Crack The Customer Code

Adam and Jeannie discuss how the Cleveland Clinic uses environmental design as an integral part of the experience. Environmental design: An integral part of the experience The Cleveland clinic is world renowned as a pioneer in improving the patient experience. But aside from focusing on patient empathy and access, they are also using art and design to help create an environment that’s conducive to the experience they want to deliver. In this episode, Jeannie and Adam share observations from their visits to the Cleveland Clinic, and how they use structural and artistic elements to create a feeling of tranquility and well-being. How does the environment you create impact the experiences you deliver?  Related Content 360Connext™ post, The Intentionality of Patient Empathy Episode 098: Brian Solis, Where Business Meets Design Episode 121: CXPA Live, Healthcare Experience Observations Sponsor message: Develop your customer experience mission Do you know how to deliver the superior customer experience yo

Adam and Jeannie interview Brian Andrews, VP of Customer Experience at Sprint, at the 2016 CXPA Insight Exchange. Brian Andrews, Pioneering NPS at Intuit and Sprint Before there was a playbook or a Harvard Business Review article on the practice, Brian was adopting Net Promoter Score at Intuit. Adam and Jeannie had the chance to discuss Brian’s challenges and triumphs during the early days of using NPS. Brian is now the Vice President of Customer Experience at Sprint. Under his direction, they have adopted NPS with great success. With more than 6,000 retail locations, Sprint is using NPS as part of a holistic customer experience program to deliver exceptional experiences through a highly-engaged, well-enabled staff. Thinking of adopting NPS in your organization? With Brian’s help, customer experience powerhouses like Intuit and Sprint have laid the groundwork. Listen in and learn how NPS can help fine-tune your customer experience. About our guest Brian Andrews joined Sprint in February, 2015 to lead Spr

In the fourth and last episode in a series of live reports from the CXPA Insight Exchange, Jeannie and Adam explore the challenges of improving customer experience around industry regulations. Industry regulations are no excuse! Companies in heavily-regulated industries like airlines, banks and insurance agencies have to make sure everything’s up to code and in compliance. (And with good reason!) But strict regulations often give rise to interactions that seem impossible to work into customer-focused experiences. Forward-thinking companies are rejecting the notion that experiences bound to legalities concerning safety, liability, and ethical codes don’t count when it comes to creating a better overall experience. With help from customer experience professionals, companies like Virgin, Capital One and Humana have found clever ways to add a human touch to the regulated parts of their experiences. They’re winning customers over by adding delight in places previously considered too risky to get creative with.

Tema Frank discusses her latest book, People Shock, and how to balance technology with process and people for a better customer experience. Connecting people with process As we rely more on technology, we acquire new processes. And those processes often don’t translate to the ideal customer experience. “IT does not think like customers,” says today’s guest, Tema Frank! And the evidence is all around us. Today, the best of intentions can lead to customer service disasters, simply because a set of processes has taken precedence over human interaction.  Tema shares many ways you can help your own organization find the balance between people and process where tech is relied on heavily. She outlines a time-tested three-step process from her book, People Shock, to ensure your technology remains conducive to a terrific customer experience. How can you inspire senior executives to help keep your processes connected to the people they are designed for? Tema knows what it takes to strike a harmonious balance. How

In the third episode of a series of live reports from the CXPA Insight Exchange, Jeannie and Adam discuss new challenges and opportunities around the healthcare experience. Decoding the healthcare experience At this year’s CXPA Insight Exchange, our co-host Jeannie Walters took to the stage with Jackie McAtee to share and evaluate a personal journey through the healthcare system. But they weren’t alone! Healthcare experience was a more prevalent theme than ever at this year’s event. Leaders in the healthcare industry are realizing the experience is not just about appointments and exams. With a greater focus on empathy, they’re addressing healthcare as a service much like we approach customer experience. What’s next? Adam and Jeannie share some exciting news about innovations in the healthcare experience. Great new tech is being used in tandem with a better understanding of the patient journey, and the result could transform how we all experience healthcare. Listen in! Related Content Customers That Stick

Experience mapping expert and author Jim Kalbach shares little-known but powerful secrets to leading and executing a successful mapping project. The holistic approach to experience mapping Thinking of creating a customer journey map, process diagram or strategy map for your organization? These can be invaluable tools for growing your business and improving your customer experience. So how can you create useful maps and visualizations that actually help you understand and optimize your processes and strategies? In this in-depth interview, Jim Kalbach outlines the key benefits of creating visuals versus lengthy reports and boring PowerPoints. It is through this understanding that a successful mapping project is executed. Too often, mapping projects become all about the end product. We just want to finish it! But is a true journey map ever done? The success of any mapping project, as Jim explains, is about the process- not the finished product. It is through this process that successful mapping projects lead

In the second episode of a series of live reports from the CXPA Insight Exchange, Jeannie and Adam discuss predictive analytics for getting way ahead of customer service issues. Predictive analytics for proactive customer service We just love technology that helps gather and analyze data, don’t you? The problem with data, though, is that it’s all in the past. It’s great to have a solution at hand for a known customer service issues, but that means a customer has already had a mishap with your brand. And by the time the data is analyzed and reported, it could mean many more customers are having the same issue. Oops! If you’re a regular listener, you’re probably ready to own the issue like a superstar and wow the customer with your recovery. But what if you could avoid the need for those stellar feats of customer service heroism? Some companies are leveraging new technology to see well into the future with immense amounts of data from different sources. They’re using this data to generate possible outcomes,

David Williams, CEO of Make-A-Wish®, shares his expertise in delivering incredible experiences to a highly complex customer base in the nonprofit sector and beyond. Who are nonprofit customers, and are they any different? We talk a lot about showing the human side of a brand to create an experience that customers connect with on an emotional level. To help accomplish this, many corporations are looking to nonprofit partners to help promote their brand and build anticipation. Make-A-Wish® is one of the most successful nonprofit organizations of our time, both in accomplishing their goals and creating outstanding cause marketing initiatives. Why do so many companies choose Make-A-Wish® for their cause marketing campaigns? CEO David Williams shares the story behind this hugely popular organization. Unlike most companies, nonprofits have a complex multidimensional customer base. It’s not easy to keep the many moving parts behind corporate sponsorships working in harmony while delivering outstanding experiences

The first in a series of live reports from the CXPA Insight Exchange, Adam and Jeannie discuss new trends for hearing the real voice of the customer. Are you hearing the real voice of the customer? A few years ago, the buzz amongst customer experience professionals was all about the data. With so much new technology for gathering and analyzing it, voice of the customer initiatives suddenly became more viable than ever. And yet, CX leaders report there’s still a profound emotional disconnect between customers and organizations. The real customer is still not being heard! At the CXPA Insight Exchange this month, Jeannie and Adam uncovered new ways to go beyond the data and bring the real voice to executives and make sure it’s heard throughout the organization. What’s next for VOC? Listen in! Related Content Customers That Stick® post, To WOW Customers, Listen and Care 360Connext® post, 3 Ways to Boost Your Customer Service Listening Episode 036: Jennifer Maldonado, Voice of the Customer Expert Episod

Today’s guest shares ideas on how you can grow your business using technology and time-honored principles. Growing Your Business with Tech Growing a business today is fundamentally the same as it’s been for generations, in that it’s all about building relationships. Today, technology brings us many new advantages for building those relationships. But that same tech can put you at a disadvantage if you’re using it the wrong way. Terry Brock explains how social platforms and new communication technologies are revolutionizing customer engagement. But the different options can be overwhelming, and it’s about much more than just getting your message out to more people. Growing businesses strive to build a brand presence and gain influence through social media, but they also must know their audiences and learn the soft skills necessary to communicate effectively with them on these different channels. Much like getting dressed appropriately for a fancy dinner or bringing the right supplies for an outdoor activit

Traditional customer loyalty programs aren’t performing nearly as well as they used to. How can we forge loyalty with the next generation of customers? The next generation of loyalty programs Punch cards, reward points and other incentives have helped companies forge customer loyalty in the past. But these methods have lost a lot of ground! Customers are using technology to help them shop with hundreds, if not thousands of competitors. The advantages of saving up points or checking emails for short-lived discounts don’t seem as sexy to today’s consumers. A new trend in customer loyalty is really taking off, especially with the next generation of consumers. Smart companies like Amazon have discovered a demand for pay-to-play loyalty programs. (In case you haven’t noticed, Amazon Prime has gotten HUGE!) This is great news for everyone involved. Customers now know what to expect for their loyalty, and the companies who offer these programs see an immediate return on their investment. From a business owner’s p

Today’s guest shares his secrets for tying creative principles into brand experiences. Unleash your inner artist! Creativity is the driver behind groundbreaking ideas and memorable brand experiences. And solving unforeseen customer service problems requires a level of finesse nobody can get from a script or rule book. In many ways, these things require the work of an artist. However, those creating brand experiences often work in a typical corporate environment, where artistic thinking is easily stifled and forgotten. A true artist, as our guest Ron Tite explains, does not worry about ROI, competition or sales quotas. Sound scary? Maybe, but companies like AirBNB have found success in truly creative solutions to real-life problems, and their competitors never saw it coming! So how can you stay ahead of the next AirBNB in your industry? How can you BE the next AirBNB? Fear not. You can still find your inner artist! Join us as we discuss how to create an environment that’s conducive to creative thinking. R

What makes a great mobile app stand out from the majority that never get used? Today we share some of our favorites and what makes them home screen essentials. The magic of our favorite apps Companies are quickly bridging the cross-channel gaps to deliver enhanced experiences through mobile technology. From apps like TripIt that help organize travel details to retail apps that use geolocation to help customers find the products you need most, Adam and Jeannie talk about their own favorite apps. Both having extensive backgrounds in customer-focused practices, an app has to be really great to stand out to customer experience pros like our hosts! After all, only 16% of mobile apps get used more than once! And why do most of them fail? Many companies create apps simply because someone in a high place has set a goal to have one. And while there are a number of reasons an app might fail, it’s often because they are created without considering the goals of the actual user. So do your customers need an app? Bef

You have 5 seconds to win the customer in a retail setting. How can you use neuroscience and smart package design to jumpstart the customer experience? The science of package design Marketing your brand in a retail setting today is more competitive than ever. The decision to buy is now based on much more than just quality and pricing. Brand packaging, as our guest Terri Goldstein explains, used to be an afterthought- often left in the hands of the ones printing the labels. Today, executives understand they have five seconds to win the customer over many other brand choices. Savvy marketers are using neuroscience to tap into customer emotions and influence choices. Smart package design is much more than just making the product stand out. Brands need to consider whom they are reaching out to. How do those customers want to feel? How will they use the product beyond its intended use, or as an expression of their own tastes and values? Package designers like Terri use a visual vocabulary based on neuroscience

You need rules and processes to keep things running smoothly. But do the resulting analog customer experiences give rise to serious pain points in your customer journey? Analog customer experiences Artificial intelligence, customer service scripts and chat bots can be life-savers for your customer service team. It’s great when we find new ways to streamline and automate our processes, and even better when we find the solutions that are “just right.” So what happens when we put those analog experiences on auto-pilot? What is actually happening? Beware of the feeling that you’ve found the solution to all your problems! Scripted responses tend to become the experience when employees are not empowered to use their judgement. And when we rely on technology that literally has no sense of judgement, we create experiences that make no sense to the customer in the moment.   Analog experiences often inadvertently ignore real service issues. And meanwhile, support tickets are being closed, and the “right” boxes ar

Today’s guest discusses how he helps big hospitality brands improve the guest experience and forge better connections with their customers, resulting in explosive growth. Growth hacking with an excellent guest experience Mike Ganino shares how he helped companies like Potbelly and Protein Bar grow from small companies with only a handful of locations to beloved household names. Wouldn’t you like to do this for your brand? It all comes back to culture and leadership. Mike explains how he helps companies overcome the organizational challenges that have an impact on the customer experience. News flash: it’s not just training, or the tools and resources. People in leadership roles need to understand the impact they have on the customer experience, and then understand the impact they want to have. And though many leaders already know this, they struggle to decide where and how to get started. That’s where Mike steps in! Need to improve the service experience and grow your brand? Mike outlines the process that

Adam and Jeannie discuss how the most innovative leaders in the fashion industry are responding to ever-increasing pressure to innovate quickly. Tougher customer expectations inspire rapid innovation Today, fashion demands can change as fast as your Pinterest boards. Keeping up with these demands poses many challenges for retailers. Burberry and Tom Ford are now promising the hottest new runway fashions will be available immediately, not six to eight months from now, which is the norm. How can retailers keep up without killing their margins with overstock and clearance sales? Innovative retailers like Zara have proven traditional methods of inventory management and gathering feedback may be obsolete. They leverage the scarcity principle and real-time communication to streamline their inventories while staying on the cutting edge of fashion and building customer anticipation. What will this mean for larger retailers and discount outlets that carry a huge selection or high-end retailers that thrive on exclus

Today’s guests discuss their new book, Blue Goldfish, and how companies can bridge the gap between people and technology in a world where human-to-human interaction is disappearing from the customer experience. Solving the riddle of frictionless digital commerce  According to Gartner, 80% of B2B transactions will occur without human-to-human interaction by the year 2020. That’s a pretty big game-changer! While technology is creating some amazing opportunities to personalize the B2B experience, many companies are lagging behind in their efforts to leverage this technology to create a frictionless experience. And customers don’t care what’s going on behind the scenes to make the process impersonal and clunky.  Companies like Amazon have managed to use technology to make it easy to do business with no human interaction whatsoever. How can we bridge the gap like they do? Stan and Evan’s new book, Blue Goldfish, was written by crowdsourcing hundreds of great examples to help you understand how the best compani

Adam and Jeannie discuss cutting-edge new levels of customization and how they are making life better while changing how many companies do business. Redefining customization We’ve talked a lot about the importance of personalization for customers. Typically, that applies mostly to how we communicate. Innovative ways of collecting and managing customer data have helped a great deal. So what happens when highly-specialized customer data can be applied to advances in 3D printing and the Internet of Things? The word “customization” is about to take on a whole new meaning. Adam and Jeannie  discuss new ways physical products can now be highly specialized to suit the  individual customer. For instance, ear buds can now be custom made to fit the  unique curves of someone’s ears, and customers are saying it’s well worth the extra few dollars and wait time. With these new capabilities, there are many exciting opportunities on the horizon. But they certainly won’t come without new challenges! How can this level of

Today’s guest shares the principles of social consciousness in business, and how he made millions providing intrinsic value. Building a great company with social consciousness Are you in business to solve real problems for people, or are you in business to put money in your pocket? This is a question today’s guest J V Crum would really like to ask yourself. At the core of building a great company today, J V explains, you must approach business from a consciousness perspective. J V gives us some highlights from his book and introduces the concept of Second-Stage Capitalism, where it’s just as much about the success of everyone involved- including the customer- as it is for the success of the business or business owner. Take it from a self-made millionaire: The days of making a sustainable fortune by marketing another useless gadget are over. To succeed in today’s business world, you need to provide intrinsic value. You need to understand how your product or service and the experience around it brings your c