In today’s business landscape, customer-centricity is essential for success. Take a moment to reflect: Are you genuinely attuned to your customer’s voice in every aspect, from your daily operations to your marketing, sales, and compliance?
As businesses globally navigate the challenging economic landscapes impacting consumer buying behaviour, voice of customer (VoC) and customer experience (CX) transformation are not just buzzwords but essential components of customer retention and growth. When consumers buy goods or services, they are far more likely to buy them from a company that is attuned and responsive to their wants, needs and likes along the journey.
The pillars of success
Explore the pillars of success, recognising that change management, technology, and a culture of continuous improvement are crucial considerations for building operational efficiencies and supporting customer-centricity.
It’s not merely about having the best software or technology; it’s about strategic implementation, active engagement, and accountability.
True change, especially that which fosters a culture of feedback and continuous improvement, requires a comprehensive strategy involving everyone within the organisation.
Initiating VoC vs CX change management
It’s commonly misunderstood that starting with VoC data collection is the best approach. In reality, the path to CX excellence should begin with a thorough change management plan. This plan should clearly define roles, responsibilities, timelines, objectives, and strategies for business process improvement and customer-centricity. By starting with change management, organisations establish clear expectations from their team, which helps address potential VoC implementation challenges and leads to faster VoC maturity.
The pitfall of listening without connecting
These sources may be siloed and a barrier to a comprehensive view of the customer journey and experience. This lack of connection represents a missed opportunity to tap into collective wisdom and streamline efforts across teams and data sources.
The role of technology in change
Technology is undoubtedly a powerful enabler of change, but it should not be mistaken as the sole driver. It can assist in streamlining processes, improving communication, and enhancing data collection. However, technology alone won’t create a culture of CX feedback and continuous improvement. It merely supports and facilitates the broader change journey.
Building a CX culture
To build a sustainable culture of feedback and continuous improvement, we must understand that it’s not a one-time initiative or a “set and forget” process.
Instead, it should be part of your team’s DNA and daily activities. Every member of the team, from leadership to frontline staff, plays a role in this cultural shift.
In the journey toward customer-centricity, you will inevitably face numerous challenges, and the implementation of a robust change management strategy is the compass that steers organisations away from potential pitfalls, ensuring that minor issues don’t escalate into major setbacks.
Here are five tips to guide you through this transformative process:
Build awareness and understanding – Ensure that your organisation recognises the significance of customer feedback, especially if it’s a new practice. Communicate feedback’s role in continuous improvement via a well-crafted plan to engage all stakeholders and include repetition of messaging so that the implementation sinks in and gives staff enough time to discuss any concerns they have.
It’s a team effort – Engage every team member in your customer experience program, emphasising that their opinions matter. Create cross-functional teams and have leadership acknowledge their importance, making it clear that it’s everyone’s responsibility to build better experiences.
Highlight both good and bad feedback – Strive for a balance between positive and negative feedback to maintain an authentic view of your customer experience. Celebrate excellent experiences to motivate your team.
Share your early wins – Share success stories to gain internal alignment and emphasise the importance of customer experience. Incorporate these stories into your communications both internally and externally.
Make customer feedback a matter of priority – for everyone. Prioritise feedback collection across your organisation, gaining essential insights and fostering a culture of improvement. Review feedback in leadership meetings, focusing on transparency and in-depth analysis.
These key points will serve as your compass as you navigate the transition towards a customer-centric organisational culture.
Join the CX Forum community to stay up-to-date with the latest in customer experience and learn from global CX experts.
The webinar replay is now available! Join this exciting conversation for an infusion of creative energy and gain a couple of new arrows in your CX quiver!
Date: February 7
Time: 9 am EST (UTC -5) / 2 pm CET (UTC +0) / 4 pm EET (UTC +2)
Running time: 45 min
Can’t join in real time? No worries, all the registrants will receive a recording.
Building a successful Customer Experience program often requires a shift in company culture and in the way employees and managers think. One of the many things that is amazing about Customer Experience work is how it builds on itself. When we earn success in a particular discipline, it gives us the ability to gain another foothold and propel the organization forward toward greater customer centricity.
While there are so many remarkable elements of CX’s work, in this presentation our guest Nate Brown, co-founder of CX Accelerator and a global CX thought leader, will focus on how to perform a culture change and make CX stick in a business.
Join this exciting conversation for an infusion of creative energy and gain a couple of new arrows in your CX quiver! Welcome to ask your questions or tune in to listen only.
In this webinar you will learn:
How to gain meaningful momentum in the area of Voice of Customer
The required role of relevant Change Management
Making the transformation about what it really is….a culture change
Nate Brown is a perpetual student of the world’s greatest experiences and the people who create them. Having spent the first decade of his career managing a complex technical support environment for Occupational Health and eLearning software, Nate transitioned to Customer Experience in 2015. After authoring The Ultimate CX Primer, Brown was dubbed the “CX Influencer of the Year” by CloudCherry in 2019, and a top global CX thought leader by ICMI, Exceeders, Netomi, Martech, and many more. As a passion project, Nate created CX Accelerator, a first-class virtual community for Customer Experience professionals. Nate serves as the Senior Director of Customer Experience for Arise Virtual Solutions and can be found at a variety of conferences speaking and training on the CX topics he loves.
Whether you’re at the beginning of the journey of measuring customer experience or you’re a seasoned CX professional, this webinar promises valuable insights and actionable advice to enhance your CX program.
Kristian Stolt, COO of Feedbackly, has helped many worldwide businesses succeed in customer experience. In this exclusive session, he’ll share the secrets of crafting a successful CX program. He’ll also talk about what sets successful CX programs apart from underperformers.
Join us on November 29th to learn great advice for elevating your CX program. Welcome to ask your questions or tune in to listen only.
In this webinar you will learn:
What are the cornerstones of a successful CX program
How to convince the decision-makers and build a forward-driving CX culture
Kristian Stolt CX Academy coach, COO and partner of Feedbackly
Kristian is the COO of Feedbackly and one of the head coaches of the CX Academy. Kristian and his team have helped many industry leaders across the world succeed with their CX programs and become CX front-runners. Among the many, they have helped the City of Helsinki, Merck, Innovasport, the Australian Government, Stockmann, and Banregio.
Do you truly understand what your customers, patients, residents, or clients really want in their experiences? Are you struggling with your mission statement, values, and principles to lead your organisation into a new phase of growth or stability?
If you’re eager to explore the transformative power of Purpose in the realm of customer and patient experiences, don’t miss our upcoming webinar.
Join us on September 28th for an engaging webinar with Alan Forbes, the CEO of Patient Experience Group and one of Australia’s most trusted advisors to senior Healthcare executives. Alan will explore the important role of Purpose throughout the customer experience journey, using the patient experience as an example.
In this webinar, Alan will detail the common pitfalls and misconceptions surrounding patient expectations and unpack some challenges that have trapped various businesses in substandard experience delivery.
In this webinar you will learn:
How to redefine your own organisations’ purpose to focus on patient experiences
Why changing mindsets around how we understand and explore patient experiences is critical
What to consider when you are developing strategies for change
As a thought leader in the healthcare industry, Alan shares expertise and insights with audiences worldwide, inspiring and guiding them to break through siloed thinking and foster an all-inclusive approach that prioritises the patient. As CEO of Patient Experience Group, he has worked with healthcare organisations of all different shapes, sizes, and specialties; from aged care to large hospitals and even private practice, delivering innovative solutions and positive change. In his book, “The Patient Experience,” he offers practical strategies and actionable steps to enhance patient satisfaction and organisational success. His mission is to empower forward-thinking executives to provide the best possible experience for their patients and staff and ensure the utmost confidence in their organisation.
Employees are the ones who build trusted relationships with customers – who communicate with them every day, pick up on unspoken cues, receive immediate feedback and notice common issues that arise.
Too often, though, these valuable insights go unnoticed. Many traditional feedback programs treat the customer and employee as separate channels, focussing solely on the voice of the customer and their experience (VoC) or the voice of the employee and their satisfaction levels (VoE).
What’s missing is the informed perspective of employees who are actually with customers as they are experiencing services. This direct relationship is not only rich with insight, but pivotal to shaping an organisation’s culture.
By keeping VoC and VoE in silos, organisations aren’t able to access ‘on the ground’ feedback about the service they provide. They also miss an opportunity to support staff members, and empower them to provide a better customer experience.
The value of VoCE
Organisations are beginning to recognise the importance of both the voice of the customer and employee, with VoC and VoE programs becoming far more integrated than ever before.
A new perspective – the voice of the customer through the employee (VoCE) – is emerging: a practical method that seeks feedback from frontline employees regarding key elements of the customer experience.
We’re already seeing that combining VoC and VoE into a new program has two clear benefits for many organisations.
Benefit #1: better customer insight
Employees offer a view into customer experience that organisations may not be able to get from feedback forms alone. By asking team members what they think will make customers happier, organisations gain knowledge about how people really feel about their overall service offering.
Employees are also able to recognise patterns in customer experience, such as issues that continually arise over time, certain themes that emerge from feedback, and whether there are common pain points in service provision.
This can help organisations understand which underlying processes are failing, and act to resolve issues faster.
Benefit #2: more engaged staff
Studies reveal organisations that actively engaged employees lead to 233 percent higher customer loyalty rates. Furthermore, employees that feel their voice is heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to do their best work.
The connection is clear: motivated and engaged team members are in a better position to provide a service that customers are happy with.
A strong VoCE program is a powerful way to show employees that you’re listening to them and supporting them. If they are involved in the implementation of better customer service, they will feel like they hold the power to drive real change and build a better more customer centric culture.
In summary
By combining VoE and VoC in one program, you can gain valuable insight through the perspective of your employees. Then as a second step, analyse the data provided to drive continuous improvement and deliver better outcomes.
Done right, this can help you refine practice, create aspirational change and hone both your employee and customer culture for the long-term.
Join the CX Forum community to stay up-to-date with the latest in customer experience and learn from global CX experts.
Accessibility is a crucial but often overlooked aspect of customer experience. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 15% of the world’s population experiences some form of disability, and over 1 billion people are aged 60 years or over. Inclusive feedback collection is not only an ethical requirement but a business requirement for companies that want to deliver exceptional experiences.
Join us on Wednesday, 23rd August, as we are joined by Emma Goodsell, Customer Success Manager at CarePage Business, to explore the power of technology in delivering accessible and inclusive VoC programs.
This webinar will cover innovative survey platforms, interactive question formats, and accessibility features that enhance participation and engagement for all customers.
Participants will gain practical insights on leveraging technology to collect comprehensive feedback and improve inclusive customer experiences.
In this webinar you will learn:
How to identify the accessibility requirements of your target audiences
The best tools and technology to use to ensure your feedback collection is accessible
How to design accessible survey questions
The key accessibility features that enhance participation and engagement
PS! No worries if you are not able to attend in real-time. Register now and we’ll send a recording afterward!
About the speaker:
Emma Goodsell Customer Success Manager at Carepage Business
Emma is a key customer success professional at CarePage Business. With her expertise in managing the rollout, training, and implementation of CarePage’s customer experience software, Emma empowers aged care providers to harness inclusive and accessible tools for tangible evidence of CX in real-time. Her passion for the aged care sector and dedication to making a meaningful difference drives her to work closely with providers, designing and developing strategic voice of customer programs that have been tailored to their unique audiences. Join Emma in our webinar as she shares insights and strategies on how to leverage technology for inclusivity and accessibility in CX measurement.
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