Happy CX Day!

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Happy Customer Experience Day! If you're new to the celebration, consider this your warm welcome to the CX profession. For those already in the trenches, I salute you!

Today, I’m visiting my client’s client—an insurance agency in Indiana—and interviewing five individuals to gather feedback and uncover ways to improve their experience.

This brings me back to how I started in CX. I was lucky to work for a CEO who valued customer listening and had me visit all our clients for direct feedback.

As I reflect on 9 years of running my own CX advisory firm, I’m proud to have helped companies mature their programs. The CX field continues growing, with more universities offering undergraduate and graduate programs and more companies recognizing the need for a Chief Experience Officer. Early in my career, attending a CX conference and connecting with the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) opened the door to learning from CX leaders like Jeanne Bliss , Bruce Temkin , Kerry Bodine , Annette Franz, CCXP , and Diane Magers . I am thankful for the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of these pioneers, who laid the foundation for our work today.

Most of those in CX will say they began in the profession years before they knew it. They were problem-solvers, relationship-builders, and service-minded individuals in roles that focused on improving customer satisfaction, even if they didn’t have the formal "CX" title. Whether they were in marketing, sales, customer support, or product development, their work naturally revolved around understanding customer needs and finding ways to make experiences better. In many cases, their transition into CX was driven by a growing recognition within their organizations that creating a cohesive, positive experience across all touchpoints was no longer just "nice to have" but essential for business success. As companies began to embrace this holistic view, these early practitioners found themselves at the forefront of a burgeoning profession.

But alas, the profession hasn't fully matured. Despite its growing recognition, many organizations still struggle to embed a true customer-centric mindset into their culture. CX roles are often siloed, under-resourced, or viewed as a “nice-to-have” rather than a core strategic function. Measurement is another hurdle—while companies may track metrics like NPS or customer satisfaction, few tie these insights directly to business outcomes. And while technology has advanced rapidly, it’s still common to see disjointed customer journeys, where experiences across channels feel fragmented and inconsistent.

The journey is far from over. For CX to fully thrive, organizations need to invest in both the people and processes that make customer-centricity real. It’s about more than just data and metrics—it’s about fostering cross-functional collaboration, empowering employees to make customer-first decisions, and embedding CX into the fabric of how a business operates.

Let’s be real: it’s nails on a chalkboard for any CX professional who’s serious about making an impact. On CX Day, it's time to step up—because we can't afford to keep falling into the same traps that are holding us back.

• Chronic Underfunding: CX gets treated like a nice-to-have, not a must-have. Budgets are slashed, and the impact? CX teams are left scrambling with duct tape and hope. You can’t drive transformation on a shoestring budget.
• Silos and Perceptions of Threat: Silos persist because CX teams often want to advance initiatives, but they haven’t effectively connected with business units, which may see them as a threat to their own goals. To drive change, CX teams need to influence stakeholders, but it’s impossible to do that when they’re viewed with suspicion. Building trust and collaboration is essential to break down these barriers.
• Failure to Connect Metrics to Business Impact: CX metrics are great, but if you’re not linking them to actual business outcomes, you’re missing the point. No one cares about your survey results unless they’re driving revenue or retention.
• Inadequate Executive Buy-in: It’s impossible to create meaningful change when leadership isn’t all in. If the C-suite isn’t talking CX, you’re stuck fighting for scraps and wondering why things never take off.
• Consulting Firms and Their Profit-Driven Standards: The “CX standards” developed by Bain, Kantar, and Qualtrics often serve their financial interests more than the advancement of the CX profession. Keeping insights/frameworks behind paywalls limits access and stifles innovation - and they often offer 'balcony views' without practical implementation application. To truly elevate CX, we should advocate for open-sourced insights that encourage widespread adoption. Organizations like CXPA provide valuable resources and support without the profit-driven agenda, fostering a more collaborative environment for all.

As we celebrate Customer Experience Day, let’s confront the hard truths that still plague our profession. We have the knowledge and the skills, but we need the commitment and resources to make a real impact. It’s time to advocate for our roles, break down barriers, and ensure that CX is recognized as a vital part of every organization’s strategy.

Your call to action to elevate CX:

1. Boldly champion the customer voice.
2. Smash a silo.
3. Measure for impact.

As we move forward from this day of celebration, let’s commit to making Customer Experience a top priority in our organizations. The challenges we face may be daunting, but with determination and a clear focus on the customer, we can drive meaningful change. Let’s not just acknowledge the importance of CX—let’s embody it in our actions and strategies. Together, we can shape a future where every customer feels valued, heard, and understood. Happy Customer Experience Day, and here’s to the work that lies ahead!

Happy CX Day!

LoyaltyCraft was built from a passion for helping companies create meaningful customer experiences. Founded in 2016 by Lauren Feehrer CCXP, we focus on strategy, qualitative research, customer design, and employee engagement to help mid-market companies open the door to new customers and keep existing ones from leaving out the backdoor.