Category: CEMMethod

Customers are suffering digital distress – Three proven approaches to ensure you delight and deliver.

1. Design digital experiences around the customer needs, not around your customer mythology
Despite mountains of data customer insight remains an elusive animal. As a direct consequence, digital is frequently applied across existing processes without fully understanding customer pain points and the real Successful Customer Outcome.

Making invalid assumptions can irritate and permanently drive customers away. Take grocery checkout for example where retailers digitize an existing experience based on assumptions of customers wants. The resulting experience may still be fractured, with faulty scanners (they break a lot), long lines, and the more than necessary Associates to provide support for glitches. Not a great customer experience. If, however you develop an understanding of customer needs (even when customers do not know them) you may discover the checkout process is not required at all. Eradicating that process meets customer’s desires in terms of speed, convenience, and simplicity.

Amazons (i) checkout-less retail stores, walk in walk out enabled by scanning your phone on entry, scanning goods as you move around the store, and then scanning your phone on departure with automatic billing, provides just such an experience. In addition to improving the experience, costs are reduced and the customers come back for more and thereby grow revenues. In fact, this triple-crown benefit is a sure fire way of measuring any customer experience transformation.

2. Drive digital initiatives to simplify and improve convenience
Customer Research demonstrates the disconnect between what executives think customers value in digital, compared to working out their needs in a more objective and structured way. A technique such as the Successful Customer Outcome Canvas (SCOC)(ii) provides a step by step approach to articulating actual needs and aligning the experiences to deliver them. The resulting insight in terms of a set of objective measures based on needs allows the organization to question every interaction in the context of ‘does this contribute to the SCO?’ and if not, how do we remove it?


Uber(iii) are a terrific example of ‘one click simple’ with the apps user interface designed around understanding the overall Successful Customer Outcome and then delivering an optimum number of interactions. Providing this digital experience helps meet the customer’s desire to move efficiently, pay digitally, and provide feedback in the moment. Part of that ‘Successful Customer Outcome Canvas’ insight was in removing the anxiety of where is the car and how long do I wait? You can see the car and driver speeding towards you on the app.

3. Categorize your customers by need, rather than segmenting by circumstance.
Dealing with customers as segments (age, income, zip code etc.) misses the vital personalisation that digital excels at. By force fitting customers into standardized processes suited to segments creates friction and fractured experiences. Diagnosing objective needs may, for instance, highlight the digital savviness (or not) of a category of customer, and in doing so allow you to create a bespoke experience. Rather than industrial age segmentation, organizations that adopt Outside-In(iv) categorization meet and evolve customer expectations in an informed way with greater empathy and the resulting trust that “you have my back”.

Are you ready? Ask yourself these questions (be honest and not complacent!)

a. Are digital initiatives aligned to Successful Customer Outcomes with optimized touch points, or are they designed around internal functional considerations?
b. Is your approach to innovation Outside-In and not restricted to departments, internal specialisms, legacy systems, regulations and last century mindsets?
c. Are you tapping in-the-moment real-time analytics to understand what your customers are experiencing as it happens, and then course correcting those experiences as they occur?
d. How are you managing your customer’s digital expectations? Are you keeping them informed of developing digital services?
e. What mechanism are you using to incorporate new digital learnings into the customer experiences? And are those learnings (next practices) gathered from outside of your sector, or are they just industry best practices?

References
i. http://bit.ly/goCX2017
ii. http://bit.ly/SCOC2017
iii. http://bit.ly/Uber2017
iv. http://bit.ly/SteveTowers2017

The 5 Critical Failures of 80% of Customer Experience initiatives

“We have got to get more scientific about the Customer Experience.”

Strategic positioning of customer experience is now widely recognized as a key to business success. However, the majority of many well-intended CX initiatives is to become a victim of the organization inertia and sink to the level of metrics on dashboards buried in functional departments. At best these failing efforts deliver small incremental performance improvements rather than providing the customer and business insights necessary to strategic success.

Why is this so, and what lessons can we learn?
We have identified five major errors and causes of failure
1. Top teams have unreasonable expectations of CX success
2. Customers needs are not clearly defined from the Outside-In
3. CX Initiatives are not implemented with transformation in mind.
4. CX Initiatives focus on the wrong measures, rather than successful customer outcomes.
5. CX Initiatives go way down deep into functional complexity

Error #1: Top teams anticipate CX Success without understanding the enterprise was never designed to do this stuff.
Talking about customer experience and implementing the changes necessary to delivering CX success are two quite distinct things. Many organizations brief their senior people with the importance of the business transformations underway, why a focus on the customer is essential to survive and thrive, and why it is necessary that the dots are connected from every activity to the customer experience. Fair enough. However, Top teams then anticipate internal leadership towards customer centricity but at the same time do not enable the underlying functions to realign to achieve successful customer outcomes.
The realization that the organization structure, rewards systems and technology were never designed to deliver great customer experiences, they were in fact originally designed with an industrial age mindset to achieve industrial age goals. To achieve strategic CX success, it is necessary to understand the limitations imposed by inside-out thinking (getting better at doing stuff faster) and help the organization migrate to Outside-In thinking and practices (alignment to delivering Successful Customer Outcomes)
Error #2: Customers needs are not clearly articulated and underpinned by smart Outside-In metrics.
The challenge here is two-fold. Do we understand who our customers are, and what success looks like from their perspective?
It is frequently observed that 80% of profit comes from 20% of customers however organizations are especially fickle when it comes to understanding where they should focus limited resource to get the maximum sustained return from the appropriate customers. Good discipline here is about identifying the categories of customer and prioritizing them in terms of needs and success. That can mean migrating away from undesirable customers. Intrinsic in this failure is arbitrarily segmenting customers by circumstance (where they are based, the length of relationship, immediate spend available etc.) rather than categorizing customers based on their needs.
Needs assessment is NOT about asking customers what they want. If you asked your kids what they want for dinner, don’t be too surprised if they say burgers, ice cream, chocolate and gummy bears, on one plate. That question is just plain stupid. So why go asking customers what they want? Smart CX companies figure out their customer needs even when the customer doesn’t know them. Case in point would be the launch of the iPhone more than a decade ago. Apple’s genius was in understanding the new customer and getting ahead of the game to design products and services that met, at the point of launch, something customers could never have articulated. This is not, however, an excuse to stop listening to customers, that is more essential than ever before. Just stop asking them dumb questions which may cause you to do the wrong things (rather like Nokia did).
Error #3: For CX initiatives delivering success will require change and transformation
This is a very common problem and is rooted in the idea that CX initiatives are just another thing to integrate into the existing ways of working. This couldn’t be further from the truth. A fundamental of successful CX initiatives is identifying and implementing the ongoing change required across the enterprise to align everything to Successful Customer Outcomes.
Once the customer needs are articulated work backward to recraft the appropriate structures that will guide the enterprise progressively towards success. That will, of course, require potentially significant changes to the shape and technology of how work gets done. It will reach into every nook and cranny of the business. Ultimately the organization may look quite different from the industrial age model and will become shaped to achieve the ongoing change brought about by the digital revolution.
Error #4: CX Initiatives focus on the wrong measures, rather than successful customer outcomes.
The Successful Customer Outcome is like the beacon on the hill; everyone should be aligned and progressively moving in that direction. If your metrics are not contributing to that alignment, you may be getting better at doing the wrong things (in the context of delivering an optimized CX).
Here’s a good question to ask anyone in the business “is everything you are doing aligned to delivering a successful customer outcome?” and if the answer comes back with anything other than “yes, 100%” you may be doing dumb stuff really well. The why of that is easy to understand – you get what you measure, and frequently companies excessively measure outputs (what is produced) rather than business outcomes (what is delivered). If you task people to measure outputs and reward them for improving those outputs, there is often a repeated disconnect between the work performed and the end customer delivery. Getting a balance right here is essential.
There is a remarkable lack of science in this sphere of CX Initiatives. Reliance on simplistic measurement systems, with ‘one question rules them all’ approaches is not only misleading but may cause you to do precisely the wrong things.
Error #5. CX Initiatives go way down deep into functional complexity
CX Initiatives have lofty visions but all too often become bogged down in organization politics and the natural resistance to change. Often the local leadership pays lip service to the customer experience ‘it is not my job after all’ and this resulting crawl ultimately thwarts the CX initiative.
To deliver and ensure ongoing success the guiding light of the Successful Customer Outcome and it is associated focus on winning the triple crown – simultaneously improving the Customer Experience, Reducing Costs and Growing Revenues – should be on every agenda in the business. Linking the triple crown across the departments and divisions dispels the practical objections as everyone becomes accountable for demonstrating their substantial triple crown contribution. This, in turn, ensures a significant contribution to delivering the ROI for the CX Initiative.
There are many bear traps and blind alleys to avoid on the journey to delivering CX success however an understanding of the most common errors will ensure a greater chance of success. After all the goal is to deliver strategic Successful Customer Outcomes that result in terrific and rewarding customer experiences.
For more on this theme:



Customer Experience Management takes centre stage

Is Customer Experience Management (CEM) a real thing for your company, or just more fluff and nonsense talked of but not delivered? 

Last week I chaired a remarkable one day event in Sydney Australia. The theme “Customer Centricity Innovation Lab” seemed interesting but there was no real indication of the difference we were about to experience. 

Hon. Victor Dominello MP Minister for
Innovation & Better Regulation


From the get go the first speaker, The Hon. Victor Michael Dominello MP – Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation for NSW (yes you did read that correct). Innovation and Better Regulation?! 

What seems like a paradox and conflict is in fact an essential for better government and rather than Innovation falling foul of all the red tape working the two hand in hand makes sure the regulations become aligned to encouraging customer/citizen success. Victor related a recent story of work in the Northern Territories that delivered precisely the benefits needed. 

What a terrific way to start the Innovation Lab and so refreshing to hear from a politician actually being more busy doing and delivering than promising and debating. We should all be so lucky to have MP’s of this calibre and application!  

In a packed day of round-tables and talks seventeen session mentors shared their experiences across all industry sectors. One theme rules them all – the customer and our organisations ability to align to Successful Customer Outcomes.

Dirk Dalichau, Chief Operating Officer,  Ovolo Group

The business keynote was an incredible insight into the changing world of hospitality from Dirk Dalichau, Chief Operating Officer, Ovolo Group (Hong Kong). 

If you have stayed at a hotel for leisure or business you would love this presentation. Dirk focused on those Moments of Truth everyone experiences in a hotel and how Ovolo, by taking the Outside-In perspective innovated their offering to something quite exceptional. 

By way of example Dirk walked us through the customer experience and the impact of people recruitment – how about a party as the main piece of your recruitment interview? 


I have just booked my next stay in Sydney – guess where? 1888 Hotel, Darling Harbour to sample Ovolo Groups Australia offering. Watch this space for my report.



Join us to learn the Secrets of Apples, Googles, Zara, Zappos and Emirates success

Certified Process Professional Masters Champions (CPP-Master) Program

An internationally recognized program with proven track record delivered by been there and done it coaches more than 150 times, in 57 cities with delegates from 108 countries.
The program, now in its tenth year, utilizes the BP Groups approaches and framework to help you and your organization win the triple crown – simultaneously reduce costs, grow revenues and enhance service.
Producing Immediate and sustainable business results across any industry and sector.

Become a qualified CPP-Master and demonstrate your professionalism http://www.bpgroup.org/book-class.html


Is imitation the most sincere form of flattery?

Mahmoud Elsisi, CPP Master at Red Crescent, wins this months ‘spot of imitation’ with an article published by McKinsey. 

And you know we are so proud when someone outlines the approach, so have a look at and tell us what you think..http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/business_technology/accelerating_the_digitization_of_business_processes


Customer Experience Management – 5 Key Ideas to ensure Success

Hello again guys, 

we have had a real busy couple of weeks with several well received articles below. Also the PEX 2016 event has now taken shape.

As usual for the Annual event we have a strong presence (talks, workshops and awards) so hopefully you will get there as well for a terrific networking occasion. See the invite below…


…Customer Experience Management…
http://www.successfulcustomeroutcomes.net/2015/09/how-do-you-make-customer-experience.html

…Customer Journey Maps…
http://www.successfulcustomeroutcomes.net/2015/09/customer-journey-maps-in-cul-de-sac.html

…Holacracy – Fad or Freedom…
http://www.successfulcustomeroutcomes.net/2015/08/holacracy-fad-or-freedom_30.html

…Certified Process Professional Level 5 (CPP Masters)…
http://www.successfulcustomeroutcomes.net/2015/08/certified-process-professional-level-5.html

…Linking Process with Strategy…
http://www.successfulcustomeroutcomes.net/2015/08/how-can-you-link-process-with-strategy.html

…PEX Week is back…
with one mission to accomplish: To empower visionaries across the globe to lead meaningful business transformations 
http://www.pexweek.com


Do you want to get in the picture? Join us soon at a session in a city near you…


Join us to learn the Secrets of Apples, Googles, Zara, Zappos and Amazons success

Certified Process Professional Masters  Champions (CPP-Master) Program

An internationally recognized program with proven track record delivered by been there and done it coaches more than 150 times, in 57 cities with delegates from 108 countries.
The program, now in its tenth year, utilizes the BP Groups approaches and framework to help you and your organization win the triple crown – simultaneously reduce costs, grow revenues and enhance service.
Producing Immediate and sustainable business results across any industry and sector.

Become a qualified CPP-Master and demonstrate your professionalism http://www.bpgroup.org/book-class.html

Customer Experience Management – 5 Key Ideas to ensure Success

Hello again guys, 

we have had a real busy couple of weeks with several well received articles below. Also the PEX 2016 event has now taken completed.

As usual for the Annual event we had a strong presence (talks, workshops and awards) so hopefully you enjoyed the event. Now to turn our eyes to London (April) and Australia (July) there as well for a terrific networking occasion. See the invites below…


…Customer Experience Management…
http://www.successfulcustomeroutcomes.net/2015/09/how-do-you-make-customer-experience.html

…Customer Journey Maps…
http://www.successfulcustomeroutcomes.net/2015/09/customer-journey-maps-in-cul-de-sac.html

…Holacracy – Fad or Freedom…
http://www.successfulcustomeroutcomes.net/2015/08/holacracy-fad-or-freedom_30.html

…Certified Process Professional Level 5 (CPP Masters)…
http://www.successfulcustomeroutcomes.net/2015/08/certified-process-professional-level-5.html

…Linking Process with Strategy…
http://www.successfulcustomeroutcomes.net/2015/08/how-can-you-link-process-with-strategy.html

…PEX Week is back…
with one mission to accomplish: To empower visionaries across the globe to lead meaningful business transformations 
http://www.pexweek.com


Do you want to get in the picture? Join us soon at a session in a city near you…


Join us to learn the Secrets of Apples, Googles, Zara, Zappos and Amazons success

Certified Process Professional Masters  Champions (CPP-Master) Program

An internationally recognized program with proven track record delivered by been there and done it coaches more than 150 times, in 57 cities with delegates from 108 countries.
The program, now in its tenth year, utilizes the BP Groups approaches and framework to help you and your organization win the triple crown – simultaneously reduce costs, grow revenues and enhance service.
Producing Immediate and sustainable business results across any industry and sector.

Become a qualified CPP-Master and demonstrate your professionalism http://www.bpgroup.org/book-class.html

How do you make Customer Experience Management Real?

Customer Experience Management (CEM) has become an established strategic objective for progressive organizations. How can we integrate this Outside-In thinking and practice into our own businesses?

It is customer centricity… but not as we know it.

Do you want to get in the picture? Join us soon at a session in a city near you…


Join us to learn the Secrets of Apples, Googles, Zara, Zappos and Amazons success

Certified Process Professional Masters  Champions (CPP-Master) Program

An internationally recognized program with proven track record delivered by been there and done it coaches more than 150 times, in 57 cities with delegates from 108 countries.
The program, now in its tenth year, utilizes the BP Groups approaches and framework to help you and your organization win the triple crown – simultaneously reduce costs, grow revenues and enhance service.
Producing Immediate and sustainable business results across any industry and sector.

Become a qualified CPP-Master and demonstrate your professionalism http://www.bpgroup.org/book-class.html

Customer Journey Maps in a cul de sac

Faddy time again. Now don’t get me wrong we really do need to understand the customer, what

 

constitutes success and how we should play the game to win the triple crown consistently. What I don’t get with is this fascination with pretty diagrams full of fancy graphics and arrows purporting to be Customer Journey Maps.

 

Oh I know the top team were sold the idea by some new age consultancy who with religious zeal often get engaged to map our customer journeys across the enterprise. Swathes of people can get sucked into these workshops which then produce an output that certainly looks pretty, and may well be understood at a very abstract level.

Worst of it is the task then of actually integrating the CJM’s into the real business, the nuts and bolts of process, systems and people. And of course we typically discover the CJM guys don’t do that stuff, you need to engage an expert for that.

So how do we break this cycle of wasted money, exhausted resources and mislead top teams? How can we produce, from the get go, representations that talk to the top team, architects, process people, systems guys and people people? Is there a way to produce a unified picture that we can all relate to?

Let me share two short videos that I hope for you and many more shine some light into these very murky shadows.

Steves view on Customer Journey Mapping
http://youtu.be/vccl-OkdjI0

And what is the best way to deploy Customer Journey Maps
https://youtu.be/KaMwqVkkH5c

 

 
Do you want to get in the picture? Join us soon at a session in a city near you…

 

Join us to learn the Secrets of Apples, Googles, Zara, Zappos and Amazons success

Certified Process Professional Masters & Champions (CPP-Master) Program

 
An internationally recognized program with proven track record delivered by been there and done it coaches more than 150 times, in 57 cities with delegates from 108 countries.
Now in its tenth year, the program utilizes the BP Groups approaches and framework to help you and your organization win the triple crown – simultaneously reduce costs, grow revenues and enhance service.
Producing Immediate and sustainable business results across any industry and sector.
 
Become a qualified CPP-Master and demonstrate your professionalism http://www.bpgroup.org/book-class.html