How should customer experience behave now?

We are facing a period of great uncertainty. Any topic which is not focussed on the immediate health issues we face seems irrelevant. However, it's difficult not to keep one ear tuned in to the short term economic impacts for so many sectors, companies, employees and familes.

As I type this, Norweigan Airlines has laid off 90% of it's staff in what has been classed as the darkest day for the aviation industry with others making similar cuts.

When recently asked of his view on the Coronavirus by reporters, Jurgen Klopp was annoyed replying he had no voice on the topic because he is not a specialist and should not be asked. But he explained he could talk with confidence about his Liverpool team.

Whilst not in the same league I am in a similar position when it comes to health advice on Coronavirus. But as a life long practitioner and advisor in customer experience I feel confident enough to offer advice and consideration on how to manage customer experience at the present time. The text book pages and training course agendas are largely blank on this topic so guidance may be useful. There is much broadcast on the 'wow' and 'wonder' when it comes to CX, but it needs to work equally hard when it comes to resilience and recovery. Now is the time to keep true to your customer principles rather than abandon them.

Over the last few days I have observed many moves by companies as they seek to protect their survival. Many are putting their customers interests first too.

However, I've reviewed several 'good will' gestures from companies which are presented as customer motivated, but on closer scrutiny may well be delivering a damaging long term impact to their brand and their customer relations. As we look into an unknown future, it must feel to many as if there is no long term future so why worry. But history shows strong brands and their reputations outlast virus', wars and natural disasters. And so will their customers, so where should customer experience efforts be placed?

To argue companies will survive on customer experience is as floorless now as it always has been. But it is a contributing factor with increasingly important and even the lead influencer in some sectors. This will be largely dependent on how authentically it's been delivered in the past which will determine it's succesful role now. With this point in mind, below are four considerations to act as a check list intended to help CX managers before they make brave (and potentially business defining) gestures:

1.Be prepared to continue tomorrow with what you promise today

Below are gestures which I wholly applaud the sentiment as a response. But potentially expose the companies for not putting their customers as much of a 'first' priority always as they proclaim they are now:

Easyjet have waived the 'change flight' cost for me to move a flight next week to later in the year. It wasn't as ideal as it could have been because I had to commit to a new future. So I needed to check with the client on a date for late May which we agreed may or may not suit. But at least it saved them or my company the expense of a lost flight.

However, I have contacted Easyjet before because a client was ill and we needed to postpone flights. On that occasion I was told there was nothing that could be done and a charge would be made to change the flight, which I seem to recall was more than the flight.

So if in the future I am in the same position I now know it is possible. And although there is no way I would take advantage, I would feel deeply let down if I am told, 'that was then'.

Secondly I saw TfL explaining they would be cleaning their stations more than they normally do. It may be the cynic in me which comes with the CX territory, but my immediate thought was, it's not cleaned as well as it should be so does the underground act as a transporter of virus as well as paying passengers. If so, should passangers be informed passengers that there are potential health risks of transference because customer areas are not cleaned as deeply as they can be?

Finally on this one, every second email I receive over the weekend started with, 'Our CEO would like you to know...'. They are all very reassuring that it's business as usual as much as possible and customer is still welcome. In the past, many of these companies have failed to respond to my customer service queries or not acted upon feedback I've provided to them to in their requested survey. So I have trust issues now with these new statements.

I am in no doubt they want to connect with me at this stage and let me know about the measures which they are taking to protect us all. But, what this highlights is that it is possible to connect with customers beyond transactions, for leaders show a more empathic and human side. So my arguement is if this is the real side of the company, why reserve it for times of crisis only?

2. Remember what matters most to customers is enduring. Forever and always. xx

If you chase a target such as 'recommendation' or 'satisfaction', this period may well demonstrate how ineffective a change in conditions can render that measurement. If your shelves aren't stocked or event postponed, asking customers if they are satisfied or would they recommend your brand is pointless. In fact, it would only anger customers more by asking such an irrelevant question.

So what should you be measuring? If your customer listening programme focuses on the factors which matters most to customers these will still be relevant. These are the key behavioural drivers and are much more likely to align to business performance indicators anyway (such as rate of renewal, cross sell ratios and share of category). They reliably inform you what you need to do more or less of to win customer commitement. If it floats your boat you can even measure these against satisfaction or recommendation.

As your company manages customers through the crisis, these drivers will be consistent:

• 'you are responsive to my requests',
• 'you demonstrate your expertise to me',
• 'you are consistent regardless of which point of contact I interact with',
• 'you personalise the experience to me'

These are behavioural drivers that can be quantified in terms of their contribution, but also will remain constant regardless of calm or crisis periods becuase they are a measure of what matters most to customers always and forever.

Any organisation can then measure the quality of it's experience, against a consistent set of drivers, and pin point exactly where effort and investment is needed.

3. What would our customers expect us to do?

Carrying on from the above point. If you know what matters most to your customers, you can design reactive or pre-emptive responses which align to the true expectations of your customers (not the wider public). These will ensure you neither under or over deliver, but do what is expected, which will also be what is right by your customers. And will show strong leadership governance to investors and regulators.

4. Redeploy your most valued assets before you resign them, it could prove a more profitable strategy

Every employee is multi talented. Whilst they may be employed for a particular task, we are much more resilient than that. If challenged, employees will prefer to figure out how to help their current employer in another way, than leave and find work elsewhere.

A HBR article highlighted this point citing how 'cosmetics company Lin Qingxuan who had to close 40% of its stores during the crisis, redeployed its 100+ beauty advisors from those stores to become online influencers who leveraged digital tools, such as WeChat, to engage customers virtually and drive online sales. As a result, its sales in Wuhan achieved 200% growth compared to the prior year’s sales.'

So think if the assets you have can be sweated harder to help those impacted at these times before pulling the 'emergency exit' handle first. I hope this article provides some insights and ideas for those in charge of making CX decisions over the next few weeks and months. If you have other examples, or are benefiting (or losing out) from decisions made, please share them.

It is said customer experience is a sharing community. Please share. Your insight may prove to be anothers economic lifeline.

Posted by Christopher Brooks, MD Clientship.