Shaping World-Class Customer Experience (CX) to activate profitable growth:

Is your business focused on driving (profitable) growth with a frictionless Customer-Experience?

CX is highly valuable for businesses if it is embedded as a strategic priority to put the customers at the centre of all functions to drive measurable value with set of KPIs and shared OKRs across the business with impactful ROI.

On the CX stage at Digital Commerce Expo in London, panel members Jonathan Haywood (former Digital Director at Holland & Barrett) Eric Ledroux (CEO Interflora), Adie Luff (Head of CX at Toni & Guy) & Surash Patel (VP EMEA Telesign) had a great discussion on the topic of Customer Experience.

Adding to my experiences to drive customer-centric Growth and Transformation programs in dozen of industries for leading global brands, I encapsulated actionable insight and practices for product & services businesses that are on the journey to deliver world-class CX strategy to active profitable growth. I hope you find it useful.

Constructing an Omni-Channel Experience

Building a world-class customer experience requires creating a comprehensive omni-channel approach from the outset, fostering customer advocacy to enhance Lifetime Value (LTV). Often, superior experiences begin with forming a human connection to address immediate customer needs. For instance, Holland & Barrett exemplifies this by engaging with customers on the shop floor, providing insights into wellness and specific health concerns.

Enhancing Product Recommendations

Product recommendations can be elevated through captivating content. The style and tone should be adaptable—whether informative or entertaining—designed to captivate and maintain customer interest. Imagine a retail scenario where personalised content guides customers to discover products that resonate deeply with their lifestyle, preferences and other attributes such as first party data you may have about them.

The Importance of Seamless Onboarding

For many businesses, optimising the onboarding experience is crucial for an effective initial interaction. Surash from Telesign recommended that Implementing a progressive onboarding approach—where customers incrementally share information—deepens their engagement with your brand. Consider the gradual unfolding of a relationship, akin to meeting a new friend, where each encounter builds upon the last, creating a lasting connection and creating a trusted bond.

Mapping Customer Experience with Economic Viability

Eric highlights the importance of aligning customer experience (CX) with economic feasibility. This involves utilising extensive data, complemented by informed intuition—applying a strategic 80% data, 20% intuition model. Visualise a balanced scale where data-driven insights and intuitive decisions provide equilibrium in achieving business goals.

I am a big fan of the concept of economic feasibility to amplify internal buying and alignment -especially with Finance, Operation, Customer Care and Technology, Product teams supporting delivery of priorities.

Meeting Evolving Customer Expectations

In today’s dynamic market, customer expectations are continuously advancing. They frequently compare your offerings with those of unrelated companies and industries, demanding shorter grace periods, reduced friction, and fewer clicks to satisfaction. Imagine a fast lane on a highway, where the journey is smooth and swift, reflecting the non-negotiable speed of modern customer service.

Streamlining the Purchase Journey

Numerous teams concentrate solely on reducing the number of clicks from the product detail page (PDP) to the order confirmation. Using data analysis, research, and A/B testing, they aim to optimize this journey, perpetually working to reduce friction. Envision a finely-tuned engine, operating seamlessly and efficiently, taking customers from interest to purchase effortlessly while respecting their data privacy. Jonathan emphasised that Holland & Barrett has a dedicated CRO (Conversion Rate Optimisation) team focused on reducing the number of clicks on the purchase journey for weeks across devices. Noticed significant improvements also on this practice at Alamy working with product, UX, engineering, data teams and AB testing solution to streamline every steps of the Digital Customer journeys with significant improvements.

Adapting in the Digital-First Environment

In the transformed landscape of businesses like flower delivery, Eric confirmed that his business is 85% now conducted online, the challenge is anticipating when customers wish to engage through various channels such as email, phone, human representatives, AI-enabled chat, or in-store interactions. Be prepared to connect with customers wherever they choose to reach out digitally, on the phone or else: embodying readiness and adaptability.

Leveraging Customer Data Platforms (CDP)

Focusing on a Customer Data Platform (CDP) is critical to achieving a unified view of customers, enabling timely, device-appropriate, and channel-specific engagement. Organisations should prioritize feedback and a customer-centric culture to facilitate ongoing improvements. Consider this as constructing a bridge that connects different islands of customer interaction, allowing for a seamless journey across multiple touchpoints.

Overcoming Data Challenges

One key challenge in establishing an effective CDP lies in ensuring data quality, accessibility, and standardization. This allows for a comprehensive, real-time understanding of customer interactions. Envision a sophisticated digital tapestry, each thread of information intricately woven to represent a detailed portrait of customer behavior and preferences.

Justifying the Value of Customer Experience Initiatives

Proving the value of CX initiatives is crucial, particularly where CX is a nascent concept. Functions like Finance may seek concrete justification for investments in CX. Picture a courtroom, where evidence and strategic arguments demonstrate the undeniable benefits of a customer-centered approach.

Aligning Objectives for Customer-Centric Strategies

Aligning Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) across departments is essential when adopting a customer-centric strategy. This contributes to revenue growth (top-line) and increased profitability (bottom-line). The approach varies by organisation but can drive recurring revenue, upselling/cross-selling opportunities, and customer advocacy. Think about an orchestra, each section harmonising under a unified direction to produce a resonant symphony of success.

The Role of Loyalty and Advocacy

Adie emphasises Tony & Guy's strategy, focusing on loyalty and advocacy to boost customer retention, visit frequency, and service diversification. Picture a community, where continuous positive experiences nurture long-term relationships and brand ambassadorship, fostering a vibrant and enduring customer connection. They may actually buy many other services or products from due to their loyalty.

The Significance of Measuring NPS

Eric from Interflora underscores the importance of measuring Net Promoter Score (NPS) in the flower delivery sector. High NPS correlates with increased repeat purchases, validating the connection between positive customer experiences and ongoing engagement. Imagine a flourishing garden, where customer satisfaction blooms, welcoming recurring visits and purchase. Dont give your customers excuses to buy anywhere else!

Reducing Customer Service Inquiries

Reducing customer service inquiries and response times are indicators of successful CX, reflecting an alignment with customer expectations throughout their journey. Envision a smooth river, where the flow of communication is unobstructed, addressing needs seamlessly and efficiently. Get your reports ready with KPIs that summarise what issues you can fixed for your customers every steps of the their interactions with you business (it can before, during and after they decide to buy from you).

Prioritising Customer Retention

With the increasing cost of acquiring new customers, investing in customer retention by identifying and eliminating friction points should be a strategic priority. Companies should adopt Average Recurring Revenue (ARR) and Lifetime Value (LTV) as key performance indicators when focusing on CX outcomes. Picture a reliable anchor, firmly supporting a ship against the tides, ensuring a steady course toward business growth and sustainability.

What are the challenges in your business to deliver world class Customer Experience? Please share in the comments...

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I am Joris, A Digital Leader working with leadership teams to drive profitable growth and Business transformation with a customer-centric expertise.

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