Tag Archive by: cx

Strategy 2: Choose the path of energy

Choose the path of energy. That's the second strategy on how to spice up your leadership. Whether it is your leadership in private or business, you need to make lots of choices, small and bigger ones. But how to make this easy for yourself? By choosing the path of energy.

If you think 'huh?', then find out: listen to chapter 2 now!

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.

/by

Why your CX program will fail - fab insights with Aleksandra Pilniak & Friederike Niehoff

On this second episode of CX Leadership Talks we have two guests, both CX leaders and authors: Aleksandra Pilniak and Friederike Niehoff share their expertise in customer experience (CX) leadership. They discuss insights out of their brilliant book "Why your customer experience program will fail and 7 proven ways to avoid it"

For example, the importance of appreciation and injecting fun into the workplace and the episode highlights the pitfalls in CX strategy and concrete tips to improve it. Organizational culture is seen as crucial for a successful CX program, and the guests emphasize the importance of understanding it before attempting to change it. The episode also touches on the importance of self-appreciation, engaging with customers effectively, and using a maturity assessment to confront individuals on their customer-centricity.

Listen in for valuable insights from these two female leaders in Customer Experience Management. Friederike taped this episode while she was in South Africa, with a situation of flickering wifi, this has impacted the sound quality. But we like the episode and conversation so much, that we decided to leave it as it is!

And where to buy their book? Lord!

/by

Strategy 1: NOW is always a good moment to start

The first section of the book is about: How to start? From idea to action. And the first strategy is that NOW is always a good moment to start. Sounds obvious, but I'm sure that almost everyone has a bucket list item covered in dust, with no other plan than to do it someday...

I share the story behind my decision to walk a pilgrimage and relate that to you, being a leader in CX.

So, listen to my first strategy and chapter: Now is always a good moment to start.

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.

/by

The 3 A's of CX leadership - The introduction of the podcast CX Leadership Talks

On this very first episode of CX Leadership Talks, our host Nienke Bloem, a CCXP (Certified Customer Experience Professional) with 20 years of corporateand 8 years of CX Entrepreneur experience, dives deep into the world of customer experience management.

As someone who believes that CX is a core part of her identity, Nienke shares insights into successful CX leadership.

She emphasizes the importance of

  • Accountability,
  • Authority, and
  • Anecdote

and shares how she and you can implement them in Customer Experience Management.

The episode provides valuable insights on how to lead CX and provides practical solutions to common CX-related challenges.

Listen to this first episode

/by

Introduction to my book 'CX is a pilgrimage'

How to spice up your leadership? That is what my book 'CX is a pilgrimage' is all about. In 2021, I decided to spice up my life and found the magical connection between Customer Experience, pilgrimage, and leadership.

I walked 1,000 kilometers on the Via Francigena, a pilgrim's path in Italy and finished in Rome on May 17th, 2022, my 50th birthday. That's why I decided to share 50 strategies in my book 'CX is a pilgrimage – 50 strategies to spice up your leadership'.

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.

/by

System

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 in plenty of 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 fox hunt that day. To complete the picture for the visual thinkers: I am dressed as an orange supporter.

So I send a message to this printing giant. I include 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 annoying that things went wrong with the delivery of your order. So you have the handout, but the loose-leaf article and stickers are missing? When we have this clear then we can look at an appropriate solution.

Sincerely,

Madelon'

Um, yes. This is a case of copy-paste without reading properly. Because I 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,

Totally right I put 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 to the printer? Will I get my materials? And when? I send a short message on chat after this, to which a colleague kindly replies that the materials will be printed.

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

'Dear Sir/Madam,

Unfortunately, due to excessive traffic, 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, which I translate for you for free: 'System says NO.'

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

 

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

Don't miss another blog? Sign up for my monthly CX Greetz!

/by

Cup of coffee?

I almost always offer delivery drivers a cup of coffee. Or in the summer, I have a few cans of fresh cold. Or maybe they want to use the toilet 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 meal package was delivered, where Tugrul liked a cup of coffee.

We started talking and he told us that this is his part-time job. He is happy to deliver these boxes, in addition to being an entrepreneur with his own Barbershop. Because living on your own costs money. So he works extra shifts as a delivery driver for this meal box service. What a great energy and drive. It was very nice to hear his perspective on delivery and entrepreneurship. Are you in Utrecht and would like to get a haircut by this entrepreneur? Then you can definitely go to Ozky's Barber at Bartoklaan 17 in Utrecht.

He also asked me what was actually in that box. Because he had never seen that before. Maybe a small point of improvement in the Employee Journey of this meal delivery company. But I fixed 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 the love he took the box back immediately. 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 take it wider. Are you nice to the service in a restaurant? Against flight attendants? Staff in stores?

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

So ask your delivery person if he/she wants a cup of coffee or tea. Just have a few take-away cups at home, because then they can go back into their bus with a nice hot cup of hopsakee. Or if it's summer and warm, have a few cans of cold lying around. Offer that they can use the toilet for a while. And for the meal deliverers; Have some euros ready. I know it can be done in the app, but I'd much rather give a few euros myself that I have in a container. That's how I thank them personally. And everyone likes that. Tugrul certainly does.

 

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

Don't miss another blog? Sign up for my monthly CX Greetz!

/by

In love, engaged or is it complicated?

Yes, it is. February, the month of love. Or to be more precise, the month in which Valentine's Day falls. That day when a lot of 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 shape doesn't really matter. Showing love can be done in many ways. Say something nice, send or do something nice. It works. It makes your own heart do a dance and therefore also that of the other. Isn't it wonderful to have a column about love? Unfortunately, this is where the happy part ends.

Because I want to switch to another world. That of love for the customer.

That's where my heart stops with the dance. Unfortunately, for many, that's where the imagination stops. Because love for the customer. What does it look like? Should we call the customer and tell them we love her/him (I'll keep it to her for now)? No, we're certainly not going to do that here in the Netherlands, that's too American for us. But that's not the point.

The point is that we do want the customer to love us and give us a nine or ten in the survey. That she spends her money with us every year. Tacitly renews the contract. Buy more policies. Tacitly accepts the price increase and let's hope she doesn't call. That she doesn't disturb us with our work, but mainly finds her own way, digitally.

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

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

The love for the customer is a topic that should really be discussed. Do you love your customer? Ask yourself and your colleagues the question. I suggest that you have this conversation lovingly in your organization. I dare say that Valentine's Day next year will be a very different one.

 

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

Don't miss another blog? Sign up for my monthly CX Greetz!

/by

Why and how to engage your leaders

As a CX leader, you're not the person in charge. In the end, that is someone from the management. So you have to take that into account in a CX program. You don't just manage and advise your team, you also do that with your managers. There is no one who is more important than the other, but you need to know exactly who the high-priority stakeholders are: those are the ones who matter most at that moment. As a CX leader, you need to figure out who that key stakeholder is and make sure you're working together. The better you understand your leader, the better you'll be able to empathize with and respond to the needs of all stakeholders.

I list the 3 best tips to properly involve your leader in your program here:

1. Provide good and relevant information

Communication is key. Without proper communication, it is impossible to build a good relationship. It's your job to provide your supervisor with the information that specifically meets his or her needs. This is information that helps him or her to perform the role of manager well and that supports the making of important decisions. Managers are busy and don't like surprises: the more you respond to them with adequate information, the better.

If you proactively provide relevant information, you build your own credibility and you help your managers to appear credible to their bosses. So it's important that you work on your business acumen. So that you understand what is important to them and how your CX program fits into the organization. That way, you'll build a solid working relationship with your manager.

2. Be helpful

Giving information is good, but think carefully about what you give them and why. You can't get away with 'I'll make a report out of it'. You don't convince people with that. The communication you give should be:

  • Goal-oriented: Think about why you're giving this report. Is it to raise awareness, to bring about a change, to get a decision or something else?
  • Targeted: make sure it's specific to your stakeholder.
  • Appropriate in terms of form and content: how does your manager want to receive the information? In a presentation, a spreadsheet, an action list? Don't make assumptions, just ask and you'll know.
  • Monitor for effectiveness: do you actually see a change in attitude? Has the communication had an effect? If not, change it. Adjust the way you communicate or report.

So make sure your communication style matches the way they like to receive their information.

Be helpful. Recognize that your CX program is just one of many programs and that sometimes you need to help them manage their time. This will help you build your credibility in case something goes wrong.

Don't confuse being helpful with being submissive. No manager expects their team members to blindly follow. Your manager does expect you to think along and take responsibility.

I know of at least one strategy that always works. The strategy of causing others to "stumble over the truth." This means that you're not going to say what customers say or what's hurtful to the organization. No, you let them discover it for themselves. Dan Heath himself explains how this works:

3. Be functionally disobedient

Managers are normal people. They may not have all the answers, but they too learn new things every day. Be sympathetic and realize that they also have work to do.

You don't have to do everything by the book. If your manager asks you to do something that you know isn't best for your manager, the organization, the team, and yourself, you should say so. Have the confidence to challenge decisions. Being able to say no to your manager helps you build your credibility.

Finally, some extra tips to increase engagement

  • Define the active role that top management has in your CX program and keep them engaged; shows that excellent leadership is important within CX and CX programs.
  • Have empathy for the top and realize that they have more limited information than you do and that they are constantly being pulled.
  • Support the board members: they may be new to their role and need extra (subtle) support to ensure they function well in their jobs.
  • Recognize that it takes time for people to change their mindset from a "doer" to a "leader."
  • Make it clear that the CX program or project is a means to achieve the organization's strategy and that the top managers are therefore the top project managers.
  • Know that they also have to advise, to the CEO and other stakeholders. So give an example of the business impact (preferably the ROI) of good individual and organizational competencies of your CX program.
  • Get rid of the idea that risk is bad news.
  • Focus on the business impact and strategic benefits of the CX program – the big picture – and reduce the level of detail in communication.
  • Build a sponsorship culture upwards and downwards: support each other.
  • If you know what drives your manager, you can better manage expectations.
  • Work on building credibility and trust.
/by

Unknown makes unloved

We go back in time about ten years and I am sitting across from my then CEO. I have been in charge of KPN's Customer Excellence team for three months now. I am new to the company, he even a little newer. My goal is to bring the relational NPS from -14 to zero in just under three years.

Yet he asks "Nienke, what result did you achieve with your team last month? Stammering, I bring out that we have a long-term goal. That our growth strategy is focused on reducing detractors, what actions we have for that, that I am confident. 'No, no. I expect you to bring results here every month. Of course it's good that you have plans, but I also want to know what short-term results you've achieved with your team.'

Full of doubt, I left the meeting room. How was I supposed to do that? With such an erratic long-term goal that might grow a point or two per quarter? I consulted a colleague and he told me how he did it.

A light bulb went on for me. All those years I had worked very hard in various roles and management positions, but I had never structurally kept track of my successes (and failures) and reported on them. Nor did I have my story in focus when I spoke to colleagues: I mainly told them what I did. What results I had achieved, I could not tell in a few sentences.

If you work in a large organization, it's important to think about your own marketing. "Huh?!" I hear you say. Yes. That's important if you work in customer service or customer experience, well, really anywhere. But especially in our professions, it's important for people to understand the work you do, how it is linked to the business strategy and the impact you make.

In marketing, they often talk about Know, Like, Trust. Apply this to yourself: make sure management knows you, likes you professionally, and ultimately trusts you. You don't want to leave that to others, so take charge yourself.

I saw a great example last week at the International CX Awards. Vattenfall's CX team won three Awards, including the best B2C CX team in the world! As a big learning point, they told me that the process to the Awards had helped them to tell very concisely where they had achieved successes.

So, dear reader. Is your marketing in order? Do you know and share your successes? Don't underestimate this. Because unknown makes unloved. The choice is yours.

 

This blog was written for CustomerFirst and published on December 13, 2022

Don't miss another blog? Sign up for my monthly CX Greetz!

/by