Recently I went to Marketing Week in Adelaide and attended a session presented by Tara Melky from Forethought about Exploring the Customer Experience (CEX). Many topics and great examples were covered of good and bad customer experiences, how businesses react to real customer comments and how to use data to make business decisions. There was so much covered it really felt like every business, product or service needs a customer experience analysis. If we look primarily at a company’s customer experience and how to make it better, it sounds relatively simple: create a great experience for your customers and they will be your greatest advocates. But at what cost and how do you go about it? A great place to start your plan is to gather information about your business from existing sources, such as: user flow maps touch points customer surveys financial information big data an understanding what your staff needs are. From these investigations you will begin to see items that require improvement. In a plan you will be able to define outcomes that are actionable, measureable and easily understood – and importantly you must drive the plan from the top down. Once you are underway with your implementation, customers will start to let you know they have seen or experienced a change. This can mean so much to them, as you have listened to them and acted! These customers will become your business advocates. Of course not everyone is going to be happy. Don’t be afraid that you will lose some customers – you probably would have anyway. The main point I took away from the session was to stay focussed on creating advocates and where you want your business to go. By making your customer experience better you are not only helping your customers but also your business. In turn if your customers experience is better they will be your greatest advocates and help sell your business, product or services to others. In a fluid marketplace, the team at Boylen understands it needs to stay nimble and flexible to deliver a great customer experience (CEX). It is an ongoing process, one that never stops. I hope you come along for the ride! previousFood Image Dos And Don’tsnext60 Seconds or Less: Heather MacLeod