where really everything was taken care of when taking out the mortgage. There was coffee ready for you, you could always walk in if you had questions, and communication about papers and the notary was also well taken care of. There was no red carpet just yet, but that's how it felt. As employees, we were well pampered.

As a Life Inspector, I was responsible for a large area, from the east of Utrecht to the German border, helping intermediaries choose AMEV for mortgages and pensions. There are probably some time zones mixed up now, but I do remember that my customers - the intermediaries - did not find our handling of mortgages too florid. Communication was unclear. Their customers didn't understand anything about our letters. It took a long time for official offers to arrive. Things went wrong when sending notary documents.

I understood little of that. After all, we had it so well taken care of, hadn't we? I really didn't know any better than that as AMEV, we gave the red-carpet feeling to customers. Because that was my own experience. In Customer Experience, we call that the "n=1 situation". My own experience, would also be the experience of our customers and their customers. Besides, I didn't realize then either, that I had an inside-out view and was quite infected with the 'curse of knowledge'. The what?! I had far more knowledge of mortgages, legislation, and processes than the client who was taking out a mortgage. That's called the "curse of knowledge". As a result, I couldn't empathize with the person without that knowledge. I missed the outside-in view.

With an intermediary I visited one of his clients and immediately saw where we were going wrong. That the red-carpet feeling only applied to employees. But immediately, I also saw the potential for improvement. 

This is exactly why I urge everyone to go on customer visits themselves. Step out of your own processes, systems and mindsets and look at the world through the eyes of the customer. There where the customer is. At the company or just at home. See what customers' needs are, what keeps them awake at night and where the real improvement potential lies. Who knows, you might also see where your organization can give that red-carpet feeling to customers.

 

This blog was written for CustomerFirst and published on July 4, 2023

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We start the CX inspiration day at Starbucks. Along with eight Customer Experience leaders in government, today we get a behind-the-scenes look at how they organize customer experience at three companies.

As everyone drops in, Robin and I stand in line for coffee at Starbucks. We slowly move up and then we can order coffee for five people.

'Two americanos, an oat latte and two cappuccinos please.' The male barista looks at me and asks "What name can I write on the cups?" Next to him is a female colleague with a marker at the ready. I ponder for a moment who had ordered which coffee, because how nice is it if everyone has their own name on the cup? I see a somewhat pleading look and realize that today is not at all about having different names on the cup.

In a split second I decide not to make a fuss about that. Because it's rush hour at Utrecht Central Station at this Starbucks and I don't think he's in the mood for it. No, this man wants us away from that counter as quickly as possible. So I look at Robin and realize that his name is easier, than having to write Nienke on every cup, so I say "Just do Robin."

He looks at his colleague with the marker in hand, sees the five cups, and in half a second has an even easier solution. "Can it be Rob, too?" I look at Robin, we give each other a quick wink - hopefully unseen by the barista - and with a sigh I say that's okay.

As he taps something on the cash register with relief, he sees that he has tapped cash instead of paying with a card and the order must be re-entered. I consider that this is his punishment by the universe, because Robin's name is Robin. Not Rob. And actually, these coffees are for Robert, Anke, Marieke, Nienke AND Robin. Not for five Robs.

At the checkout the second time, it's also over two euros cheaper. So now that we are all called Rob, life has immediately become cheaper. I have to laugh a little.

Still, I am balking at it, because I have organized a CX inspiration day and therefore I would like it to be personal for my guests. Well, inspiration comes from worst practices too, I think to myself.

We sit down, waiting for the coffees for Rob. About three minutes later, our coffees are ready. "I have the coffees here for Robin!" shouts the barista with the marker. Haha. She dissed her colleague, but it's not a good customer experience.

 

This blog was written for CustomerFirst and published on June 6, 2023

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For a customer experience workshop I am conducting, I designed materials and had them printed. When I receive the envelope of printed materials, 75% of the order is missing.

Fortunately, I was well in time to order and didn't need the materials right away. I can't call during opening hours because I'm participating in the annual scavenger hunt that day. To complete the picture for the visual thinkers: I am disguised as a Dutch supporter, fully dressed in orange clothes.

So I send a message to this printing giant. I provide exactly the information I suspect the service person will need. The order number, that which did get delivered - my document named Handout, exactly as it says in the confirmation email - and that the other three items are missing.

Dressed entirely in orange, I walk around town in the meantime. I check my mail and read:


'Dear,

How unpleasant that things went wrong with the delivery of your order. So you have the handout, but the loose-leaf article and stickers are missing? Once we have this clear, we can provide an appropriate solution.

Sincerely,

Madelon'

Uhm, yes. This is a case of copy-paste without reading properly. Because I have already indicated that only the handout was provided. And apparently it is too much trouble to write to me with my name. Not recognized and certainly not acknowledged. I quickly reply back that this is indeed true. To get the following email back:

'Dear,

All good, I put it it in the system for you.'

Huh! And now? What a sloppy nothing email, even with a typo. She must have put it in the system, but what does that mean for me? For the entrepreneur who needs these materials to teach CX classes?

So this is where it often goes wrong. For Madelon it is probably obvious, but for me - the customer - it is now unclear. Is my order sent to the printer? Will I get my materials? And when? I send a short message via chat after this, to which a colleague kindly replies that the materials will be printed.

The scavenger hunt was top-notch. Just stripped of orange face paint, we sit enjoying afterward over Friday afternoon drinks. Then, at 6:41 PM, I receive the icing-on-the-cake-email.

'Dear Sir/Madam,

Unfortunately, due to heavy workload, we were unable to ship your order today.

By: System'

What?! This system is broken! Like so many systems. As a customer, it's killing me. It reminds me of a video from Little Britain: 'System says NO.'

It's done: customer says NO. I'm going to look for another printing company.

 

This blog was written for CustomerFirst and published on May 2, 2023

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I pretty much always offer delivery drivers a cup of coffee. Or in the summer, I have a few cans of soda cold. Or maybe they want to use the restroom for a while?

Usually they turn this down, because busy busy busy, but sometimes there is a need and some time for it. Like last Sunday when my weekly meal box was delivered, where Tugrul did like a cup of coffee.

We struck up a conversation and he explained that this is his side job. He enjoys delivering these boxes, in addition to being an entrepreneur with his own Barbershop. Because living on your own, that costs money. So he runs extra shifts as a delivery driver at this meal box service. What great energy and drive. It was great fun to hear his perspective on delivery and entrepreneurship. Should you be in Utrecht and want to be cut by this entrepreneur? Then you should definitely visit Ozky's Barber at Bartoklaan 17 in Utrecht.

He also asked me what was actually in the box. Because he had never seen that before. Perhaps a small point of improvement in the Employee Journey of this meal delivery company. But I solved that. I showed him the app; that you have a choice of 30 meals, we opened the box together, he looked at the contents of the box, the recipes and with all love he took the box right back. Good for the environment!

What a pleasure to meet such great delivery people and this also starts with ourselves. The customer. Do you do this too? If I draw it broader. Are you nice to the waiters in a restaurant? To flight attendants? Staff in stores?

Back to the delivery drivers. They don't have it easy. They have to deal with the strangest traffic situations, especially in Utrecht where I live. Just think what it's like when you need to go to the toilet while you have so many packages in the back of your van....

So ask your delivery driver if they would like a cup of coffee or tea. Just have a few take-away cups in the house, because then they can get right back on their bus with a nice hot cup of coffee. Or if it's soon to be summer and hot, leave a few cans cold in your fridge. Offer to let them use the restroom. And for the meal delivery drivers, have some euros ready. I know it can be done in the app, but I much prefer to give a few euros myself that I have in a tray. That way I thank them personally. And everybody likes that. At least Tugrul certainly did.

 

This blog was written for CustomerFirst and published on April 4, 2023

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Yes! February, the month of love. Or to put it a little more precisely, the month when Valentine's Day takes place. That day when many people send a card. Buy a bar of chocolate that says "I love you" and then give it to a loved one. Or send someone a message. To our loved one, a friend, mother, neighbor or daughter.

Actually, the way does not matter much. Showing love can be done in many ways. Saying something sweet, sending something or doing something sweet. It works. It makes your own heart do a dance and therefore also that of the other person. Lovely, isn't it, a column about love. Unfortunately, the happy part ends here.

Because I want to switch to a different world. The one of love for the customer.

That's where my heart stops dancing. Unfortunately for many, that's also where the imagination stops. Because love for the customer. What does that look like? Should we call the customer and say we love her/him (I'll stick with her for now)? No, we are certainly not going to do that here in the Netherlands, that is too American for us. But that's not the point either.

The point is that we do want the customer to love us and gives a nine or ten in the survey. That she spends her money with us every year. Renews the contract tacitly. Buys more insurance policies. Silently accepts the price increase and please let's hope she doesn't call. That she doesn't disturb us in our work, but most of all makes her own way, digitally.

Love. That's exactly where things go wrong in organizations. We don't really love the customer. Of who she is. What she's about. We do want her to choose us. But also if she cannot choose as a customer (read citizen, participant or applicant), that she does not bother us too much.

That's what this is about. About whether you and your colleagues are in love, engaged, or married to the client. And whether you really feel anything about that. Or is it complicated after all? (Thanks Facebook, for allowing us to choose this wonderful addition within "types of relationships.") Because do we talk about the customer internally as if we love her? Or do we prefer to use her customer number anyway? Do we talk about customers in meetings, or do we still prefer to stick to the process?

Customer love is a topic that really should be talked about. Do you love your customer? Ask the question to yourself and your colleagues. I suggest you start having this conversation lovingly in your organization. I dare say Valentine's Day will then be a very different one next year.

 

This blog was written for CustomerFirst and published on March 7, 2023

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