As an adept customer experience professional, on many occasions, I have had to explain to strangers, colleagues (team members and new hires), and even family members what customer experience is about.

Simply put, Customer Experience (CX) is when an organisation thinks highly of its customers by consistently delivering value and fulfilling both spoken and unspoken promises to them to delight and keep them coming back. – Bukola Osuntuyi.

According to McKinsey & Company, “Customer Experience encapsulates everything a business or an organisation does to put customers first, managing their journeys and serving their needs. “

Yet, many people assume that customer service and customer experience are the same thing, and this stops companies from progressing because they choose to focus on their products instead of their customers.

The State of CX

Customer experience is rapidly evolving yet still widely misunderstood, and unfortunately, for some business owners, it is not seen as critical. But gone are the days when customer experience was considered an afterthought by corporate organisations and even startups. Today, having a good brand is no longer enough, as customers are looking for good value, service by service.

Following the complete shutdown due to COVID-19, smart traditional businesses across agriculture, health, FMCGs, and even the hospitality industries are now leveraging digital channels to stay competitive and connect with their customers. To remain competitive in an era of rapid technological transformation, organisations must equally evolve and focus on providing consistently great customer experiences, with a CX team leading the efforts. To do this, technology companies must recognise the importance of hiring Customer Experience Leaders, who function as either Chief Experience Officers (CXOs) or Customer Experience Managers (CEMs).

The Impact of CX Leadership

As a technology business leader, if you are not yet thinking about it or are still deciding if your business could benefit from the services of one, here are my top reasons why your organisation needs a CX leader in 2024 and beyond.

1. Optimising Returns on Technology Investment:

Jean Bliss, the author of Chief Customer Officer 2.0, defines the success of a chief customer officer as when they can simplify how the organisation works together to achieve customer-driven growth, engage the leadership team, and connect the work to a return on investment. By aligning technology with the customer experience, CXOs can review the technology stack, identify areas for improvement, and implement strategies that enhance the customer journey, thereby maximising ROI.

2. Optimising product and service design:

As a customer experience leader, I’ve encountered instances in various tech startups where the customer experience team was excluded from the design phase by chief product officers and product managers. This oversight neglected my team’s invaluable daily connection with customers and their deep understanding of customer perspectives. Sooner or later, it was discovered that essential features that could reduce customer effort or ensure sales completion were omitted. As a result, my team and I will spend extra time reviewing the product before and after its launch. When the CXO is involved in a new product or service development phase, businesses can create offerings that have fewer hitches and better resonate with customers, leading to increased user adoption and retention.

3. Staying competitive in a digital landscape:

With technological advancements, the business ecosystem is becoming increasingly competitive. What helps businesses maintain an edge is not the amount of revenue that they can generate, but the exceptional customer experience that their customers have every time they interact with the brand. To remain competitive, businesses need to hire visionary CX leaders who understand the corporate objective, can develop and execute CX strategies that align with the overall business goals, maintain a competitive edge, and can steer the business in the right direction whenever the focus begins to shift (something common among tech startups).

4. Enhancing Employee Engagement:

A great place to work takes care of its employees and sees employee involvement as the key to improving important business results. One of the most cross-functional and demanding job functions is that of a CXO.  This is because the CXO builds stakeholder relationships, from managing “high power and high interest” stakeholders such as the executives to relating closely with “low power and high interest” stakeholders such as the customers and employees to engaging and training even “high power, low interest” stakeholders such as the janitors, security guards, and suppliers who do not necessarily have an interest in the business but whose conduct and service are equally important in helping a business maintain its brand perception, reputation, and customer satisfaction.

5. Mitigating risks that impact the customer experience:

CXOs play a critical role in controlling and preventing organisational risks. With the digital age that we are in, where a brand reputation can easily be tarnished on social media in the twinkle of an eye, businesses need CX leaders collaborating with other business leaders to set the strategic direction of the company, maintain relationships with stakeholders, manage talent, negotiate important deals, and manage crises when certain issues arise, like in cases of cyber security breaches. While AI is helping businesses become more efficient, businesses still need humans to build resilience and monitor these areas that can be easily exposed to risk.

Conclusion

The job of a Chief Customer Experience Officer cannot be overemphasised in today’s digital age. For businesses to sustain their market share by maximising their return on technology investments, improving their product and service design, mitigating business risks, enhancing the customer experience, and staying competitive, businesses, with technology as their leading strategy, must consider hiring the services of a Chief Customer Officer or Customer Experience Manager, whether it be on a consulting basis or full-time employment. Startups still in their bootstrapping or early stages may not prioritise hiring one yet. They can, however, speak to a CX professional about how CX can help increase traction, retain customers, and improve their business’s ROI. It is never too early to put the customer and your employees at the centre of your business.