This month, our focus is on a popular CX metric–the Customer Effort Score (CES). Learn why CES should be an important part of your feedback gathering mix with our curated collection of top CX content: Customer Effort Score A Primer and Recommendations for CX Practitioners A CES Success Story: Natural Gas Utility Accelerates CX Feedback Gathering What’s Your Customer Effort Score? Why Reducing Customer Friction is the New Customer Loyalty Customer Effort Score: A Primer and Recommendation for CX Practitioners Customers expect convenience. They want instant access to information an ..read more

In recent years, many companies have looked to self-service options and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to streamline the customer experience (CX). While it’s true that customers like easy answers to their questions, companies shouldn’t neglect the human side of CX. In fact, a recent study from Google found that 61% of shoppers using a mobile phone will call for information when making a purchase decision. The reason? It’s often quicker to talk to a human being than find information through a company website or even an online chat. This means that your company needs to sustain a strong ..read more

Most companies know they need to deliver an outstanding customer experience (CX)—or they risk losing customers and revenues. Fostering a customer-centric culture is on the must-do lists of many top organizations. Still, shifting from the legacy business mindset that put numbers above people isn’t always easy. Some industries have gotten CX right, but most still have a long way to go. The communications industry is one of those that hasn’t made its mark as a customer experience (CX) leader. 2015 saw the telecommunications industry receiving the second-worst overall CX—behind government agencie ..read more

With all the buzz around customer experience (CX), it can be difficult to identify the most important CX best practices. That could be why CX initiatives don’t seem to be delivering their promised results—yet. According to a recent survey from Customer Think, just 23% of respondents felt that their CX programs delivered tangible results. What can CX professionals do to reverse this trend? Our investigation into CX best practices among Fortune 500 leaders in the U.S. and Canada offers some answers. We discovered nine critical success factors that—when followed—form the foundation of a solid CX ..read more

How Mature is Your CX Program? A Review of 3 CX Maturity Models eTouchPoint Customer experience (CX) is a journey. Even the companies that seem to be on top of their game need to focus on continuous improvement. What milestones mark the path to CX excellence? Our popular white paper outlines maturity models from three top research firms: Forrester, Gartner, and the Temkin Group. Use these models to set your vision and level up your CX program. Chart Your Course to CX Excellence How a Fortune 100 Leader Responds to 90+% of Complaints within 24 Hours eTouchPoint Sometimes, customer in ..read more

Companies are embracing the importance of customer experience (CX)–but may be struggling to put it into practice. One reason: They have not yet acknowledged the essential link between employee engagement and CX. If you haven’t quite figured out the employee engagement puzzle, you’re not alone. Only around 1/3 of U.S. employees feel engaged at work, while nearly 1/2 of employees feel actively disengaged. Image Source: Snacknation Why is employee engagement so important anyway? Your team members–especially those on the front lines with customers–represent your brand to the outside world. If th ..read more

I enjoy my role as a customer. I take it quite seriously. Over the past 25 years, I have probably signed up for every loyalty program that brands have offered me. I have tried to participate in many of their campaigns and feedback, wearing the customers’ hat. It has not been an easy pursuit, given the time available and in general the quality of marketing. So, it is appropriate I write this piece wearing my hat as a consumer. There is a fascinating story that Jeff Bezos always keeps a chair empty in meetings, to remind fellow managers about the most important person in the room – the customer ..read more

5 Key Lessons About Emotions and Customer Experience eTouchPoint Today’s most successful companies make significant investments in customer experience (CX). While they tend to emphasize boosting customer satisfaction, experts believe building emotional bonds with customers may drive bigger bottom-line results. Visit our blog to learn 5 key connections between emotions and CX. View the 5 Key Lessons Customer Experience: It’s Not Rocket Science. It’s More Complicated. eTouchPoint How has CX become so overly complex? Even many of the most competitive brands struggle to create a seamless, impactf ..read more

What sets apart satisfactory customer service and flawless customer service? When a client walks into your office or when a customer enters your store, they want to be treated kindly. They want to have their questions answered and their concerns addressed. These are things all businesses should do. They’re expected. But if businesses want to give customers a truly flawless experience, then it’s time they embrace the unexpected. The unexpected means surprising your customers and going above and beyond what they would normally anticipate. In an article for Entrepreneur, customer-loyalty consult ..read more

Customer experience (CX) is a top-of-mind strategic priority for many executives–and many organizations have ambitions to build an advanced CX platform. Recent studies show a gap between executive support for CX and companies having the technology infrastructure in place to execute on this goal. For example, a recent survey of executives by Customer Management IQ found that 75% of executives rated the importance of CX as a “5” on a scale of one to five. Image Source: Super Office According to a recent study by Harvard Business Review Analytic Studies, 88% of business executives agree that le ..read more