Hi John, tell us about yourself, your background?
I started my company in 1972. For the last 41 years, I have solely focused on helping organizations drive a service culture with Customer Service Seminars and developing teams of employees providing superior services.
Online commerce was booming in 2020, and so did consumer reviews. – How can brands better utilize this data to improve their customers’ experience?
Everyone needs to be customer-driven. Technology often breaks down, and people cannot figure it out. Negative reviews can destroy you. Only awesome service will give great reviews.
What is one element that must always be considered when working on a CXM (customer experience management) strategy?
Strategy is king. Very few firms understand the power of the service strategy. Few CEOs understand the financial impact of consistent awesome service. Very few firms want to copy Jeff Bezos at Amazon. A sales growth of $105 billion in sales in 2020 and being the wealthiest person in the world, I guess, is too much wealth.
Do you think personalization and customer-centricity are going to become increasingly more relevant in the coming year? How so?
Firms like Amazon and Delta Airlines understand and use this. They both operate 24/7. Follow service leaders like Chewy.com, Mayo Clinic, Costco, Home Depot to copy winning formulas. These are service leaders.
5. What are some of the ways companies can strive to eliminate the CX Gap?
Operate 24/7 with live people. Answer the calls with humans 24/7. Get rid of voice mail. Train all employees with something new and fresh every 4 months forever. Terminate non-performing employees.
What’s the most insightful book you read in 2020?
My own book Relentless which was released last year, Relentless. I also loved Ken Lagone’s book (The co-founder of The Home Depot); I love Capitalism.
John’s predictions for the future of CX
What are your predictions for trends in customer experience in the coming year?
I do not think customer service will improve until 2022. Because of COVID -19, most firms across the world have given up on customer service. Many will not survive.
Last but not least, what is your favorite CX metric?
Sales. A firm that delivers rapid growth will have huge increases in sales.
