Crack The Customer Code

Adam and Jeannie share tips for gauging your organization’s CX success. If you’re joining us today, your organization is either customer-focused or taking steps to deliver a better overall experience in the future. But there’s no universal road map, itinerary or outline to get you to true customer-centricity. And while they are certainly a part of it, CX success is about much more than simply eliminating bad experiences, creating better ones, and sprinkling in a few moments of delight. It’s not about creating a catchy mission statement and repeating mantras like “our customers come first!” A truly customer-centric organization walks the talk, from the c-suite out to the front line and beyond. Is your organization creating landmarks on the path to customer-centricity, or simply reveling in positive points of interest that don’t improve the overall experience? There are many twists and turns along the way, and many stops to make, but Adam and Jeannie are giving you a compass to keep you from losing your way

Jeannie shares tips for recognizing and eliminating CX-defeating phrases from your organization. Is your team infected with CX-defeating phrases? One of the things we love about customer experience is that subtle changes can make a big difference. Have you considered the language your team uses around the workplace? Cursing invites its own set of problems, but common everyday phrases we don’t notice can tear our customer experiences apart at the seams. Today I ask you to look and listen for the things that defeat us in our own organization." -Jeannie Walters There are many CX-defeating phrases that slip right into normal communications, causing emotional distress, negative outlooks, and normalizing poor experiences. A cancer in your workplace culture, they snuff out your efforts to improve customer experience, offer better service, and maintain a winning team. Are these CX-defeating phrases infecting customer interactions or internal communications? Jeannie has some tips to help you recognize these phr

Adam and Jeannie discuss engineering happiness for true success with Mo Gawdat, author of Solve for Happy. Engineering happiness for true success We often think to ourselves that if we get what, where or who we want in our lives, we’ll be happy. We look to successful individuals, and they seem so happy to us! “You’re happy when the events of life meet your expections of how life should be.” -Mo Gawdat But correlation is not necessarily causation where success and happiness intersect. Why is it, as humans, we’re never quite as happy as we thought we’d be once get what we want? As an engineer, our guest Mo Gawdat sought to research, understand and solve this problem after a tragedy involving his son. He observed that we often look to outside factors, the things we can’t control, to evaluate our own happiness. To make matters worse, we often cling to things we can control, like worries, sadness and emotional pain. “Happiness is inside you. It’s never to be found outside you.” -Mo Gawdat Through touchi

Adam and Jeannie report from Medallia’s Experience-17 conference to discuss common challenges and benefits of instilling culture throughout organizations. Instilling culture throughout big brands Creating or shifting culture is not easy in any company, and in larger organizations, it’s an enormous feat. But as we’ve learned from amazing sessions at the Experience-2017 conference, (for which Adam and Jeannie were provided tickets by Medallia,) this is changing! "Changing the organization to be better for customers is a huge culture shift." - Jeannie Walters Big brands like Delta, Comcast and more, are realizing culture (or lack of) shows through processes, manuals, and policies, and has a direct impact on the experience delivered. "Culture is going to tell when there’s no playbook.” - Adam Toporek In this special on-location report, Adam and Jeannie share takeaways from brands who get it and what they’re doing about it, along with a few tips you can use today. Related Content 360Connext® post, How

Adam shares tips for leveraging the wisdom of your team as internal consultants to gain powerful customer-focused insights. Activate your internal consultants There’s no doubt that gaining the true outside-in perspective often means bringing in a consultant, but what if you can’t do that right now? What if you’re not sure where to start? Your team has more insight to share from the customer’s perspective than you may know, and they’ve got lots to tell you. Why not tap into the wisdom of your team to uncover common challenges, high impact experience gaps, and more? Your team may not be able to give you a complete outside-in evaluation, recommendations, training, or action plan like consultants such as our hosts, Adam and Jeannie…but the insight needed to uncover and fix some of your customers’ biggest challenges may be right under your own roof. With a little elbow grease, you’ll have a whole new outlook on your customer experience and your organization. Use these insights to make improvements your custom

Adam and Jeannie discuss balancing innovation around the needs of the future customer with those of the present customer at Medallia’s Experience-17 conference. Is your future customer more important than today’s? Brands are investing a lot in tailoring future customer experiences for the new generation, and we saw many examples at Experience-17. Millennials are the larger of the current generations, so this is important! But millennials aren’t the only group to consider, and they do things much differently than previous generations. What works for them may not work as well for Gen X’ers, and may not work at all for Baby Boomers.   The best brands find ways to create experiences that make younger customers more comfortable while still offering the experiences older generations are accustomed to.  Can you innovate around the future customer without alienating the current customer? Should you? Thanks to Medallia for providing tickets to Experience-17, we bring you fresh examples, pro tips and fun facts fro

Adam and Jeannie report from Medallia’s Experience-17 conference to bring you insights from MGM’s outstanding multi-brand consistency. Multi-brand consistency creates multi-brand loyalty We talk a lot about how to close the gaps between the experiences we offer, but what about the experience gaps we create between connected brands? Each brand may consistently deliver an excellent experience on it own, and that’s great!  However, brands like MGM have achieved amazing results from creating consistency across multiple brands. And, thanks to Medallia for providing tickets to Experience-17, Adam and Jeannie are delighted to bring you insights from some of these great leaders. Today, we're sharing secrets from top brands who have mastered the art of multi-brand consistency. Whether it’s a family of companies under the same ownership, or a group of affiliated organizations, bridging the gaps between them helps customers take their loyalty to a higher level. What does it take to unify the experiences between you

Jeannie shares tips for using insight from former customers to improve the experience for current and future customers. What can we learn from former customers? We thrive on customer feedback to continue improving service and the overall experience, but what about those who are leaving us? Whether it’s because we don’t like to think about them, or because we don’t see the value in communicating with those who will not pay us, we lose sight of former customers. Those former customers are still valuable, but it’s not because we can try to win them back. They can provide a wealth of insights into why customers are leaving, where the customer journey needs more attention, and how to innovate for the future. “Dig in and see what’s going on before losing more customers for the same reasons.” - Jeannie Walters Have you considered the value of your own former customers, or are they just out of the picture? Why not leverage this resource for feedback, suggestions, and insights for improving the experience for c

Change your perspective and approach at communication with Jill Schiefelbein, author of Dynamic Communication. Dynamic communication for dynamic experiences We communicate a lot in business, and in many ways, business is actually built on communication. But in our efforts to craft the right message while transferring the right information, our communications work against us. “Unless my words are producing direct action or change, I don’t think they’re successful.” - Jill Schiefelbein All day long, we’re communicating with customers, prospects, colleagues, and bosses. So what should we communicate, how and when? How can we communicate in ways that not only convey information, but lead to action? “People do not make decisions based on information. People make decisions based on knowledge.”-Jill Schiefelbein Today’s guest Jill Schiefelbein explains her amazing approach at communication, and how you can use it to inspire real action. Sharing highlights from her book and real-life stories, learn how Jill’

Adam and Jeannie discuss how to get the best results when you complain as a customer. What do you gain when you complain? We talk a lot about how to handle customer complaints, but we’re switching it up a bit today! We’ve all had those experiences that leave us so steamed, we just want to unload a verbal clip on the next employee who comes our way. But there’s a big difference between getting actual support and just getting your way from service reps, managers and supervisors.  Though most of us prefer to do business with companies that “get it,” sometimes it’s not practical to stop patronizing the drug store right around the corner or the cable provider we’re contracted with. If the overall experience still works for us, there are ways to make the parts that don’t more bearable, or even inspire positive change. The sad truth is, not every company we deal with is as customer-focused as we are. So how can we get the best results, without making a bad experience worse? How can we stand up for ourselves with

Adam shares tips for keeping your customer experience consistent with third parties or subcontractors. Keeping customer experience consistent in a gig economy Consistency is a key element to customer experiences that drive loyalty, but that can be tough when dealing with third parties. What happens when we hand the experience over to subcontractors, essentially giving up control? Does that mean we will lose control? The incident with United Airlines, which recently went viral, is a great example of what can happen when a company loses control of the experience. And while your customers may not be at any risk of injury, with the experience in the wrong hands, your brand may still face an emergency!  As more and more companies bring in temps, subcontractors and freelancers, the risk is very real. Are you using third parties to deliver experiences to your customers? Chances are, you will have to at some point. Will you hand the experience over with confidence, or will you lose control of it? Adam’s here to h

Adam and Jeannie clear the hype and buzzwords to really find out who drives customer experience in your organization, and how. Who drives customer experience? Chief Customer Officer, Chief Experience Officer, Customer Success Officer, Chief of Customer Service…The list of possible high-level customer experience titles is as long as your imagination. But what do these titles really mean in your organization and who drives customer experience in your organization? “The only way to drive customer experience is for people to step up and drive it themselves.” -@adamtoporek Too often, companies create these customer experience roles with the best of intentions, but they end up being focused more on metrics. And while data does help determine where changes are needed, a truly customer-focused organization needs someone who can turn that insight into action. “It’s not going to work unless it’s part of the DNA, part of the #culture…” - @jeanniecw So, who is in charge of customer experience in your company? Ar

Adam and Jeannie share simple but effective tips for calculating customer experience ROI. The elusive customer experience ROI Calculating the return on any investment can be challenging. And when it comes to the ROI of customer experience, many leaders don’t know where to start. It’s not easy to put a numeric value on the intangible results of a customer experience initiative, but it is possible!  “If you churn, your profits burn!” -Adam Toporek How do you know if your investment is paying off- for your organization and your customers? There are a few simple metrics you can use to not only help calculate the ROI of customer experience, but also figure out where to invest next. “Your best customers tell others, who become your next best customers.” -Jeannie Walters Are you getting a return on your customer experience investment? Adam and Jeannie face this tough question often, and they’ve got some tips you can use today. Listen in! Related Content 360Connext® post, Customer Experience ROI: Why Not I

Jeannie shares tips for innovating when and how it’s needed the most, despite what the competition is doing. Are you innovating for the greater good of your customers? Competition is fierce! So it’s easy to think it’s necessary gauge customer experience against that of the big disruptors like Zappos and Netflix. Too often, companies focus on making a big splash with their next innovation, without digging in to see what that actually means for their customers. "Are envy and rationalization about the darlings of CX working against you?" -Jeannie Walters Innovating take a lot of hard work and resources, so it’s important to keep your customers in perspective. Are you innovating out of necessity, or envy? Before you say you need to be the Zappos of banking or the Netflix of nursing, Jeannie has three challenges for you! Listen in for tips you can use today. Related Content 360Connext® post, 3 Ways to Let Customers Guide Your Greatest Innovation Customers That Stick® post, Innovation Is No Longer Optional

Marcus Sheridan, author of They Ask You Answer, shares powerful, proven ways to build trust and increase sales through content. Marcus Sheridan, Sales Lion You want to increase sales, but you don’t have unlimited funds for advertising… What can you do? Believe it or not, this may put you at an advantage. Today’s guest, Marcus Sheridan, isn’t just a sales expert. He is a “Sales Lion!” And he’s here to tell you how content marketing can not only save your business, but push it towards exponential growth. “We can either make the rules…or we can watch our competitors make the rules…” -Marcus Sheridan Maybe you don’t know the first thing about content marketing, or maybe your strategy isn’t getting the results you want. Don’t fret! Marcus started from scratch as a last effort to save his business after the market collapse of 2008, and he’s seen phenomenal growth ever since. Today, we cover how to get started with content marketing, how to determine what customers need the most, and how to marry this up with

Adam and Jeannie share tips for educating customers to increase customer success and reduce support issues. Educated customers are return customers! Have you ever been really excited to try a new product or service, then realized it’s way more complicated than you expected? (For those of us working in the digital world, that can be a daily conundrum!) No matter how useful and robust your product or service is, customers are not likely to make the next purchase, upgrade or renewal if they find it confusing. And while FAQ’s and help desks are useful, they typically fall short when customers need step-by-step guidance. “Sometimes the best way to learn is through show and tell.” -Jeannie Walters The best companies understand how and when help is needed the most, and offer it proactively to keep customers active and confident.  It’s all about using the right medium at the right time to keep customers on the path to success. Don’t let your content stop at marketing.” - Adam Toporek Do your customers have

Adam shares tips to make sure you have adequate resources for service that’s consistently great. Do you have the right resources for service? We know what kind of service experience we want to deliver, but sometimes don’t consider the resources needed to make it happen. And it’s not just about making sure we can deliver great service today, but about being prepared with the resources we’ll need tomorrow. “…all great customer service begins with having the adequate resources in place.” - Adam Toporek Are you ready to consistently deliver a great service experience? Listen in for tips you can use today! Related Content 360Connext® post, Free Customer Experience Resources Customers That Stick® post, Great Customer Service Begins With Adequate Resources Episode 085: Proactive Customer Service and Worst-Case Preparation Episode 053: Preparing for Worst Case Customer Scenarios We’re on C-Suite Radio! Check it out for more great podcasts Sponsor message: Give your team the customer service training t

Adam and Jeannie share unconventional but powerful ways to predict customer behavior. Can you predict customer behavior? We often look to past behavior to predict customer behavior for the future. However, we often have little past behavior to build from. Can we predict the behavior of new or future customers? The short answer is yes… “Past behavior is no indication of future behavior…or, is it?”- Adam Toporek One way to do this is with predictive analytics. But unless you’re a huge company, predictive analytics is not yet economically feasible. And while it can be valuable, demographic data is not sufficient for making truly informed decisions when creating future experiences. How can we know how customers will behave in the journey we’re putting in front of them if we don’t have enough data? You have more useful data than you think, so why not start using it proactively? “Customers more often drift away silently than storm out…”-Jeannie Walters No matter what little data and insights you already h

Adam and Jeannie share tips and best practices for when you need to turn away customers for the greater good. Have you ever had to turn away customers? Maybe there was a time you really should have! When you’re over capacity or getting dangerously close, the obvious reaction is to think about scaling up and hiring more people. However, these things can take time. So what do you do in the meantime? This is something most of us don’t want to think about, but sometimes it’s just necessary to turn away customers. We know it hurts, but the fact of the matter is this: Your customers shouldn’t have to suffer from your own growing pains! Don’t sacrifice the quality of your current customers’ experience just to make another sale, because it’s not worth it in the long run. Don’t bring in new customers at a time when you can’t give them as much attention as they deserve. So, how can you turn away customers without spoiling potential relationships or making your company look bad? Adam and Jeannie have some tips you

Jeannie shares expert tips for becoming a CX evangelist or hiring the right person to fill this role in your organization. Do you need a CX evangelist? Customer experience roles are evolving and expanding like never before. Leaders know customer experience is important, but not always top-of-mind for everyone.  So many struggle to internalize customer insights, get buy-in from multiple departments, and educate those teams. Whether it’s a partial role or a dedicated one, an effective CX evangelist can blur the lines between silos and help unify your organization to work for the customer. But what is needed most from this role, and how can you go about finding the right person for the job? “Aim to make all your teams promoters of customer experience.” -Jeannie Walters Today, Jeannie is sharing expert advice to help you determine what traits are needed most, and what to expect from a CX evangelist- even if that happens to be you. Don’t wait to fill the title, because your customers are counting on you. Lis