I rarely post about bad customer experiences I myself have endured. On a professional level, I note what’s going on – and of course, what the company should be doing differently! – but on a personal level, I understand these kinds of things happen and typically don’t let them get to me.
But I’m calling out a recent trip with Delta, because it hinges on lessons we should all learn.
First, let me say that I typically enjoy traveling with Delta and have had mostly excellent experiences. And many of the initial problems in this instance were beyond Delta’s control.
This week, as we close the book on this challenging year, I’m focusing on 2021 posts about the most important outcome of our work in CX: showing business impact.
We know we can do this by improving the experience for customers, but to get the necessary support for from leadership to make that happen, we have to be able demonstrate that it works! Read more
https://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/impact.jpg13091600Jim Tincherhttps://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/hotc-logo.pngJim Tincher2021-12-30 05:00:012022-01-01 00:34:57ICYMI, Part 2: 2021 Impact Roundup
So this week, as we prepare to tie a bow on 2021, I want to draw your attention to a handful of posts from earlier this year by Heart of the Customer CTO Shawn Phillips.
They offer insights on CX technology (current state and what’s to come) and provide background and context for my prediction. Read more
https://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/kpi-key-performance-indicator-business-concept-scaled.jpg10351600Jim Tincherhttps://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/hotc-logo.pngJim Tincher2021-12-22 05:09:262022-01-01 00:36:30ICYMI, Part 1: 2021 Tech Roundup
Late last year, I predicted that 2021 would be The Year of Data. And while it’s against my nature to say I told you so…boy, did I nail that one!
(That said, I also forecasted that Mall of America wouldn’t last five years, so my predictions aren’t always that good.)
My 2021 prediction stemmed from our 2020 research, which showed that leading CX programs were analyzing the behavioral, operational, and financial data in journeys to discover what customers were actually doing; the business’s behaviors that impacted the customer; and the financial outcomes that resulted from the interaction of those two factors. Read more
https://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/teamwork-scaled.jpg10681600Jim Tincherhttps://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/hotc-logo.pngJim Tincher2021-12-15 05:00:402021-12-16 07:22:142022: The Year of Data Integration
My time as a CX practitioner (as opposed to a consultant) is a bit dated, in that I left that role more than a decade ago. But it’s still important (even more so in my current role) to keep up to date on the state of the practice.
That’s how I deliver best-in-class services to our clients. And why I regularly interview CX leaders to learn more about their efforts, successes, and challenges.
Before COVID, I did this by spending two days on-site, embedded in a selected organization. During that time, I’d shadow a CX leader, attend meetings, and ask interview questions.
In the eight years since I founded Heart of the Customer, these were the days I learned the most. Read more
https://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/data-analysis-business-finance-conceptual-scaled.jpg9001600Jim Tincherhttps://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/hotc-logo.pngJim Tincher2021-12-02 05:00:302021-12-02 03:51:21Drive Your CX Strategy With Dashboards
I’m pretty sure I’m going to take some flak for my recommendations, but today I want to talk about what it takes to be a successful customer experience leader, and how to hire the right person for the role.
Before I get into our findings, let’s stop by my bookshelf…
There you’ll find Outliers from Malcolm Gladwell, which popularized the 10,000-hour rule. That’s Gladwell’s contention that to be successful in a domain, you need 10,000 hours of dedicated practice. Read more
https://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/cx-leader-scaled.jpg9601600Jim Tincherhttps://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/hotc-logo.pngJim Tincher2021-11-18 05:33:012021-11-18 05:33:01A Wonkish Look at Hiring a CX Leader
I’ve been thinking lately about why we measure things like, for example, Net Promoter Score (NPS).
What are we actually doing?
These thoughts are prompted by Reid Hoffman’s great new book, Masters of Scale. (In addition to writing books and hosting a podcast, Hoffman is the co-founder of LinkedIn and serves on the boards of Microsoft and PayPal, among others.) Read more
https://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/collection-emotions-facial-expressions-scaled.jpg10471600Jim Tincherhttps://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/hotc-logo.pngJim Tincher2021-11-10 05:57:082021-11-10 06:15:51A Wonkish Look at First-Principles Thinking
The Cynefin framework, developed more than 20 years ago by researcher and management consultant David Snowden, remains a solid context for strategic decision-making.
It helps categorize business issues, enabling you to respond more effectively…and in the process, create a successful, science-based approach to improving customer loyalty.
The framework defines five states:
Simple (aka Obvious, Clear) Marked by repeating cause-and-effect patterns and consistent events that represent “known knowns.”
Complicated Representing “unknown knowns” and requiring some effort and expertise to reveal cause-and-effect relationships.
Complex The “unknown unknowns” marked by flux and unpredictability.
Chaotic High turbulence with no clear cause-and-effect connections, requiring urgent action to establish order.
Disorder Comprising a domain of shifting, unknowable states with no clarity.
https://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/cynefin.jpg265299Jim Tincherhttps://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/hotc-logo.pngJim Tincher2021-10-28 06:58:362021-10-28 06:58:36CX Is Complicated, Not Complex
As I wrote previously, the jostling in the customer experience (CX) technology marketplace over the summer saw Kitewheel purchased by CSG, Usermind purchased by Qualtrics, and Medallia taken private by Thoma Bravo. Then Qualtrics bought Clarabridge, too.
Earlier this month, Genesys acquired Pointillist and Exceed.ai.
And there’s likely more to come.
All that activity might have escaped your notice, but that doesn’t mean you’ll escape the ramifications.
So what do these developments mean for you? Opportunity, if you play your cards right; danger, if you sit out this hand. Read more
https://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/portrait-confident-business-woman-business-team.jpg8041482Jim Tincherhttps://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/hotc-logo.pngJim Tincher2021-10-21 06:33:202021-10-21 06:33:20Execs: It’s Time to Raise Your Expectations!
This is the third in a three-part series that explores critical questions CX leaders should be asking – and able to answer. There is some overlap between issues and questions for B2C and B2B (covered previously) and B2B2C (covered here), but I’ve chosen to address each audience individually.
B2B2C experiences, such as those offered by insurance companies, are the most complex experiences to manage.
Not only do you need to win the loyalty of your distribution partners (such as agents), you also need to create an outstanding – but distinct – experience for your end customers, whose needs and goals are entirely different. Read more
https://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/questions-b2b2c-1.jpg392667Jim Tincherhttps://heartofthecustomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/hotc-logo.pngJim Tincher2021-10-14 05:00:242021-10-14 02:04:0510 Questions for B2B2C CX Leaders
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Don’t Leave Your Customers Stranded
/in CX Program Strategy/by Jim TincherBut I’m calling out a recent trip with Delta, because it hinges on lessons we should all learn.
First, let me say that I typically enjoy traveling with Delta and have had mostly excellent experiences. And many of the initial problems in this instance were beyond Delta’s control.
Until they weren’t. Read more
ICYMI, Part 2: 2021 Impact Roundup
/in CX Program Strategy, Driving CX Culture Change, Metrics & ROI/by Jim TincherLast week, I spotlighted some of our best tech-related posts from 2021.
This week, as we close the book on this challenging year, I’m focusing on 2021 posts about the most important outcome of our work in CX: showing business impact.
We know we can do this by improving the experience for customers, but to get the necessary support for from leadership to make that happen, we have to be able demonstrate that it works! Read more
ICYMI, Part 1: 2021 Tech Roundup
/in CX Program Strategy, Journey Analytics & Orchestration/by Jim TincherLast week, I posted my prediction that 2022 will be The Year of Data Integration.
So this week, as we prepare to tie a bow on 2021, I want to draw your attention to a handful of posts from earlier this year by Heart of the Customer CTO Shawn Phillips.
They offer insights on CX technology (current state and what’s to come) and provide background and context for my prediction. Read more
2022: The Year of Data Integration
/in CX Program Strategy, Journey Analytics & Orchestration/by Jim Tincher(That said, I also forecasted that Mall of America wouldn’t last five years, so my predictions aren’t always that good.)
My 2021 prediction stemmed from our 2020 research, which showed that leading CX programs were analyzing the behavioral, operational, and financial data in journeys to discover what customers were actually doing; the business’s behaviors that impacted the customer; and the financial outcomes that resulted from the interaction of those two factors. Read more
Drive Your CX Strategy With Dashboards
/in CX Program Strategy, Metrics & ROI, Voice of the Customer/by Jim TincherThat’s how I deliver best-in-class services to our clients. And why I regularly interview CX leaders to learn more about their efforts, successes, and challenges.
Before COVID, I did this by spending two days on-site, embedded in a selected organization. During that time, I’d shadow a CX leader, attend meetings, and ask interview questions.
In the eight years since I founded Heart of the Customer, these were the days I learned the most. Read more
A Wonkish Look at Hiring a CX Leader
/in CX Program Strategy, Driving CX Culture Change/by Jim TincherBefore I get into our findings, let’s stop by my bookshelf…
There you’ll find Outliers from Malcolm Gladwell, which popularized the 10,000-hour rule. That’s Gladwell’s contention that to be successful in a domain, you need 10,000 hours of dedicated practice. Read more
A Wonkish Look at First-Principles Thinking
/in CX Program Strategy, Driving CX Culture Change, Metrics & ROI/by Jim TincherWhat are we actually doing?
These thoughts are prompted by Reid Hoffman’s great new book, Masters of Scale. (In addition to writing books and hosting a podcast, Hoffman is the co-founder of LinkedIn and serves on the boards of Microsoft and PayPal, among others.) Read more
CX Is Complicated, Not Complex
/in CX Program Strategy/by Jim TincherIt helps categorize business issues, enabling you to respond more effectively…and in the process, create a successful, science-based approach to improving customer loyalty.
The framework defines five states:
Read more
Execs: It’s Time to Raise Your Expectations!
/in Driving CX Culture Change, Journey Analytics & Orchestration/by Jim TincherEarlier this month, Genesys acquired Pointillist and Exceed.ai.
And there’s likely more to come.
All that activity might have escaped your notice, but that doesn’t mean you’ll escape the ramifications.
So what do these developments mean for you? Opportunity, if you play your cards right; danger, if you sit out this hand. Read more
10 Questions for B2B2C CX Leaders
/in B2B Journeys (or B2B2C), CX Program Strategy, Metrics & ROI/by Jim TincherThis is the third in a three-part series that explores critical questions CX leaders should be asking – and able to answer. There is some overlap between issues and questions for B2C and B2B (covered previously) and B2B2C (covered here), but I’ve chosen to address each audience individually.
B2B2C experiences, such as those offered by insurance companies, are the most complex experiences to manage.
Not only do you need to win the loyalty of your distribution partners (such as agents), you also need to create an outstanding – but distinct – experience for your end customers, whose needs and goals are entirely different. Read more