The Customer Experience
Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 10:08 am
No matter what retailer that you shop at today once your purchase has been completed inevitably you will be reminded to go on line for a simple survey to rank your customer experience. Have you had enough of that request yet? Do you believe that responding to the survey has improved your experience? Have you even spent time doing a survey?
Most CEI surveys are based upon a numerical range ranking the experience from a 5 (best) to a 1 (worst). Most customers do not understand the predetermined need for a score of 5 to avoid an otherwise less than exceptional customer experience and not a successful touchpoint, or the critical moments when customers interact with the organization and its offerings,
I have found that the forced support of these surveys only leads to anxiety in anticipation of an employees score and that an employee's support of CEI is not derived by a desire to have happy customers but by the fear of being targeted as one who doesn't recognize or appreciate the importance of the results. This failure will mean additional time on web based training or conference calls professing a plan on how you and your team will improve your scores.
But I also recognize that a trap exists if asked to freely input one's opinion on the CEI process. Questioning it would be tantamount to questioning the corporate board's business model.
From personal experience I have not found any real or conclusive evidence to backup the notion that these scores will create a more welcoming experience for customers ultimately generating new customers and new revenue. Not that there aren't a multitude of companies, with better credentials than I have on the subject, banging the drum loudly on why touchpoint interaction is important.
When overall results are not in line with expectations corporations make changes within the CEI programs attaching a new program focus with clever title slogans that is really equivalent to putting lipstick on a pig. Ultimately one has to ask "If the old program was designed to produce results why are we changing it?" But we all know the answer to that question, "Employees didn't understand or appreciate the disciplines associated with answering customers needs".
My conclusion is that while CEI may produce a small change in customer attitudes I also believe that the resources spent on the program would be better spent on improving a company's quality of product and in supporting competitive pricing.
But until CEI is deemed obsolete and replaced with something new it is better to just follow that age old wisdom of nodding ones head in acceptance of the directive, bestow accolades to those managing the directive and continue to cash that bi-weekly paycheck.
McFurd
Managing Editor to Jobless and Faceless,com
Most CEI surveys are based upon a numerical range ranking the experience from a 5 (best) to a 1 (worst). Most customers do not understand the predetermined need for a score of 5 to avoid an otherwise less than exceptional customer experience and not a successful touchpoint, or the critical moments when customers interact with the organization and its offerings,
I have found that the forced support of these surveys only leads to anxiety in anticipation of an employees score and that an employee's support of CEI is not derived by a desire to have happy customers but by the fear of being targeted as one who doesn't recognize or appreciate the importance of the results. This failure will mean additional time on web based training or conference calls professing a plan on how you and your team will improve your scores.
But I also recognize that a trap exists if asked to freely input one's opinion on the CEI process. Questioning it would be tantamount to questioning the corporate board's business model.
From personal experience I have not found any real or conclusive evidence to backup the notion that these scores will create a more welcoming experience for customers ultimately generating new customers and new revenue. Not that there aren't a multitude of companies, with better credentials than I have on the subject, banging the drum loudly on why touchpoint interaction is important.
When overall results are not in line with expectations corporations make changes within the CEI programs attaching a new program focus with clever title slogans that is really equivalent to putting lipstick on a pig. Ultimately one has to ask "If the old program was designed to produce results why are we changing it?" But we all know the answer to that question, "Employees didn't understand or appreciate the disciplines associated with answering customers needs".
My conclusion is that while CEI may produce a small change in customer attitudes I also believe that the resources spent on the program would be better spent on improving a company's quality of product and in supporting competitive pricing.
But until CEI is deemed obsolete and replaced with something new it is better to just follow that age old wisdom of nodding ones head in acceptance of the directive, bestow accolades to those managing the directive and continue to cash that bi-weekly paycheck.
McFurd
Managing Editor to Jobless and Faceless,com