Hi Anne, tell us about yourself and your background.
I’m a 21-year veteran of CX Strategy with a career spanning consulting and industry.
How did you start working in the customer experience space?
I did my MBA summer internship with Peppers and Rogers Group, an early innovative agency in the CX space. At the moment, I am back in grad school studying human-centered design, but I continue to do CX strategy consulting on the side.
How can companies better listen and understand their customer base?
Listening needs to be an active exercise, not a passive one. Many companies pull in Voice of Customer but never really do anything with the insights. I prefer an Insights to Action approach, where VOC is instrumental to driving change in the company.
What are some companies that you think are doing an excellent job at customer experience, and why?
USAA always tops the charts because they anticipate customers’ needs and excel in establishing mutual trust.
Many companies are currently undergoing digital transformation processes. What are your tips on a successful digital transformation?
Digital is often funded instead of CX programs, but you cannot have a digital strategy without considering CX. Digital is just another channel — an ever-growing one for sure, but humans will always have analog elements that make up every experience.
What are some CX solutions or tools that you’re keeping your eyes on right now?
Concentrix is very impressive, its latest iteration built from the ground up to be a comprehensive CX platform. I’m also a founder of SuiteCX, a comprehensive journey mapping tool. I’m very proud that we were ranked by Forrester as a Leader in CJM platforms.
Did you read any interesting books this past summer that you’d like to recommend?
Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. He breaks a complex subject down into an entertaining read.
What is your favorite CX metric?
There is no best metric, but if you are going to do NPS, I prefer WOMI instead because it takes into account people who are actively recommending to friends and family not to do business with you. I also prefer tactical metrics that are gathered in the moment while a customer’s memory is fresh, vs. an annual survey in which the peak/end rule clouds customer recall.
