Hi Raz, tell us about yourself and your background.
I’m a Senior Digital Transformation Advisor at BDO Israel. Previously, I was VP of Information Technology at Bezeq (the Israeli telecom incumbent) and Direct Insurance and Deputy Government of Israel CIO. I teach in two MBA programs, and I’ve written seven textbooks and dozen of professional articles. I’m a member of the Board of Directors of Menora Mivtachim, one of the top five insurance companies in Israel.
How did you start working in the customer experience space?
Working as VP of IT, the issue of CX and customer centricity was always of high priority. I managed large projects in the are of CRM, customer digital channels (CTI, email, chats, WhatsApp, etc.) and customer analytics.
What do you think the top priority should be for a company that wants to improve its customer experience?
The top priority issue to improve CX depends very much on the organization’s situation. CRM and Analytics are of high priority, mobile applications, advanced website, e-commerce are all issues to be evaluated and decided how to implement.
How can companies better listen and understand their customer base?
Understanding the customer can be achieved through different approaches — designing focus groups with some customers, customer analytics and insights, social networks analytics, customer feedback and surveys, customer visits and more.
Many companies are currently undergoing digital transformation processes – what are your tips on a successful digital transformation?
Digital transformation is a significant journey and, as such, there must be a senior management understanding why the company must embark it, what should be the digital strategy, and how it’s linked to the business strategy. Top management must be committed. Many companies neglect the people part and focus mainly on technology and this is a mistake. People and culture must be addressed, agility has to implemented company wide (not only in IT). Innovation must become an important value. I would recommend to run a digital maturity assessment to have a 360 degree understanding what is the current readiness in all the relevant dimensions and start closing the gaps wherever needed.
What are some CX companies/solutions you’re keeping your eyes on right now?
Salesforce, Microsoft, and Oracle.
What are some of your tips for people who want to work in the CX sphere?
Develop a customer-first state of mind, gather experience in CX implementations, understand and implement design thinking principles. Talk with customers, visit them, and try to be in their shoes.
So many things changed in 2020. While some things are going to return to “normal,” what are new trends and habits you think will stay with us in the long term?
Remote working, virtual meetings, e-commerce, virtual conferences, usage of collaboration tools.
eCommerce boomed in 2020, and consumers started leaving more product reviews online. How can we make the most out of this momentum?
E-commerce has demonstrated its feasibility and has been accepted as a normal way to conduct business in a low-touch economy. To make the most out of this trend, companies will have to improve their e-commerce experience, improve their back-end logistics, provide an Omni channel experience that integrates all their channels and make sure they operate a call center for customer issues.
What is your favorite CX metric? Why?
Net Promoter Score or some customer satisfaction metrics.
