Why Great Customer Experience Matters.

Welcome to the first newsletter of 2025.

For this issue, I wanted to take a moment to highlight the transformational impact that delivering exceptional customer outcomes can have on organisational performance. We’re also excited to share some great news about new starters and the addition of a fantastic new building for 2025!

A recent Harvard Business Review survey of over 250 organisations revealed that?73% of respondents view above average customer service as playing a critical role in their businesses' growth, while more than 40% see it as a principal growth driver. At Cross 8, our experience confirms this trend. By enhancing service delivery, organisations can achieve both top-line growth and up to a 30% reduction in operating costs—unlocking significant value for both customers and shareholders.

For Financial Services firms Consumer Duty added a regulatory necessity to the already compelling commercial drivers.??Unfortunately, we’ve observed a concerning trend: a “tick-box” approach. This approach not only undermines the commercial benefits but also leaves organisations vulnerable to regulatory scrutiny. Steph Edwards and I have summarised our thoughts on this tick box mentality and the risks it leaves companies exposed to.

Our experience of leading transformations in customer service spans industries and is built on a clear methodology for success.

Cross 8 supported a bank in redesigning their customer journeys to standardise the approaches across two merging businesses and significantly uplift customer outcomes. You can access our case study here.

Looking for a starting point as to how to transform customer experience? Our 5 Pillars of Customer Journey Improvement set out the ingredients you need to bring together to achieve a step change in performance and business impact. Download here.

I wanted to highlight Matthew Birks MBA who joins the senior team as Business Development Director, I'm sure some of you will get the chance to meet Matt in the coming months.??

Finally you may have heard we are expanding our existing footprint in with an additional office adjacent to our Henley In Arden HQ. The paperwork is almost complete and then the work can begin fitting out the flexible workshop/ training and meeting space. We are really excited to get this up and running so our teams have a tailor made space for those times when a face to face session can really accelerate the outcome.

All that remains to say is we wish all of you a great start to 2025, the macro picture may be unpredictable but opportunities exist for the brave!

Best Wishes,

Simon Keay