Trends: The customer is now central to the business.
Trends show that we view an organization negatively if it does not place the customer at the center of its business vision—in the way it conceives and develops that vision.
But do we really understand what the concept of customer experience (CX)?
This is just an interesting cliché and a good one sound bite Is it just for a presentation, or does it truly shape the organization’s experience and the relationship it builds with its audience?
An organization that fails to incorporate basic CX concepts into its strategy risks having any focus on trends and innovations merely divert attention away from structured opportunities to strengthen the brand’s relationship with its audience. This does not mean you should stop getting excited about emerging technologies and tools. What you must not do is lose sight of the fact that building a relationship with customers and meeting their expectations is a long-term effort.
The real trends in CX will be just as relevant a year from now as they are today: understanding customers, grasping their needs and perceptions, identifying challenges, and defining opportunities—always with an eye toward improving satisfaction.
This proposal is easier to outline than to implement, as the systems already in place, the organizational structure, and the short-term goals pose additional obstacles to its implementation.
No trend can be useful to an organization that does not understand the basic principles for ensuring the success of its CX strategy.
No amount of artificial intelligence customization can fix a website that doesn't provide information relevant to its audience. There is no chatbot that improves customer feedback, even if the product or service isn't relevant. It's unlikely that an augmented reality app will improve the relationship with an audience that has lost confidence in the brand's ability to deliver on its promises.
You don't need to assert yourself as a early adopter to improve its relationship with its customers.
Trends help identify possible directions and solutions, but nothing can replace the implementation of a well-thought-out and structured plan, supported by data and metrics, led by insights and puts the customer at the center of its decisions, actions and positioning.
That is why increasing the focus on CX in 2018 isn't exactly a trend, but rather a shift in mindset to make the necessary commitment to efficient and effective processes that increase our focus on the customer. Easy, isn't it?!
Marta Gonçalves,
Managing Partner, SayU Consulting