Q & A with top customer experience influencers - Insidecxm

Insights from the Forefront of Customer Experience Managementwww.insidecxm.com

Q&A with Top Customer Experience Influencers

CX Day 2014

October 7, 2014

2 |www.insidecxm.com

InsideCXM – Meet the Experts

InsideCXM is a thought leadership blog dedicated to advancing the practice of Customer Experience Management (CXM). The sites’ mission is to share valuable insights that provide a trusted resource for senior CXM practitioners to reference as they develop and implement CXM strategies and programs in their organizations.

Articles are contributed by some of today’s top CX professionals, including digital content and social strategists, C-level executives, industry bloggers, CX practitioners and published authors. Each InsideCXM author was asked to share their perspective on Customer Experience by responding to the same set of questions.

In this slide deck we reveal the questions and the top 3 answers presented by these CX luminaries.



What excites you about customer experience?

The rise of social media and the social consumer has made customer experience a primary “pillar” of marketing. Customers are no longer buying products and services – they are buying experiences delivered via the products and services.

Gregory YankelovichCustomer Centricity Whisperer

http://www.insidecxm.com/author/gregy/






I love creating customer amazement. Love it when a customer comes back, becomes loyal and tells others about the experience.

Shep Hyken Customer Service &

Experience Expert // Shepard

Presentations

http://www.insidecxm.com/author/shep-hyken/





Customer experience is the source of any entity’s lifeblood. Get it right, and people will love you and help you grow organically. Get it wrong, and you’re reduced to constantly enticing customers to help you grow, or possibly, dying.

Lynn Hunsaker Customer Experience Optimization Strategist

http://www.insidecxm.com/authors/lynn-hunsaker/






When did you first get involved in customer experience management?

It was in 1998 when I was part of a team bringing online for the first time and offline experience of insurance quoting. I realized this was a bigger issue than just communication & technology. Since then, my entire focus has been on customer experience.

Jeannie Walters

Chief Customer Experience Investigator & CEO & Founder

http://www.insidecxm.com/author/jeanniewalters/






The minute I started working in sales and marketing. Everything we do as salespeople and marketers revolves around the experience we are creating, selling, and managing. Ted Rubin

Social Marketing Strategist, Keynote Speaker & Brand Evangelist

http://www.insidecxm.com/author/ted-rubin/

http://www.insidecxm.com/author/rick-ramos/




As a former CFO who found his marketing calling about ten years ago, I can tell you the switch flipped for me when I got out from behind my spreadsheets and actually started meeting with customers. It was eye opening to hear the challenges they had understanding what we do, using our services, and even getting hold of a live person to help them. Ironically, it also transformed my perspective on how important customer experience management is to building a financially well-run company.

Carter Hostelley

Founder & CEO of Leadtail

http://www.insidecxm.com/author/chostelley/





Why do you feel it’s important to contribute to InsideCXM?

I think developing a customer experience management community is key. Sharing knowledge and pushing this as a discipline will mean improved experiences for customers.” Colin Shaw

Founder & CEO of Beyond Philosophy

http://www.insidecxm.com/author/cshaw/






Authenticity and generosity are two important attributes in today’s social world. InsideCXM has both in spades.

Linda IrelandCo-owner & Partner of Aveus

http://www.insidecxm.com/author/linda-ireland/






InsideCXM provides its audience with great insights and information on customer experience strategy development. There are some great voices on this site and to be able to join them by seeking out relevant news and research is an honor. There is a lot of information out there today – too much to read it all. My goal is to find the most useful insights and pull them together in a quick synopsis for everyone to keep up to speed.

Barb Mosher Zinck Contributing News Editor for InsideCXM

http://www.insidecxm.com/author/barb-mosher-zinck/







What do you see as the next big trend in customer experience management for 2014?

I hope we spend more time investing in the employees who deliver the experience. I don’t know if this is a trend or not, but it should become one.

Andy McFarlandCustomer Experience Thought-Leader

http://www.insidecxm.com/author/andymcfarland/






This year and the next few years, I think understanding customer behavior at a granular level will be the big trend along with predictive analytics.

Colin ShawFounder & CEO of Beyond Philosophy







Two answers here. I believe that what is referred to “mobile” has barely scratched the surface. The ability to enhance the customer’s experience and how we market to them will be revolutionary. Also, video will play an important role in the customer’s experience. Customers will be able to chat with service and sales people over their smartphones via video. They will be able to look at products via video. They will be able to connect with customers via video chat. Again, this is just scratching the surface

Shep HykenCustomer Service

& Experience Expert // Shepard

Presentations



Presentations




What’s the best piece of advice you can offer to companies looking to optimize customer experience?

Focus on the relationship first, getting to know your prospect and giving them reasons to stay engaged... not just getting them to react.

Ted RubinSocial Marketing Strategist, Keynote Speaker & Brand Evangelist

http://www.insidecxm.com/author/ted-rubin/





Get people to realize this is not a quick fix, customer experience is not just rational, over 50% of customer experience is about how a customer feels. Additionally, getting senior management engaged in this area is critical.

Colin ShawFounder & CEO of Beyond Philosophy







Recognize that everyone needs to be involved in creating the customer experience – even people that feel they have no connection with the customer. Customer service isn’t a department, it’s a philosophy to be embraced by everyone in an organization. When that happens, it can only positively impact the customer experience.



Presentations





Tell us about your favorite customer experience.

My favorite customer experiences are the ones that are memorable, that give employees the ability to put their personality on it, and that pulls me back.

Jeanne Bliss Worldwide Keynote Speaker & President of CustomerBLISS

http://www.insidecxm.com/author/jbliss/

http://www.insidecxm.com/author/jbliss/




Any time that a company demonstrates that it truly cares about its customers is a great experience to me. About a year ago, I was in an accident, and AAA SoCal handled my claim and the experience in just that manner.

Annette Franz GleneickiCustomer Experience Executive

http://www.insidecxm.com/author/annette-franz-gleneicki/






I think that both Apple and Starbucks are at the forefront of customer experience management. They both try to minimize pain points in the customer experience. I think that the first time I bought something in the Apple store without having to go to the register was amazing. As I walked out of the store, I thought that security would come and ask for a receipt or something. Just walking out and not being hassled by anyone or having your bags searched is the way it should be. It brings you slightly back to a simpler time in the world where customers and merchants knew and trusted one another.

Rick RamosAuthor & Online Marketing Expert




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