Crack The Customer Code

In this special edition “live” from C-Suite Network conference, we discuss the importance of including customer experience in business plans with Vicky Smitley, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Hearthside Food Solutions. Why is customer experience missing from business plans? Many business leaders feel that if they have rock solid business plans, then a great customer experience will follow. But few think of creating a culture around customer experience as part of their business plan. Customers are calling the shots! If your growth engine is not focused on them, the experience you deliver will not stand out among the competition. “…without customers, a business does not survive.” – Vicky Smitley At Hearthside Food Solutions, Vicky Smitley has become a customer advocate to really bring customer experience to the center of the business plan. By improving the employee experience, they have developed special programs to bring customer-focused thinking from the C-Suite on out to all employees. “In

Adam shares his thoughts on the importance of 1-to-1 experiences as we hand parts of the experience over to technology. 1-to-1 or 1-to-none? Customers interact with your brand on many channels at countless touchpoints, whether there’s a human on the other end of the experience or not. And with the power of technology to help deliver these experiences, it’s easy to get caught up in experience design and optimizations. “…the idea of #CustomerService is still as relevant and important as ever.” -Adam Toporek This is especially true for experiences that are mostly or fully automated, like purchases made on Amazon. What happens when customers seek the help of a live person? Who is stepping in, and are they helping or harming the experience? “…an excellent product or service can almost never compensate for an unpleasant service rep.” -Adam Toporek 1-to-one interactions are still the experiences customers remember, talk about, and come back to. Where are the humans behind the experiences you deliver? Adam

Adam and Jeannie explore how corporate myths affect culture and customer experience, ways to identify them, and what you can do to set things straight. Corporate myths create bad experiences for your customers. It may sound silly, but organizations and the teams within have their own corporate myths and legends. We’re not talking about inside jokes like the goblin that lives inside the copy machine. Employees accept corporate myths as truths and perpetuate them in ways that cause problems internally until they harm the customer experience. “If this one person believes it, then other people will too.” -Jeannie Walters All it takes is one misunderstood communication, one bad interaction, or one “seasoned” employee to uphold and spread an untruth that affects your culture and the experience you deliver. “The most important first step is making sure you know what these myths are…” -Adam Toporek It’s up to leaders in your organization to identify, debunk, and correct these myths before they become a can

In this special edition live from C-Suite Network conference, three-time Stevie Award winner Jason Forrest unlocks the power of customer certainty. Customer certainty and the keys to loyalty We talk a lot about the correlation between sales and customer experience, but now we get to hear it from an award-winning sales coach and expert. Jason Forrest, CEO and Chief Culture officer at Forrest Performance Group, is a three-time Stevie Award winner for Sales Training or Coaching Program of the Year. “I believe that when certainty is lost, all is lost.” -Jason Forrest It’s well-known that sales costs more than customer retention. For a company that’s sustainably profitable, loyalty is where it’s at! And Jason says if you’d like to increase loyalty, then you need to instill a sense of certainty in your customers. “Customers leave you when the experience is different than what you sold them as a prospect.” -Jason Forrest How do you treat your existing customers, and how does that differ than the treatment

Jeannie shares tips for understanding customer touchpoints from the customer’s perspective and taking action. Understanding customer touchpoints for what they really are is essential to mapping and evaluating the true customer experience. But common definitions don’t give us an understanding we can act on, and there’s a lot of bad information out there! A watered-down customer touchpoint definition may fit nicely on a page for the general public, but it won’t help you understand what’s really happening with your customers. "Put yourself in the customer’s shoes as much as you can…” -Jeannie Walters Today, Jeannie is giving you her expert definition so you can identify those moments that matter most to customers and take action. User her tips to get started today! Related Content 360Connext® post, Touchpoint Mapping: Discovery, Enlightenment, and A-HA! Moments Customers That Stick® post, Turn Your Customer Experience Inside Out Episode 222: 120: Jim Kalbach, Experience Mapping Expert Episode 235: C

Bestselling author and customer service expert Matt Dixon to uncovers surprising facts and common misconceptions about delivering low-effort service. Think you’re delivering low-effort service? It seems so simple: Reduce customer effort, then you’ll have more loyal customers! But don’t be fooled by that kind of simplicity. Customers perceive effort in different ways than you think! Today’s guest, bestselling author Matt Dixon, has researched and written extensively on how to deliver a truly effortless experience. Today, he’s sharing many facts that will surprise you, and make you rethink your approach. “The average service interaction is actually not a loyalty-building experience. It’s actually a loyalty-destroying experience.” -Matt Dixon Conventional customer service wisdom (yes, even the more current stuff!) has customer service reps doing all kinds of things that sound great, but harm customer perception. Companies are investing a lot into delivering better experiences, but they’re investing in the

Adam and Jeannie share common customer survey mistakes and how to avoid them to get thoughtful responses. Losing our way with customer survey mistakes Customer surveys are great for getting the feedback we need, learning how to improve our experiences, or finding out where we need to invest. Recent studies show that most customers ignore surveys, most of those who do fill them out don’t do so thoughtfully, and many who start surveys never finish them. And the survey feedback we DO get? It’s only from the customers who felt very strongly enough to put in the time, so your average customer may not be represented in the results. We will remember things that are dramatically emotional either way, more than any part of the experience, so if we’re reporting back on something, it’s because we’ve had a dramatic moment of emotion, either good or bad” “...if we’re reporting back on something, it’s because we’ve had a dramatic moment of emotion...”- Jeannie Walters What are we doing wrong? Today, Adam and Jeann

Adam shares tips for embracing showrooming to compete with online retailers. Showrooming is not your worst enemy If you’re a brick-and-mortar retailer, it’s likely that showrooming is becoming a big, if not the biggest. Every day, you open your doors to customers who just want to check out the merchandise in real life before ordering from a virtual retailer. And since you may not be able to compete on price and convenience with online retail giants like Amazon, Overstock, and many others, what can you do about this? “…when they drop the ball on personal customer service, that is when they truly do become Amazon’s showroom.” -Adam Toporek Showrooming is not the end, and it doesn’t have to be a bad thing! When customers physically come to you, they are looking for an experience they can’t get online. This can present many new opportunities, but many retailers are dropping the ball. Today, Adam shares a personal story about showrooming, and how the experience begged him to complete his purchase with the

Adam interviews Peter Friedman, CEO of LiveWorld, a social customer experience company, about the changing landscape of customer service messaging. The age of messaging Today Peter Friedman, CEO of LiveWorld, joins us for a fascinating update on the present and future of customer service messaging. Large brands like Walmart and American Express are leveraging new technology to engage customers like never before. Through powerful apps, businesses now engage customers every day, wherever they are, to build more meaningful relationships. “Convergence of smart phones, social media and messaging puts the point of customer experience in your hand.” -Peter Friedman But this isn’t just for big brands! Customer service messaging, as Peter explains, is helping to level the playing field. Small and medium businesses are now able to take on the big guys, but only if they’re willing to use these capabilities wisely. It’s not just about helping customers when they need you, or offering omnichannel support. It’s abo

Adam and Jeannie share 3 powerful ideas to make quick progress with customer experience sprints. Streamline your goals with customer experience sprints Have you heard of business sprints? The idea is to put most long-term goals aside, then focus exclusively on one goal for a predetermined period. This concept has been taking off lately in business and in government, because it works! Sprints are a great way to bring departments together to work for a common goal, and get results quickly. Set your calendar for 30, 60, or 90 days, and nip one of those goals in the bud! With so many goals piling up in your business, it’s easy to put customer experience goals aside in favor of sales and other goals or issues. It’s common to put customer experience aside for another day, then another, until that day never comes. So why not try using customer experience sprints? Adam and Jeannie are here to help you get started! They’re sharing 3 great customer experience sprints you can start today, and some tips for making t

What is a customer experience touchpoint? Jeannie shatters common myths and shares tips for a more customer-centric and actionable approach. How does a CX pro define "customer experience touchpoint?" Customer touchpoints make up your customer’s journey, but many business leaders don’t truly understand what this means. They are often not understood from the customer’s perspective, and the popular beliefs about how to identify them lure us into a narrow view of the customer experience. Don’t be deceived by the way-too-simple customer touchpoint definition you find in google search, of fall into the trap of thinking your quest for understanding is that simple. Jeannie has been helping organizations understand their true customer journeys for more than 20 years, and she’s here to share the professional approach with you! “Think of a touchpoint as any and every interaction a customer has with your brand...” -Jeannie Walters The customer journey is more far-reaching than you think, and your customers are dep

Are you using customer service bots? So much can go wrong! With Adam and Jeannie to help, you can use them to save time AND deliver better experiences. Customer service bots create customer service nots! If you’ve been a regular listener, then you know that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. (Check the related content below to catch up!) One way AI has already entered our daily lives is through customer service bots, or chatbots. Though they’ve recently made some great leaps and actually become helpful, these bots are still designed to merely assist humans, not replace them. Are you still in there someplace? “If the bot can’t get it done or is going down the wrong path, that can get very frustrating very quickly…” - Jeannie Walters We’re decades, if not centuries away from creating bots that can take over completely and still consistently deliver great experiences on the personal level... So what do we need to know before we put one of these in front of our customers? Brands like The Cosmop

Adam explains the neuroscience behind different types of organizational conformity, how they help or harm your business, and how to strike a good balance. Organizational conformity: The good and the bad Adam says, “the impetus to conform is strong for many,” and that’s typically a good thing in business. Organizational conformity is necessary to create consistent customer experiences, adhere to regulations, and maintain a stable workplace. But it’s not just about following necessary rules and procedures, or maintaining a sense of order. Before you say it’s great for employees to conform in every way, imagine the innovation process with nobody sharing ideas. What if everyone just followed the rules, even when it didn’t help the customer in the moment? What if your employees took on a “mob mentality” adopting dissenting ideas? “…the conformity is subconscious and almost frighteningly instinctual.” -Adam Toporek In this episode, Adam explains the different types of conformity, and how to recognize and dif

Adam and Jeannie discuss neuroscience and new study data to better understand the emotional impact on CX. Understanding your impact on CX We hate to be a downer, but improving customer experience isn’t all about thinking positive. As you push forward, adding moments of delight to the customer journey, are you paying enough attention to those tiny pain points? “As leaders, we have to take the rose-colored glasses off.” -Jeannie Walters A new study from InMoment reveals that negative emotions last longer than positive ones, so those tiny negative moments dominate the otherwise great experience you create! What’s more, executives typically perceive a watered-down version of the negative emotions customers experience. So as our brains are constantly seek out the negative stimuli that spoil our overall experience, the data decision-makers act on typically downplays their impact.  “Until you resolve those feelings of disrespect, nothing else matters.” -Adam Toporek Join us today as we explore staggering f

Jeannie attacks customer experience lip service head-on with tips for turning customer-centricity into action. Undercover bosses in the real world Are you familiar with the CBS television show Undercover Boss? CEOs literally go undercover as employees to discover broken rules and processes, workplace culture issues, and more. (Can you tell why we love this?) “Culture in customer experience has to be bought in at the top.” -Adam Toporek While it’s important for leaders to understand what’s going on behind the scenes, you may not be able to go incognito amongst your employees. But there are ways to get to the truth without a disguise or a bad dye job! Today Adam and Jeannie are sharing some stealthy ways any leader can uncover hidden truths about your customer experience, and the people who make it happen. “The further up the corporate ladder we go, the further away from customers we often get.” -Jeannie Walters You don’t need a fake mustache, but go ahead and wear one if it makes it more fun. The im

Jeannie attacks customer experience lip service head-on with tips for turning customer-centricity into action. Walking the customer-centricity talk Business leaders talk a lot about being customer-centric, but honestly, most of them are just talking. It often starts with a big rally or town hall meeting where it’s declared, “we’re becoming customer-centric!” It may make its way into a few emails and become the focus of a new campaign, but this rarely inspires change that leads to true customer-centricity. So what are they doing wrong, and are you falling into the same trap? Do you really want customer-centricity to drive your organization, or is it just sexy to say it does? “We are going to make sure that every interaction with our customers is focused on them.” -Jeannie Walters It’s time to start walking the talk.  Becoming customer-centric is real work that affects your entire organization, and remaining so is a project that never ends. You’ll need to: Think big Keep talking (what!?) Invite custo

Adam and Jeannie interview Dan Gingiss, author of Winning at Social Customer Care: How Top Brands Design Engaging Experiences on Social Media. It's time to own social customer care Providing great customer service is important, no matter what channel is being used. But when it comes to engaging with customers on social, many companies are reluctant to invest where it counts. They fear opening up social channels will also open up the floodgates for serial complainers, trolls and negative word-of mouth. They fear their team isn’t large enough, interesting enough, or knowledgeable enough to do it right. And with recent PR nightmares in the airline industry, who could blame brands for being hesitant to engage on social? Customers need you on social, and they expect social customer service as part of the omnichannel experience your competitors already deliver. It’s time to overcome those fears! Dan Gingiss is here to help dispel the myths around social customer care. Sure there are risks, but there are also o

Adam and Jeannie share three things all customers want from the experience, regardless of what they do or do not ask for. What do customers want from your experience? All customers are different, have different goals, and may run into different issues through their journey. We’ve talked about many great ways to find out what customers want, including social listening, co-creation sessions, and different feedback mechanisms. These are all great ways to uncover opportunities to innovate around their needs. What are those things customers may not be asking for, but still want? -Jeannie Walters But these methods don’t reveal what all customers want. And while it’s typically not a good idea to bank on assumptions, there are a few critical things they’re probably not asking for, and Adam and Jeannie want to share those with you today. “Customers are depending on you to innovate for them!” - Adam Toporek So regardless of your strategy for improving the customer experience, or even if you don’t have a strat

Adam shares tips for preventing small details from spoiling an otherwise great overall customer experience. Small details are a big deal! We usually perceive the phrase “majoring in the minors” as a bag thing, but it’s different when we’re talking about customer experience. Both consciously and unconsciously, the small details have a huge impact on how customers perceive the overall experience. The best companies obsess over these small details – not only to remove pain points from the customer journey, but to add delight and differentiate the brand. "The things we saw made us wonder about the things we did not see!" - Adam Toporek Today, Adam shares real-life examples where little things added up to a lousy overall experience with a brand that usually delivers great customer service. What went wrong, and how could they have done better? Are you majoring in the CX minors? How many not-so-great experiences must your customers step over during their journey, and will they make it through? And more impor

Adam and Jeannie share some lessons we can all learn from recent airline customer service disasters. What can we learn from airline customer service? There’s been so much in the news about airline customer service, it’s time we talk about it here on Crack the Customer Code! Including, but not limited to the customer who was dragged off his United flight, we’re not sure any airline has been left unscathed. “This was so visceral that I think people did respond in a very emotional way.” - Jeannie Walters It’s not news that airline customer service a long way to go, but more common issues are getting more public attention in the wake of these high-profile incidents. Clearly, there’s a theme of processes and regulations superseding the customer experience. Even United CEO Oscar Munoz has come right out blaming not his people, but the outdated processes they’re chained to. “There are people there that know better, so why are their voices not heard?” - Adam Toporek Today, Adam and Jeannie share their take