CXPA Member Blog

CXPA Member Blog

This Blog features thought leadership from CXPA members and staff. All contributions are welcome!  Authors and commenters are reminded to adhere to CXPA's community expectations. Solicitation and direct selling are strictly prohibited, and CXPA has the sole discretion to remove any post for any reason.  For assistance with the CXPA blog, contact gabe@cxpa.org.

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These CX ones to watch deserve a second look (and listen)

By Mr. Shane Schick posted 16 hours ago
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They’re young. They’re good looking. They represent a diverse mixture of genders and ethnicities. And, according to UserTesting, they offer the kind of hope we all need right now that the future of CX will be a bright one.  Earlier this week the San Francisco-based provider of customer experience software released what it described as its first annual CX Watchlist , which it said recognizes “the top 100 rising stars in customer experience-focused roles in organizations around the world.” Reviewing the CX Watchlist, however, was a somewhat odd experience. Though the first names, headshots and company each honouree works for were clearly displayed, they ...

Shouldn't we know better?

By Nicholas Zeisler,CCXP posted 2 days ago
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Let’s start today with a couple of anecdotal experiences: Anecdote 1:  It seems every time I pay in cash (who does that?), this happens:  The cashier, when returning my change lays the bills down in my palm, and then pours the coins over top of them.  This means that, to put the change away, I have to slide the bills out from under the coins (a la a magician with the table cloth out from under the glasses and place settings), put the change in my pocket, fold the bills with one hand, then fumble them into my wallet, all while trying to manage the bag of items I just bought.  Every time this happens, I'm reminded that a much more convenient way to receive ...

Customer Experience Balanced Scorecard for Employee Engagement in Driving CX Performance

By Lynn Hunsaker,CCXP posted 3 days ago
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Key performance indicators are important gauges of progress in customer experience management or any other endeavor. Employee engagement in balanced scorecards encourage 360-degree views of progress for a corporation or initiative. The scorecard typically covers several categories, for example: customer, financial, productivity, and competitive metrics. By linking these categories in a single view, managers may see linkages between these areas and make all-encompassing, better informed decisions. Of course, the selection of these metrics is quite important, to ensure a truly holistic view with meaningful linkages and subsequent high-quality decision-making. ...

April Online Learning Opportunities

By Gabe Smith,CCXP posted 6 days ago
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Spring has sprung! We hope that, as the calendar turns another page into April, your efforts to advance CX within your organization, deliver more value for your customers and clients, and turbocharge your career are in full bloom.  CXPA's event calendar is rapidly filling up as well. Each week, on the CXPA homepage , you'll find a weekly "Need to Know" post that provides details for webinars, live stream events, and local network virtual gatherings are taking place that week. These events offer insights into topics that are relevant to CX professionals today and are a great way to meet and network with others. But perhaps you want to dive even deeper ...

CXPA Need to Know for the Week of April 12th

By Joy Wedge posted 6 days ago
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Need Guidance? Our Mentorship Program is Now Open The CXPA Mentor Match program is designed to connect CXPA members for a one-on-one CX-focused mentorship. Mentorship is a proven self-development method that can help both mentee and mentor develop perspective, build confidence, gain new skills and knowledge, and further personal development and career goals. Learn More Here Spring Brings New Volunteer Opportunities CXPA is full of opportunities to help advance the customer experience profession. There are several ways you can help CXPA implement 2021 goals. Opportunities include activities ...

CX for SaaS

By Nicholas Zeisler,CCXP posted 8 days ago
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I’ve done some work with some folks in the software as a service (SaaS) space and have lots of colleagues and friends who are also working there.  Whenever I talk with them about Customer Experience, I always chuckle when the conversation turns to the Voice of the Customer. Often when I think about SaaS organizations trying to get visibility into their VoC, I’m amazed by how overly complicated they make it out to be.  Surely survey results are valuable.  With a business model like SaaS, there are likely to be transactional opportunities for feedback when a Customer calls or reaches out for either service or support.  But there will also be relationship ...

Are you ready to help CX bloom?

By Mr. Greg Melia,CAE posted 13 days ago
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Happy April! As we welcome a new month and quarter, I am excited to share that CXPA is bursting with opportunities to truly advance the customer experience profession.  But, like great CX itself, a strong holistic team effort will be key to success. Here are a few current opportunities for you to help make CXPA's 2021 goals a reality:  Strengthening support for CX professionals at all career stages Together with CXPA Networks, we are seeking speakers to lead programs on the recently identified 16 top priority topics . Submit a proposal here .   CXPA members consistently cite mentoring as a top learning experience. Get involved here . ...

Who Made a Career Move in March 2021?

By Gabe Smith,CCXP posted 13 days ago
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Want us to celebrate your career accomplishment? We want to hear from you--just fill out this form . Here are some CX pros who were on the move in March: Top Row, L-R: Gary Batroff, CCXP : VP, North America Partnerships at Thunderhead Janelle Mansfield : VP, Customer Success and Experience at Gazelle.AI Catherine Jeppsen, Ph.D, CCXP : Sr. Data Scientist for CX at Github Bart Taylor : Chief Customer Officer at Protecta Insurance New Zealand Walter Andri: Chief Customer Officer at Highline Beta Bottom Row, L-R: Charlene Foley, CCXP : Chief Customer Officer at Hearful Morgan Meliski: Manager of Supporter Experience at Compassion International ...

Why is a Great Customer Experience So Elusive for Some Organizations?

By Bob Azman,CCXP posted 13 days ago
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It never ceases to amaze me how some organizations just don’t get “it” yet. The “it” is a better customer experience.  Here are a few recent examples that exemplify my point.  A top seller of home security cameras sends two cameras in separate packages both with missing parts.    When I called to request the missing parts I was given two options:  1) they would send me the parts and I could expect them to arrive in 5-7 days or 2) I could go to their website, BUY the missing parts, and get them in 3-5 days. No offer to expedite parts to insure an quick delivery.  Next, I asked for a small credit to compensate me for the inconvenience.  The agent had to repeatedly ...

CXPA Need to Know for the Week of April 5th

By Joy Wedge posted 13 days ago
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CXPA is Seeking Passionate Thought Leaders CXPA accomplishes its work thanks to the time and talent contributed by passionate CXPA Volunteers. A variety of opportunities are available, including many activities that can be completed independently without the challenges of time zones or travel.  NEW! CXPA is currently seeking proposals from volunteer speakers willing to lead virtual programs on CX during 2021. To learn more about this opportunity,  click here .   Need Guidance? Mentorship Program is Now Open The CXPA Mentor Match program is designed to connect CXPA members for a one-on-one CX-focused ...

For CX, Where is not as important as What and Why

By Nicholas Zeisler,CCXP posted 15 days ago
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Where a CX function is located within a company is a frequent discussion topic among CXers.  I’ve been thinking about this recently and, while obviously each company is unique and every situation different, it occurs to me that where a CX function resides isn’t nearly as important as is what it’s chartered to do. But if I could get all Simon Sinek-y here, naturally the greater question still, is the Why .  Let’s look at the charter of what your CX organization should be in the first place, then we can start to look at what difference it may make as to where it’s located.  The why should drive the what , and therefore, the where will really just ...

Patching the Leaky Bucket: Satisfice, Remediate, Improve

By Howard Lax posted 19 days ago
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It may be a trite and overused metaphor, but everyone knows what I am talking about: lost customers. Churn, defection, leakage – call it what you may, lost customers translate into lost value for a company. Lost customers represent lost profits and cash flow today and tomorrow, depressing the overall market value of the firm.    Some attrition is inevitable – customers die or go out of business, they move out of your market footprint, they no longer need certain goods or services. Most leakage, however, is defection; your now former customers are buying what they need from someone else. (Some commentators will say that the loss of unprofitable customers actually ...

CXPA Need to Know for the Week of March 29th

By Joy Wedge posted 20 days ago
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Last Chance: CX Innovation Awards  The annual CXPA Innovation Award is presented by CXPA to an organization that does not sell customer experience products/services and that has engaged in customer-focused innovation to solve customer challenges and enable organizational success. Nominations for this year's award are now open and   closing on  Sun day, March 28th . Nominations Are Open Here Mentor Match Program The CXPA Mentor Match program is designed to connect CXPA members for a one-on-one CX-focused mentorship. Mentorship is a proven self-development method that can help both mentee and mentor develop ...

Diversity and Inclusion: Our work continues

By Mr. Greg Melia,CAE posted 20 days ago
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Diversity and inclusion have always been core to CXPA. These commitments have taken prominence this past year as CXPA members have asked that we take greater action.  We are proud, as Diversity Advancement Committee Chair, CXPA Chair, and CEO, to share what is being done to demonstrate a culture of inclusivity and belonging, where everyone is welcomed; diverse perspectives and approaches are embraced; and we advocate for customer experiences that improve people’s lives. During the past year, the Board has revised CXPA’s leadership structure and practices to increase opportunities for underrepresented groups to be heard and serve in leadership. CXPA Networks, ...

A Labor of Love: How Firas Mahasen, CCXP, Built a Career in CX

By Gabe Smith,CCXP posted 20 days ago
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Early Years “Son, keep your smile. It’s a free ticket to every person’s heart.” Firas Mahasen, CCXP , took his father’s words seriously. As a young man working in his father’s textile factory in Syria, Firas would work in the morning and study at night, but he recalls the grueling schedule as a labor of love. “I loved the business world,” he says. “Whether it was managing client relationships or dealing with workers, it was so much fun to me.” After graduation from university, Firas moved to Kuwait and began working as a retail store manager for Alshaya Group, an international franchisee. His career trajectory changed when he was approached by ...

Quantitative versus Qualitative

By Nicholas Zeisler,CCXP posted 22 days ago
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I just got off the phone with a colleague and we were having a conversation about data.  He brought up some good questions and points and so I figured I’d jot a few of them down here before they went right out of my head again. The gist of the discussion was the difference between quantitative and qualitative data.  He was having some trouble explaining the difference to his boss.  One line of questioning I asked right off the top was, “Why is this a controversy?  Why the heck does this even matter ?  How did this become a topic of conversation?”  It’s always useful to get to the bottom of why someone is asking a question so as to better address it in ...

Strategies for a successful Voice of the Customer program

By Steven Ramirez posted 25 days ago
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It is more important than ever to retain customers. Success often relies on having a deep understanding of your customers across every touch point –and that involves listening. That’s where an effective Voice of the Customer program can add real value, delivering insights to help you improve customer experience and meet key business objectives. To build and run a successful Voice of the Customer program, your approach will evolve along the way, so think about it in three strategic phases: getting a great start, building momentum, and then expanding the potential. Phase 1: Plan for success with your Voice of the Customer Program Create a Strategic ...

CX is Only as Good as the Last Mile

By Brad Smith posted 27 days ago
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This post originally appeared at Vector-BN . We live in a world of 3rd party enablers that assist companies and some of the brands we love to bridge the gap between their traditional business models and the needs and desires of the customers they serve.  These 3rd party companies are happy to step in and assist big brands with things like Same Day Delivery (SDD) services (GrubHub, Doordash, Uber-eats, for example) that the master brand isn't able or willing to provide. While this can be a great win of convenience for the consumer of these products and services, especially in a Post-COVID world, they can also be some of the highest degree of pain any customer ...

Why Does CX Continue to Fail?

By Lorraine Schumacher,CCXP posted 27 days ago
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This post originally appeared on Farlinium . As 2020 closed out I started reflecting on the past 8-10 years of CX (customer experience) success and failures, and thought to myself, has nothing changed? Surely the discipline of CX has come a long way in the past decade, right? I began doing some non-scientific “research” to test my hypothesis that nothing’s changed. By non-scientific, I mean that I looked at published blogs, whitepapers, webinars, and most importantly checked in with my CX network friends. My conclusion is that everything old is new again. The same three focus areas are just as critical today as they have been over the past decade. I have ...

It's the little things

By Nicholas Zeisler,CCXP posted 30 days ago
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I’ve noticed that, when I write about CX or speak with other CX professionals, I often tend to append my anecdotes about my own experiences with something like, “Well, now, this wasn’t a huge deal, but...” or, “Of course, it’s not the end of the world, but ...”  I see many other CX leaders do the same thing.  I’ve written before about how CXers can be the best and the worst Customers because, while we’re sympathetic to those with whom we interact, being in the business we’re also pretty demanding from those who should know better; we recognize and call missteps out when we see them. Now, while I think some part behind the minimizing of our negative ...