The customer experience (CX) journey is supposed to be seamless, efficient, and human-centered. But far too often, legacy systems are standing in the way. And they’re not just inconvenient, they’re costing brands more than they realize.

In our article “Are Legacy Systems CX’s Biggest Roadblock?” from the April issue of CX Insight magazine, the message from corporate CX leaders was loud and clear: legacy systems are the most significant operational hurdle to delivering exceptional service. Not one leader surveyed was fully satisfied with their current tech stack.

So, what’s keeping brands from making the change?

The Systems That Once Worked Are Now Holding Us Back

Once upon a time, those old CRMs, IVRs, and ticketing platforms were cutting edge. But today, they’re a liability; slowing down innovation, blocking artificial intelligence (AI) implementation, and creating silos where there should be connection.

Take this stat: 54 percent of CX leaders say up to 60 percent of their customer interactions are too complex for automation because of system limitations. The issue isn’t strategy, it’s infrastructure.

CX teams want to modernize. They’re pushing for AI. They’re eager to personalize experiences. But when your tools can’t keep up, even the best ideas stall at the starting line.

Why Tech Stack Modernization Can’t Wait

Some leaders are still hesitant to make the leap, citing budget, integration challenges, or internal resistance. But here’s the truth: every delay widens the gap between what customers expect and what brands can deliver.

And that gap? It’s where customer trust erodes. It’s where competitors gain ground.

In the article, we break down:

• The cost of technical debt and why maintaining outdated systems is more expensive than replacing them.
• Why AI and automation are only as effective as the infrastructure they sit on.
• The four priorities CX leaders are investing in now to break free from the legacy trap.

This Isn’t Just About Technology

CX is no longer just a support function; it has evolved into a strategic business driver. It’s a growth engine. And that engine can’t run on systems built for a different era.

Read the full article now.

The post What’s Blocking Better CX? Your Tech Stack Might Be to Blame appeared first on Execs In The Know.

In an era where customers hold the power, their experience with a brand can make or break its success.

With advancements in technology and changing customer expectations, the landscape has shifted, giving rise to innovative outsourcing solutions that prioritize personalized, seamless, and meaningful customer experiences. As brand leaders, it’s crucial to understand the latest trends, opportunities, and challenges in customer experience outsourcing to stay ahead of the game and ensure your brand thrives.

Let’s dive in.

Key CX Outsourcing Considerations

In a recent discussion with our community of CX leaders, they shared their insights and concerns regarding CX outsourcing. This post will explore why brand leaders should be paying close attention to this rapidly evolving industry and how businesses can effectively navigate the outsourcing landscape while maintaining a strong brand experience.

Importance of Generative AI
Many CX leaders acknowledged the potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in driving efficiencies. However, concerns were raised about governance and compliance in implementing AI solutions. Organizations are actively exploring how AI can be integrated into their CX operations while ensuring that the human touch and brand experience remain at the forefront. The soft skills of agents and their ability to understand and respond to emotional cues from customers are essential in creating lasting impressions.

A Focus on Efficiency and Cost Control
With the pressure of cost control from stakeholders, businesses are shifting their goals towards efficiency.

Cultural Alignment
The importance of cultural sensitivity and alignment when outsourcing CX functions is a hot topic right now. Outsourcers represent the brand, so it is crucial to ensure that they understand and connect with an organization’s target market.

Protecting the Brand
Protecting the brand has been a recurring theme throughout discussions. CX leaders stress the significance of driving the right customer experience with outsourcing partners and viewing cost as the price of admission. Capability and strategic fit have been identified as key differentiating factors when selecting outsourcing partners.

Outcome-Based Contracts
Some organizations leverage outcome-based contracts to ensure that outsourcing partners align with the brand and deliver the desired results. These contracts tie outcomes to incentives and credits, providing suppliers with the flexibility to manage day-to-day operations and provide strategic feedback.

Engaged Partnership
Successful outsourcing partnerships require active engagement from both parties. Clients who were most satisfied with outsourcing services were highly engaged and maintained clear communication with their partners, discussing expectations, and addressing business-related matters beyond key performance indicators (KPIs).

Challenges of Business Model Disruption
Business process outsourcing (BPO) providers also face challenges in monetizing their services due to disruptions in the business landscape. Friction between revenue goals and clients’ cost control can arise, necessitating innovative approaches to pricing and service delivery.

Change Management and Leadership
Change management has been highlighted as a critical aspect of successful outsourcing relationships. Leaders should focus not only on implementation but also on bringing people along for the journey, gaining commitment, buy-in, and ensuring follow-through.

Tools for Data Security
Discussions with CX leaders have touched upon the importance of data security and the need for tools that mask data. The significance of finding solutions that safeguard sensitive customer information and maintain compliance with data protection regulations is something that has been top of mind.

Business Continuity Planning (BCP) for Work-from-Home (WFH)
Many organizations are expressing concerns about the lack of internet and power redundancies in work-at-home setups, limiting their ability to ensure uninterrupted service during crises.

Remote Work Privilege
The privilege of remote work has been emphasized as something employees need to earn by demonstrating productivity on par with in-office peers.

Virtual Rewards and Recognition
Coordinating virtual rewards and recognition initiatives has posed challenges, such as organizing virtual pizza parties, which are easier to manage in physical office settings.

Embracing Hybrid Flexibility
AppFolio, an industry-leading company, advocated for creating an environment that enables, tracks, and encourages success and engagement for all employees, regardless of their location. Hybrid flexibility has been shown to boost productivity and employee satisfaction.

Gamification and Engagement
Implementing gamification techniques within a virtual community platform, as suggested by TTEC, can be an effective way to drive engagement and performance among remote teams.

3 Common Factors Influencing CX Outsourcing Decisions

CX leaders must carefully consider various factors that can significantly impact the success of their outsourcing initiatives.

From cost considerations to operational efficiency, cultural compatibility, and technological capabilities, the decision to outsource is influenced by a complex interplay of factors that require careful analysis and planning.

1. RFP criteria: When evaluating outsourcing partners, organizations should consider factors such as the capability to deliver, pricing, infrastructure and security, strategic fit, economic and political stability, and availability of talent.
2. Cultural alignment: Cultural fit, change tolerance, and alignment of values between the outsourcing partner and the client organization play vital roles in ensuring a successful collaboration.
3. Security and Compliance: Organizations should assess whether potential partners can meet security requirements and compliance regulations to safeguard sensitive customer data.

Common Challenges

The road to successful outsourcing can be challenging and it demands your attention, insight, and strategic decision-making skills.

These challenges can arise due to various factors such as communication, cultural differences, quality control, and maintaining a consistent customer experience.

Internal Resistance
Some organizations face internal resistance, distrust, or pressure when considering outsourcing. Educating stakeholders about the potential benefits and dispelling myths is crucial.

Labor Cost vs. Performance
Higher labor costs from outsourcing partners may be justified by superior performance, leading to improved first-call resolution (FCR) and customer satisfaction (CSAT) metrics, resulting in lower overall incident costs.

Complexity and In-House Expertise
Organizations often retain complex or specialized contact types in-house due to concerns about the ability of outsourcing partners to handle them with the same level of quality.

Compliance and Regulatory Considerations
In emerging fields like generative artificial intelligence (AI), organizations should ensure they understand compliance and regulatory limitations to avoid potential legal or ethical issues.

Customer experience outsourcing offers numerous advantages for companies striving to deliver exceptional service. By addressing challenges such as BCP for WAH, embracing hybrid flexibility, and leveraging virtual rewards and recognition, organizations can optimize CX outsourcing.

Additionally, careful consideration of RFP criteria, cultural alignment, and security requirements are key factors.

Actionable Takeaways for CX Leaders Who Manage Outsourced Operations

Here’s some actionable, practical advice for CX leaders from CX leaders who are responsible for managing outsourced operations.

Prioritize Customer Feedback
Regularly collect and analyze customer feedback to identify pain points and areas for improvement. Use this feedback to guide decision-making and ensure that customer needs are at the forefront of all actions.

Create a Seamless Customer Journey
Optimize the customer journey by ensuring that every touchpoint is consistent, intuitive, and easy to navigate. This includes everything from website design to customer service interactions.

Foster a Customer-Centric Culture
Ensure that everyone in the organization is aligned around a customer-first mentality. This can be achieved through training, communication, and recognition programs.

Leverage Technology
Utilize technology to enhance the customer experience, whether it’s through chatbots, personalized marketing, or data analytics. However, ensure that technology is not prioritized over human interaction and empathy.

Empower Employees
Give employees the tools and autonomy they need to deliver exceptional customer service. This includes training, access to information, and the ability to make decisions that benefit the customer. 

Continuously Iterate and Improve
Customer experience is not a one-time project, but an ongoing process. Continuously gather feedback, analyze results, and make improvements to ensure that the customer experience is always evolving and improving.

Deliver Exceptional Experiences

In summary, CX outsourcing can be a valuable strategy for businesses seeking to enhance their customer interactions and drive growth. By leveraging the expertise and resources of outsourcing partners, companies can tap into a global talent pool, gain access to advanced technologies, and achieve operational efficiencies.

However, it is crucial for organizations to carefully consider the key factors that impact CX outsourcing, such as cultural alignment, security measures, and change tolerance. With proper planning, effective vendor selection, and ongoing collaboration, organizations can successfully outsource CX functions and deliver exceptional experiences to their customers.

Interested in the topic of Outsourcing? We’re thrilled to announce that we have added two In-Person Outsourcing Briefings to our schedule for 2023. These informative and collaborative events will be hosted in New York, New York and Tempe, Arizona.

You’ll gain invaluable insights from industry experts and connect with top executives who are shaping the future. It’s the perfect chance to learn from expert panelists and your peers on strategies, best practices, and insider knowledge that can transform the way you approach Outsourcing.

Mark your calendars and register register today to secure your spot. Space is limited, so don’t miss out on this incredible chance to learn, connect, and grow.

The post CX Outsourcing: Navigating Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities appeared first on Execs In The Know.

This blog post provides an overview of why organizational transformation is crucial for CX leaders, what advantages it offers them, the possible roadblocks they may face on their journey towards creating meaningful change in their organization, and perhaps most importantly, how to reap its rewards!

What Is Organizational Transformation and How Does It Help CX Leaders Succeed?

Organizational transformation is a process aimed at improving the overall performance and effectiveness of a business. Successful CX leaders understand that the world is always changing, and to stay ahead, they need to be able to adapt and evolve. And that’s where organizational transformation comes in.

Through this process, business leaders can identify the obstacles that are preventing their businesses from growing and thriving and develop innovative solutions to overcome them. By transforming their organizations, leaders can create a culture of flexibility, agility, and innovation that empowers their employees.

If you’re a CX leader who wants to stay ahead of the game, it’s time to start embracing the transformative power of change.

Some of the many reasons to implement transformational change include: 

• Adapting to market changes
• Digital transformation and technology upgrades
• Solving internal problems with organizational structure and bureaucracy
• Improving processes and procedures
• To reach new audiences or segments
• Launching a rebranding campaign

The Benefits of Organizational Transformation

Whether a company is facing economic challenges or simply looking to stay ahead of the game, organizational transformation could be the key to success. By redefining company culture, improving business processes, and developing innovative strategies, a brand can transform into an agile and efficient entity that is better able to adapt to the ever-changing business landscape.

Not only does this lead to improved performance and competitiveness, but it also creates a more engaged and motivated workforce. By investing in organizational transformation, brands can set themselves up for long-term success and growth. As the famous quote from Charles Darwin goes, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

Potential Challenges of Transformation and How to Overcome Them

As the world rapidly evolves, businesses must also transform to keep up with the times. However, there’s no one size fits all strategy.

This seemingly straightforward task presents a multitude of challenges that can be hard to navigate. Whether it’s resistance from employees or difficulty in changing established processes, transformation is not always easy.

In fact, 70% of change initiatives fail as a result of bad management, poor implementation, and even bad luck.

Nonetheless, businesses need to overcome these challenges to continue growing and thriving. So how can they do it?

• Embrace innovation
• Foster a culture of agility
• Prioritize open communication

Common Pitfalls to Avoid During the Change Process

Implementing change is often necessary for the growth and success of any organization. However, it can be a daunting process, and there are common pitfalls to avoid.

First, failing to communicate effectively with your team can lead to confusion. Keeping your team informed on the changes and the reasons behind them is essential for their cooperation and buy-in. Second, not anticipating and addressing resistance can be a significant obstacle to progress. Identifying potential roadblocks and proactively managing them will help you stay on track.

Lastly, not measuring and tracking progress can make it difficult to evaluate the impact of the change. Having a clear plan for monitoring and measuring success will enable you to make the necessary adjustments. Remember, change is not easy, but avoiding these pitfalls will help you navigate the process effectively.

The Impact on the Customer Experience

When an organization undergoes transformation, it can have a significant impact on CX.

Here are a few reasons why organizational transformation is important:

1. Alignment: When an organization undergoes transformation, it often reevaluates its mission, values, and goals. This can help ensure that the organization is aligned with the needs and expectations of its customers. By putting the customer at the center of its operations, brands can create a more seamless and personalized experience for customers.
2. Innovation: Transformation often involves introducing new processes, technologies, or products. These innovations can help the organization deliver more value to its customers, whether by streamlining processes, offering new features, or improving quality.
3. Agility: It can help an organization become more agile and responsive to changing customer needs. By breaking down silos and empowering employees to make decisions, organizations can more quickly adapt to new trends or customer demands.
4. Culture: Transformation can also have a significant impact on an organization’s culture. By fostering a customer-centric culture that values innovation and continuous improvement, brands can create a more engaging and satisfying experience for customers.

In short, organizational transformation is crucial to CX because it can help an organization become more customer-centric, innovative, agile, and culture-driven. By putting the customer first and embracing change, organizations can create a better experience for their customers and gain a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Putting People at the Heart of Organizational Transformation

At a time when businesses are challenged to stay competitive, organizational transformation is an essential tool to help CX leaders create sustainable success. The process of organizational transformation offers numerous benefits to those who are willing and able to meet the challenges it presents.

With the right approach, careful planning, and putting people at the heart of the transformation process, businesses can adapt and grow, no matter what obstacles stand in their way.

The post Why CX Leaders Should Embrace Organizational Transformation to Meet the Evolving Needs of Customers appeared first on Execs In The Know.

While contact centers are increasingly turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications for a variety of reasons, these technologies are not a silver bullet for everything, nor are they a complete solution for a specific problem set. They can, and should, play a role in helping contact centers adapt to digital transformation – in conjunction with existing technologies and processes.

When considering vendors offering AI applications, contact centers should consider how well they interwork and support the systems currently in use, rather than looking to replace them altogether. For now, AI will best serve contact centers as a complementary technology.

Operational Challenge #1: Maintaining Staff

The impact digital transformation has on staffing may not be that obvious, largely because it’s been overshadowed by the pandemic. By now, contact centers and agents have adapted to a work-from-home model, which will remain in place for many contact centers.

Contact centers have been hugely impacted by the Great Resignation, as has the entire service economy. Turnover in call centers has averaged 30% to 40%.

Supporting home-based agents presents many operational challenges for contact center leaders, and compounding that is the way digital transformation is reshaping the customer experience (CX). A key change is the need for seamless omnichannel communication with the growing use of digital channels by customers. If contact centers cannot effectively support this, the agent experience (AX) suffers and, as we’ve seen with the Great Resignation, agents will leave for greener pastures.

In terms of maintaining staffing levels, there are two immediate AI use cases to consider.

The first would be intelligent routing where AI can direct incoming inquiries based on the channel used by the customer. This can be especially effective for existing customers, where analytics can determine channel preferences based on past history. This way, inquiries will get routed to agents with the right skills set – both at scale and in real-time – making their jobs less stressful and more tenable.

A second use case would be self-service automation. The main idea is that better forms of self-service are critical for AX, and all contact center vendors now have AI solutions that go well beyond conventional IVR. Digital transformation is simply raising the bar for what self-service needs to be. The longer agents have to keep dealing with routine queries or repeating steps already covered in IVR, the bigger your staffing issues will become.

Operational Challenge #2: Speed to Competency

Digital transformation enables a remote working environment and allows contact centers to draw from a much larger pool for hiring agents.

While contact centers don’t have the luxury to keep hiring agents as traffic grows, they do need to hire and train them faster than before. This is another by-product of the Great Resignation, where there has been a sudden surge of people exiting the workforce, making the need to replace agents a top priority. As such, the challenge of speed to competency and onboarding new agents is more about maintaining current staff levels rather than adding agents to scale up.

In terms of operations, this means contact centers are playing catchup trying to replenish their depleted ranks rather than staffing up for growth. As noted above, AI applications alone won’t enable contact center leaders to totally catch up, but it has a key role to play, especially to speed up the hiring and training process.

When considering AI vendors, there are two capabilities you should be looking for.

First is the ability to quickly vet candidates for the skills needed, not just for specific agent roles, but also for the basic competencies they’ll need for your industry and customer base. This is especially relevant for global businesses, and how digital transformation removes the borders of geography, allowing contact centers to hire agents with greater proximity to customers on a regional basis. These possibilities are very recent, and while they hold great promise for improving CX, you really need the scale of AI applications to execute on this promise.

Second would be the next step, which is to train and onboard new agents once drawn from this pool of candidates. Machine learning (ML) is of particular importance as you’ll need to profile best practices from your top agents and use that as the template for training new hires. This is how you leverage AI to shorten the learning curve and provide real-time guidance for new agents.

Not only will agent turnover drop when you can onboard them more effectively, but so will the associated costs with staffing.

Guest blog post written by UpstreamWorks. To learn more about this topic and others, visit our events page to check out upcoming events.

The post Maintaining Staff and Improving Speed to Competency During the Great Resignation appeared first on Execs In The Know.

CRS Clearwater was attended by an impassioned and enthusiastic group of some of the customer experience (CX) industry’s best and brightest, and the event featured more than a dozen sessions including keynote presentations, discussion panels, and informative breakout sessions and workshops, as well as ample opportunity for professional networking and socializing.

If you were able to join us for this special event, you know exactly how valuable these sessions were. But if you were not able to attend, now’s your chance to catch up on the conversation with the following keynote session synopses, along with a dozen or so key takeaways.

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How Beachbody Became a Digital-First Company

Presented By: Todd Montgomery, Executive Vice President, The Beachbody Company

Synopsis:

Beginning in 2014, Todd Montgomery and team began a journey of robust transformation. This change has since yielded a more responsive, more consistent customer care experience, along with improved performance across several key metrics like average speed of answer, customer satisfaction (CSAT), and Net Promoter Score (NPS). All while lowering costs, improving the agent experience, and creating greater internal accountability.  Not to mention this was all accomplished amid a global pandemic.

Todd’s keynote kickoff told a compelling story about the value of investing in technologies like self-service solutions and better agent tools, while always maintaining a focus on the customer experience. Through thoughtful scaling, careful and ongoing assessment, and a data-driven, results-minded approach, Todd and team are already checking the box on many objectives, while constantly assessing and looking toward what’s next.

Key Takeaways:

• Prioritize identifying and tackling pain points, focusing on those things that drive the most volume
• Invest in areas that allow you to leverage your program data (including Voice of the Customer) to create more efficient experiences for customers
• Implement and experiment with tools and solutions that can simultaneously automate and improve the customer experience

How Fanatics Activated Its CX Data Superpowers

Presented By: Carolyne Truelove, Head of Global Fan Experience, Fanatics

Synopsis:

As the ultimate one-stop sports fan destination with a database of more than 80 million global customers, the Fanatics brand is working with a wealth of data, and actively using it to field a team of data superheroes. Together, this team is united with a shared goal of improving the customer experience right across the enterprise. Faithfully following where the data leads has already unleashed many performance and cost improvement victories, including steadily decreasing Contacts Per Order, fewer escalations, and lower costs.

By focusing on the right metrics, harnessing data to better understand the customer, and tirelessly championing the cause in a way that informs and unites, a data-driven strategy can produce profound results. By approaching CX with a fan’s passion, Carolyne and team are turning data insights into heroic moments — all in the spirit of a mission to serve.

Key Takeaways:

• Data is a powerful mover of meaningful change when leveraged correctly and consistently, and the data always tells a story when seeking investment and support
• Feedback is a gift that should be both treasured and acted upon
• Strong internal partnerships and centralized metrics are the keys to unlocking support for not only a single powerful superhero, but a powerful super team

Embracing a Commitment to Employee Success

Presented By: Teresa Ignacio, Vice President, Client Care Managed Services, Visa

Presented By: Mike Jones, Senior Director – Customer Care, The Home Depot

Synopsis:

Teresa Ignacio and Mike Jones lit up the stage, evangelizing the critical importance of creating better employee experiences. Although each told a slightly different story, the themes remained the same. The employee experience was nothing short of a rallying point, one for effective deployment of improvement efforts — the type that can have a multiplicative effect. By supporting a drive for greater employee success, each leader demonstrated how their efforts were empowering an ingredient essential in the recipe for customer success.

The world has undergone significant change, and contact center agents have been asked to handle challenges unimaginable only a couple of years ago. While the foundations of the past may have been a good starting point, they weren’t designed to address all the employee needs that have arisen in our new normal. Contact centers have been impacted in ways large and small, and forward-thinking companies have responded with greater flexibility, awareness, and dedication to their most important asset — their people.

Key Takeaways:

• The employee experience is multifaceted … many critical areas need to be addressed like career development, engagement, and work environment
• Investing in employees (and the tools and technologies that support employees) is one of the single best investments that can be made in the CX space
• Leadership approach, processes, and policies must all be flexible enough to change with the times and evolving consumer expectations

CX Transformation Secret Revealed: The Hero Is Your Customer!

Presented By: Jen Johnson, Senior Vice President of Business Transformation, Frontier

Synopsis:

Transformation isn’t easy, but it’s almost always essential. And if done correctly, the rewards go far beyond the bottom line. Frontier has undergone many transformations in its nearly 90-year history. But its most recent transformation has led Frontier toward a path of truly putting the customer first, taking center stage in everything the organization does.

Jen shares her thoughts on the compelling narrative of “the customer as the hero,” and how such an approach inevitably leads to positive experiences for Frontier customers. Naturally, it’s a long-term investment, and not necessarily an easy sell. But with the help of true CX champions, alignment up and down the organization, perseverance, and a common language of “speaking customer,” a cultural shift isn’t only possible, it’s inevitable.

Key Takeaways:

• Every customer is a mighty advocate, just needing the right experience to become activated
• Organizational alignment is a massive enabler in achieving transformational success
• The process is not always easy, and it takes some honest self-reflection to get there

Our Next Event Is Closer Than You Might Think

Catching up on an event by reading these sorts of post-event blog posts might be the next best thing to attending, but it’s a far cry from the experience of attending an Execs In the Know CRS event. That’s why we invite you to consider joining us during our next CRS event, taking place in Coronado, California, October 24–26, 2022.

To learn more about CRS Coronado, or register for this highly anticipated event, take a moment to visit us at the CRS Coronado web page.

The post It’s A Wrap: Insights from Four CRS Clearwater Keynote Presentations appeared first on Execs In The Know.

If you have yet to tune in to the Fall 2021 CRS virtual event, you can watch many sessions on-demand. Registration is simple, free, and it takes only a minute to get immediate online access to this insightful content.

Earlier this month, we shared some powerful insights from the event’s five keynote presentations as a part of a five-part blog series. Now we add to those valuable insights with the following highlights from the event’s six inspiring panel discussions and one intriguing case study.

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The Rise of the CCO

Moderator:
Mike McCarron, Gladly

Panelists:
Radha Penekelapati, YouTube
Dan Allen, Union Bank
Deana Perrin, Blue Shield of California

It’s great for a CX program to have the support of the C-suite, but it’s even better when CX has its very own seat at the table. The Chief Customer Officer (CCO) role isn’t exactly new, but it has never been more essential in cultivating CX excellence. CCOs can help champion plans and initiatives that are designed to do one thing — improve the customer experience.

During this panel discussion, Radha, Dann, Deana, and Mike share their thoughts about how the CCO role has evolved, and why is has never been more critical than today, especially as consumers have more options than ever, and brand loyalty is on the wane.

Here are five key highlights from the conversation:

1) As a company’s CX journey matures, the structure of its C-suite must also evolve.

2) A Chief Customer Officer (CCO) is responsible for raising the voice of the customer, but also establishing internal partnerships to make sure the organization is unified behind the mission of improving CX.

3) An ongoing challenge with the CCO role is they often have the insights and knowledge to know what needs fixing, but they often don’t have the budget authority to execute. To make a real difference, a CCO must be empowered.

4) Shared goals, especially tangible goals, are critical in unifying an organization behind customer-centric efforts; put the customer at the center, but don’t neglect the overarching goals of stakeholders.

5) Doing many small- or medium-sized projects sometimes creates a bigger impact than doing one or a very few large projects. It is important to understand the outcome and impact of every effort, big or small.

View this session now (quick and free registration required).

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Getting Ready for What Comes Next: Key Trends Driving Your Data Strategy

Moderator:
Sav Khetan, Tealium

Panelists:
Melody Blumenschein, General Motors
Rick Clark, Balsam Brands
Matt Beckwith, Clark Pest Control

A lot has changed in the last 18 months. From how consumers behave to the way businesses conduct their service and delivery operations, the COVID-19 pandemic has sent out many ripples. How companies have and will continue to respond to the ongoing crisis (both proactively and reactively) will chart their future course, and effective use of data is a key part of the equation for many organizations.

During this panel, Melody, Rick, Matt, and Sav engage in a wide-ranging discussion about the overall state of the industry, highlighting current challenges, while also sharing how they are addressing some of these challenges with innovative CX data solutions and strategies.

Here are five key highlights from the conversation:

1) In the last 18 months, over 80% of consumers have tried out a new brand or mode of delivery, and many prefer these new experiences; loyalty is on the wane.

2) The high cost of acquiring new customers has only increased during the pandemic.

3) Consumers are far more tolerant of service lapses and wait time than they were before the pandemic, but they are also checking out the competition more than ever before.

4) Frontline staff have valuable knowledge about the business and the customer, so be sure to tap their expertise by opening lines of communication and taking the time to ask.

5) There is power in understanding this one simple but age-old essential insight — happy agents make for happy customers. It is a good reminder to tap into the data that lets you know if your organization is succeeding in this area.

View this session now (quick and free registration required).

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Data Protection: Creating Secure and Successful At-Home Workspaces

Moderator:
Leslie Loofbourow, 24-7 Intouch

Panelists:
Jim Gallagher, Nordstrom
Jeff Lilleskare, Microsoft
Thom McDaniel, Marriott

Work-from-home is here to stay. That means maintaining employee engagement and protecting customer data is going to remain top-of-mind for CX leaders. Luckily, there is no shortage of new and innovative tools and technology design to accomplish exactly this.

During this insightful and timely panel, Jim, Jeff, Thom, and Leslie share how they have helped devise secure remote work environments, leading to more protection for both customers and agents, while also making sure their teams stay connected and engaged.

Here are five key highlights from the conversation:

1) Data protection and secure workspaces start with empowering employees. That said, trust but always verify.

2) Hiring and recruiting best practices are critical for adoption and compliance starting with a workforce well aligned to the values of the organization; shared values equate to high levels of compliance.

3) Have a solid plan for work-from-home departures. Close the loop on getting back equipment, shutting down system access, etc.

4) It’s important to find the balance between getting the information agents need to service customers, while also maintaining tight control of the data available to agents.

5) Many companies have gone through many hiring cycles to the point where a lot of employees are unfamiliar with the in-office workspace … but agents need to be connected and included. Consider creating a virtual watercooler space for agents to drive engagement and connectedness.

View this session now (quick and free registration required).

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If you haven’t already done so, be sure to check out Part 1 of this two-part series.

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Do you enjoy this type of CX-related content? If so, consider joining us for our return to a live and in-person event during Customer Response Summit in sunny Clearwater, Florida — March 28-30, 2022. Registration is open now! Learn More

The post CRS Virtual October 2021: Key Case Study and Panel Highlights — Part 2 appeared first on Execs In The Know.

If you have yet to tune in to the Fall 2021 CRS virtual event, you can watch many sessions on-demand. Registration is simple, free, and it takes only a minute to get immediate online access to this insightful content.

Earlier this month, we shared some powerful insights from the event’s five keynote presentations as a part of a five-part blog series. Now we add to those valuable insights with the following highlights from the event’s six inspiring panel discussions and one intriguing case study.

…………………………………………………..

Creating Empathy and Eliminating Frustration on the Path from Automation to Live Engagement

Moderator:
Andy Bird, Concentrix

Panelists: 
Vas Alli, Verizon
Peter Andrews, Expedia

Backoffice task and process automation within CX operations have been a godsend on many fronts. From greater efficiency to lower costs, automation has ramped up from infancy to essential in short order and has only become more entrenched due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And while what happens behind the scenes is often invisible to customers, customer-facing automation is now front-and-center in the form of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered applications, knowledge databases, IVRs, and more.

With an explosion in the prevalence of these customer-facing tools, new friction points have emerged. During this panel, Vas, Peter, and Andy discuss how brands can create a positive experience for consumers as they navigate these tools, especially when the need arises to transition from automated to live engagement.

Here are five key highlights from the conversation:

1) It’s very difficult to successfully implement automation, or digitize more broadly, without first establishing the purpose and value of the effort.

2) When putting automation into place, there needs to be a balance between the use cases and the vision the project; end-to-end design thinking is critical with an aim of building in cross-channel consistency.

3) Start with the big questions: What is the customer need? How can we address the need with as little friction as possible? Make sure User Testing (UT) agrees with any assumptions.

4) Implement automation in a way that anticipates what else the customer might need.

5) Don’t overengineer a solution; keep it simple and convenient because easy and fast is why your customer is using an automated solution in the first place.

View this session now (quick and free registration required).

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Building Your CX Technology Stack

Moderator:
Arushi Jain, Airkit

Panelists:
James Glover, CHEP
Heather Anderson, Bosch
Thomas Siebert, FinishMaster

If employees are the lifeblood of a CX organization, then that organization’s technology stack is its plumbing (i.e., circulatory system). The digitalization of CX operations has only accelerated over the proceeding 18 months, and although many such investments are urgent and essential, brands must be careful their decisions aren’t purely reactive in nature. Aside from the financial considerations, there is the customer experience to be considered which means every project and implementation needs to be planned and executed with the customer as the top consideration.

Small friction points can have a big impact on the customer experience. Listen in as James, Heather, Thomas, and Arushi discuss the implication of such impacts, as well as best practices for achieving success when expanding the CX technology stack.

Here are five key highlights from the conversation:  

1) Digital adoption is not slowing, nor is it merely a byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic. But digital adoption initiatives can only be successful if backed by an appropriate technology stack.

2) Long-term trends favor businesses that can execute a seamless digital experience. Strong internal support and healthy investment in a capable technology stack are key.

3) A primary benefit of implementing self-service is the ability to save agent resources for more complex issues. For this to work, things must be seamless — for both customers and agents.

4) Know the needs and capabilities of your customers. Understanding things like abandonment rate and channel shift can reveal gaps and pain points — the first step in fixing critical issues.

5) Effectively managing change is critical to a successful rollout; when making a big change, communicate plans and get feedback from all levels within the organization.

View this session now (quick and free registration required).

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Personalization as a Differentiator: Using AI to Stand Out In a “Sea of Sameness”

Moderator:
Seb Reeve, Nuance

Panelists:
Bit Rambusch, Dell Technologies
Erik Powers, Humana
Simon Marchand, Nuance

Personalization done right can have a radical effect on the customer experience. From the customer’s perspective, personalization can reduce effort, reveal new opportunities, and strengthen brand loyalty. To truly add value, successful deployment of personalization within the CX space requires careful planning, testing, and rollout.

During this lively panel, Bit, Erik, Simon, and Seb discuss the benefits, risks, and other top considerations of building AI-powered personalization into the customer journey – including spotlighting their own experiences and learnings.

Here are five key highlights from the conversation:

1) Personalization is an appreciation of the individual. More practically, personalization means getting the right information to the right person with the least amount of effort within the journey.

2) When done successfully, personalization almost always results in increased NPS and CSAT scores.

3) When designing a personalization project, start with the desired outcomes and keep these ideas in mind:

• Develop one strategy
• Be aligned internally on the architecture
• Understand your foundational capabilities
• Build for exceptional governance and compliance

4) Not every project has to be massive … if need be, start small and establish proof of concept on specific use cases.

5) Involve all parts of the organization from the beginning to reduce surprises; especially take the time to involve your Fraud and Compliance team early on.

View this session now (quick and free registration required).

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How Comcast is Maximizing Productivity with Intelligent Automation

Moderator:
Jennifer Lee, Intradiem

Guest Speaker:
Mike Stalker, Comcast

Automation is all about maximizing resources and boosting productivity, allowing your people to focus on what matters most. One area where automation can have a big impact is workforce management, from scheduling and monitoring to coaching and delighting.

Join Mike, along with Jennifer, for this special Comcast Case Study and learn how this leading telecommunications conglomerate has used intelligent automation to reshape the Comcast agent experience, drive greater efficiencies, and ultimately improve the experience of Comcast customers.

Here are five key highlights from the conversation:

1) By 2024, organizations will lower operational costs 30% by combining hyper-automation technologies with redesigned operational processes.

2) If companies don’t begin or extend automation services, they’ll be at a distinct disadvantage.

3) Change management is a critical aspect of the successful implementation of automation, requiring careful planning.

4) Using automation to support the agent can take many forms including task management, training scheduling, agent surprise and delight activities, survey distribution, and coaching assistance.

5) Implementing automation usually goes beyond “one and done” — having executive buy-in from the start is a key component for avoiding roadblocks and expanding on initial gains.

View this session now (quick and free registration required).

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Do you enjoy this type of CX-related content? If so, consider joining us for our return to a live and in-person event during Customer Response Summit in sunny Clearwater, Florida — March 28-30, 2022. Registration is open now! Learn More

The post CRS Virtual October 2021: Key Case Study and Panel Highlights — Part 1 appeared first on Execs In The Know.

If you have yet to tune in to the Fall 2021 CRS virtual event, you can watch many sessions on-demand.
Registration is simple, free, and it takes only a minute to get immediate online access to this insightful content.

To help highlight some of the amazing ideas that came out of these sessions, we’ve created a five-part blog series — each focusing on a particular keynote session. In Part 4, we join Sean Miller for a frank discussion about the challenges and opportunities posed by a major merger between former competitors are we learn about Angi, the result of a merger between Angie’s List and HomeAdvisor.

From Merger to Maximizing Combined CX Operations

Sean Miller
Vice President of Operations
Angi

Click to sign in or register to watch Sean’s Fall 2021 CRS presentation.

From frontline agent to the Vice President of Operations, from being acquired to multiple rebrandings, Sean has experienced a lot in his career, all to prepare him for the 2017 merger between Angie’s List and HomeAdvisor, as well as the emergence of Angi in 2021. Although the Angi story is still being written, there are plenty of lessons to be learned starting with the importance of culture and unity, as well as a constant focus on the customer. If yours is a company facing a merger or on the other side of one, Sean’s is a story you don’t want to miss. Here are some takeaways we’ve identified:

1. It Starts with Team Buy-In

Any time there is a significant change (like a merger, for instance), quickly gaining team buy-in on a shared goal is the surest way to lay the groundwork for success. For Angi, it was important to quickly establish the idea that care would be operating as one team, moving forward with a shared goal of helping homeowners connect with service pros to get their project done.

2. When in Doubt, Double Down on Culture

Building and maintaining a strong company culture shows that a company values more than the bottom line — its values its people. Creating an environment of recognition and engagement is important for many reasons, but the biggest is this: Agent experience is the cornerstone of a great customer experience. If agents are happy and cared for, an organization is already halfway home to providing an exceptional customer experience.

3. Agents Want to Solve Issues

If you’re hiring the right people, your hiring agents will get fulfillment from resolving issues and advocating on behalf of customers. Any barriers that stand in the way of this can be counterproductive in a variety of ways. In other words, if customers are frustrated by gaps and disconnects in tools and/or processes, chances are agents will be dissatisfied too. Create mechanisms for spotting and correcting these types of issues to keep agents and customers happy.

4. Don’t Let Big Challenges Become Big Obstacles

Mergers and other significant changes can pose big challenges, challenges like competing backend systems, disconnected processes, and incompatible tools. But leaders can’t let these big challenges stand in the way of moving forward. Build a plan, reach for low hanging fruit first, and never lose focus on how each move impacts the customer.

5. A Mission Statement Shouldn’t Just Hang on a Wall

If a company’s mission isn’t embodied in action, it becomes very tough to rally the troops around any single initiative. Leaders need to play a critical role in turning mission into motion, and this is doubly true in a situation such as a merger, especially when the merging parties were once competitors. Living the mission is something that takes constant cultivation, but the payoff is immense if the right mission is met with the right amount of enthusiasm.

Merging with the competition is one thing, but standing out from the competition is yet another. If a merger isn’t in your future, but getting noticed by new and existing customers is, consider having a look at the Fall 2021 CRS event panel session highlighted below. Learn how your brand can use artificial intelligence to break away from the competition.

Be sure to check it out:
Personalization as a Differentiator: Using AI to Stand Out in a “Sea of Sameness”

The post Fall 2021 CRS & Five Key Takeaways from Five Keynotes — Part 4: Angi appeared first on Execs In The Know.