Happy CX Day!

Today is Customer Experience Day! In my decades in business technology, no matter the industry or culture, I can tell you that people remember the experiences that make them feel positive – special, happy, excited, grateful, valued – even on top of the world. I’m sure we can all relate to the special experiences, but also the not-so-good ones.

 In business, if ever a full appreciation of the customer is expressed, you remember it. I invite you to think about a recent customer experience that made you stop and think, that made you feel truly appreciated as a customer.

 Recently I was in a restaurant in Rome where the service was impeccable. The wait staff only approached the table when it was clear we were not engaged in full dialog so as not to interrupt us mid-sentence, or even mid-thought. The sensitivity of the staff and the level of service was extraordinary.

 Or perhaps you had an opposite experience, one like my colleague, Marvio Portela experienced while we were in Brazil a short while ago. He turned it into a comical anecdote - enjoy the read!

 But the point is, when customers have positive experiences, not only do they remember it, not only will they return and be loyal, they will tell their friends and family about it too. It’s widely known that it can cost up to five times more to attract a new customer than it does to retain an existing customer.

 And when I get back to Rome, I’ll be going back to this restaurant and have already told a few friends about it. My friend Marvio - he’s going to remember the hotel he wrote about because he turned it into a positive story, but I doubt if he will go back. And I bet your customers might not be as good-natured as my colleague! What if they post a negative tweet…or even a whole negative blog?

 Regardless of the industry - retail, travel, financial services, etc… customer experiences through every touchpoint with the business are crucial and becoming more so, to the success and viability of your business.

 Meeting expectations with data, analytics & decisioning

 Customer expectations are higher than ever. The bar is rising, and customers want organizations to know them and their preferences. They expect us to recommend products and services in the right context and at the right time during their experience.

 Fortunately, most businesses have the data and analytics today to support this. By analyzing available data, organizations can take advantage of powerful AI techniques to offer customers engaging, personalized content that generates sales and builds retention. Harvard Business Review shared a Pulse Survey examining analytics and customer experience. Fifty-eight percent of respondents credited significant improvements in customer loyalty and retention to analytics.

 We all want to feel valued and appreciated. The dialog and interactions you have with your customers must be timely, researched and relevant whether you’re trying to nurture an existing customer relationship or develop a new one. How do they want to be treated? How can you deliver a customer experience that meets needs and exceeds their expectations?

 It’s not only possible with today’s technologies, but essential for survival of the business.

 In this digital transformative age, we need to rethink how we engage with our customers. Check out the trends that are reshaping customer experiences. To do so, you need data, analytical models, and the ability and agility to make timely decisions on the data and the models. Automation, decisioning and optimization of data, models, business processes and all types of analytics will be a key factor in identifying the top players in any industry. You need a strategy for delivering personalized and real-time experiences and interactions based on customer context and behavior.

 I’m interested in your thoughts about customer experiences, and examples of how you are using or experiencing real-time analytics to interact with customers. Connect with me and share your comments below.

 “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

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