Hi Samuel, tell us about yourself and your background.
I’m heading the collaboration department in one of the world’s leading brand franchise operators since 2014, the enterprise portfolio extends across MENA, Russia, Turkey, and Europe, with thousands of stores, cafes, restaurants, and leisure destinations, as well as a growing online and digital business.
We are using best of breed technologies like Avaya for telephony, Microsoft and Cisco for video telepresence conferencing/collaboration and Genesys for customer experience. I’ve started my career in technology in the late 90s in Egypt and since then travelled to multiple countries (Europe, Africa, Asia, and Gulf, working with multiple enterprises as ICT consultant, Team leader and infrastructure manager for different business sectors (pharmaceutical, shipping, logistics, tourism, technical training and, retail) . I’m certified Project Manager and Avaya/ Cisco/Microsoft/Genesys SME. Leading team spread across 18 countries. Our head office is in Kuwait
How did you first start working in the CX space?
I’ve started with the CX space when my latest enterprise required a multi-channel customer service platform (voice, email, and chat) in late 2014.
What are some of the common misunderstandings related to customer experience?
The common misunderstanding related to customer experience that we assume customers want to talk to a human (agent) through phone calls; The new generation are more comfortable dealing with chat bots, social media, and interactive response.
Have you seen any interesting new trends in eCommerce this year?
The interesting trend I notice in eCommerce this year is the booming of using chat bots specially for shipment/orders tracking and details update.
eCommerce boomed in 2020, and consumers started leaving more product reviews online. How can we make the most out of this momentum?
We can make good use of the eCommerce booming by make our brands shopping available through all social media channels.
What are some CX companies/solutions you’re keeping your eyes on right now?
Currently we are using Genesys as our CX partner, and we are exploring their new features from the cloud platforms.
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?
I believe the online shopping and eGovernment trends will stay and expand more in the future, the footfall in the stores will not return to before COVID-19.
Do you believe focus groups are still relevant in the era of eCommerce? Why?
Focus groups are still relevant but must use modern channels and methods to adapt to the new shopping ways.
Last but not least, what is your favorite CX metric?
My favorite CX metric is Net Promoter Score (NPS), although it doesn’t tell you why your customers are dissatisfied or less-than-excited about your brand, but it gives a good indicator on how we are serving our customers.
