Tag Archive of: cx blogs

The power of synchronicity: a CX journey in Sydney's Harbor City

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?

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Why most Customer Experience stories suck

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!

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Strategy 38: When fear is fear

When fear is fear; that is what Strategy 38 is about. I am aware that life is life and things could happen. It won't help if I constantly have worrying thoughts. On the contrary, I think you might attract them if you keep thinking of your fears.

So, what to do instead? You'll find out watching this video!

I read aloud a chapter every week. Enjoy listening to my book. I do hope that I'll inspire you to spice up your journey as a business leader, a CX leader, or maybe even as a leader in your personal life.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel and you'll be notified if another chapter appears!

Would you rather read my book? You can find it online on Amazon or - in the Netherlands and Belgium - in any bookstore online.

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Strategy 33: Your pain, is ... well, your pain

In this video you'll learn why Arnold Schwarzeneggers's saying "The pain you feel today, will be the strength you feel tomorrow" was not helpful to me during my pilgrimage. For me the question was: how can I deal with the pain and keep going?

What I know is that blaming won't help you. Listen what will and check out this video.

I read aloud a chapter every week. Enjoy listening to my book. I do hope that I'll inspire you to spice up your journey as a business leader, a CX leader, or maybe even as a leader in your personal life.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel and you'll be notified if another chapter appears!

Would you rather read my book? You can find it online on Amazon or - in the Netherlands and Belgium - in any bookstore online.

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Strategy 32: Angels are out there to make you feel special

Angels are out there to make you feel special. Are they? Yes, in fact, that is what strategy 32 is all about. There are always angels on your path, the lights on your journey that make the world go round. Not just in life, but most certainly also as a CX leader.

Or why not being an angel yourself? Check out strategy 32 in this video.

I read aloud a chapter every week. Enjoy listening to my book. I do hope that I'll inspire you to spice up your journey as a business leader, a CX leader, or maybe even as a leader in your personal life.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel and you'll be notified if another chapter appears!

Would you rather read my book? You can find it online on Amazon or - in the Netherlands and Belgium - in any bookstore online.

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Strategy 29: Work agile

Work agile. That is strategy 29. In this video you'll learn how little tweaks can improve not only your projects, but also in the way you work. By just changing one little thing at the time, you'll see big changes in the longer run.

Let me show you this principle based on my search for blister-free feet during my pilgrimage. What?! Check out this video and you'll understand.

I read aloud a chapter every week. Enjoy listening to my book. I do hope that I'll inspire you to spice up your journey as a business leader, a CX leader, or maybe even as a leader in your personal life.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel and you'll be notified if another chapter appears!

Would you rather read my book? You can find it online on Amazon or - in the Netherlands and Belgium - in any bookstore online.

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Six blind spots in CX leadership communication - and how to address them

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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Travel woes: customer chronicles

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

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

I've compiled the eleven worst ones for you.

1. 'It should be forbidden to sunbathe topless on the beach. My husband was very distracted by it; he just wanted to relax, and that didn't happen.'

2, 'We went on vacation to Spain and had a problem with the taxi 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 returned 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 more yellow in reality.'

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

6. 'The roads were uneven and bumpy, so during the bus ride to the resort, we couldn't read the local travel guide. This meant we were unaware of many things that would have made our vacation much more enjoyable.'

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

8. "We had to wait outside in line to catch the boat, and there was no air conditioning. We were very disappointed by that.'

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

10. "My fiancé and I had requested two separate beds when we booked, but instead, we were given a room with a king-size bed. We hold you and your organization responsible and want compensation for the fact that I became pregnant. This wouldn't 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 when you receive this kind of feedback in your own surveys? I'd just do nothing. These people deserve zero attention. You wouldn't even wish these customers on your competitors.

 

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

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The red carpet

Let's take a trip back in time. I believe it was somewhere around 1999. I was working at AMEV as a Life inspector, and I refinanced my mortgage. As an employee, I received a nice discount on the mortgage interest rate, and I gladly took advantage of that perk. A few years later, I decided to renovate my home, and once again, AMEV was a great resource for me.

Within AMEV, there was a special office for employees, where everything was taken care of when it came to obtaining a mortgage. Coffee was ready, you could always drop by if you had questions, and communication regarding paperwork and the notary was well taken care of. There wasn't literally a red carpet rolled out, but it certainly felt that way. As employees, we were well taken care of.

As a Life Inspector, I was responsible for a large area, from the east of Utrecht to the German border, and I helped intermediaries choose AMEV for mortgages and pensions. Time zones might be getting mixed up now, but I do remember that my clients - the intermediaries - weren't too pleased with our mortgages processing. The communication was unclear. Their clients didn't understand our letters. It took a long time for official quotes to arrive. There were issues with sending documents to the notary.

I couldn't understand it. Weren't we doing everything right? I truly believed that AMEV provided the red-carpet treatment to customers. Because that was my own experience. In Customer Experience, we call that the 'n=1 situation'. My own experience would also be that of our customers and their customers. Additionally, at that time, I didn't realize that I had an inside-out perspective and was heavily influenced by the 'curse of knowledge'. The what?! I possessed much more knowledge about mortgages, legislation, and processes than the customer obtaining a mortgage. That's what you call the 'curse of knowledge'. As a result, I couldn't empathize with someone lacking that knowledge. I lacked an outside-in perspective.

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

That's precisely why I urge everyone to go on customer visits themselves. Step out of your own processes, systems, and mindsets, and see the world through the eyes of the customer. Wherever the customer is. At the company or simply at home. Identify where customers' needs lie, what keeps them awake at night, and where the real potential for improvement lies. Who knows, you might also see where your organization can provide that red-carpet feeling to customers.

 

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

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All named Rob

We kick off the CX inspiration day at Starbucks. Alongside eight Customer Experience leaders from the government, we'll be getting a behind-the-scenes look at how three companies organize customer experience.

As everyone trickles in, I find myself in line with Robin to order coffee at Starbucks. We inch forward, and when it's our turn, 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 should I write on the cups?" Beside him stands a female colleague, ready with a pen. I quickly consider who ordered which coffee, thinking how nice it would be if everyone had their own name on the cup. But then I notice a slightly pleading look and realize today isn't the day for individual names on cups.

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

He looks at his colleague with the pen, sees the five cups, and in half a second, finds an even easier solution. "Can it be Rob?" I glance at Robin, and we quickly exchange a wink - hopefully unseen by the barista - and with a sigh, I agree.

As he enters the order again, this time correctly, he realizes he's rung up cash instead of card payment, and the order needs to be redone. I think to myself, this must be his punishment from the universe because Robin is Robin, not Rob. And really, these coffees are for Robert, Anke, Marieke, Nienke, and Robin. Not five Robs.

Upon paying, the second time around, it's also over two euros cheaper. So now that we're all named Rob, life suddenly became cheaper. It makes me chuckle a bit.

Even though I'm annoyed because I organized the CX inspiration day and want it to be personalized for my guests. Oh well, inspiration can also come from worst practices, I think to myself.

We sit down, waiting for Rob's coffees. Three minutes later, our coffees are ready. "I have the coffees for Robin!" the barista with the pen calls out. Haha. She totally dissed her colleague, but it's not exactly a good customer experience.

 

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

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