Even the most well-established Customer Experience (CX) programs can become “stale” over time. This staleness often arises from a lack of fresh insights, dwindling staff enthusiasm, or the failure to adapt to new market dynamics. Without periodic reinvigoration, these programs risk not only underdelivering on their potential value but also disappointing the very customers they aim to serve.
To maintain their relevance and drive continued organisational engagement, CX programs require an “energy” injection every 3-4 years. In the first part of this two-part series, we’ll explore five practical ideas to help breathe new life into your CX program.
1. Communications Review
Start by revisiting the core message of your program. Many companies get caught up in the “What” (e.g., “We run an NPS program to collect feedback”) and lose sight of the “Why” (e.g., “We want to create a world where customers never have to worry about xyz”).
A communications review should include:
- Reevaluating Your Communications Plan: Is there still a clear strategy in place?
- Assessment of Feedback Mentions: Where and how is feedback integrated into regular emails, communications, and meetings?
- Tailored Messaging: Does each audience segment receive messages in the most effective format?
- Clear Intentions: Is each communication’s purpose—whether for awareness, engagement, or celebration—clearly defined?
2. Change the Focus
If your program’s current focus is merely to “Increase the score,” it’s time to get more specific. Consider shifting the focus to:
- Creating Exceptional Experiences: Move customers from passive scores (7, 8) to promoters (9, 10)
- Refining Metrics: Perhaps it’s time to shift from a Top 2 Box to a Top Box focus, or in extreme cases, reassess your overall metric (though this can disrupt historical comparisons)
- Targeting Poor Experiences: Focus on eliminating bad experiences to set a minimum standard for service
- Target Specific Customer Segments: Focus on a specific subset of customers each quarter, to find more specific solutions tailored towards specific segments
3. Staff Recognition & Empowerment
Employee engagement is a critical driver of CX success. To rejuvenate staff enthusiasm:
- Revitalise Recognition Programs: Relaunch or double down on employee recognition initiatives that may have lost momentum
- Promote Hero Stories: Capture and share customer “hero” stories each month to inspire and motivate
- Empower Frontline Staff: Allocate a small monthly budget for employees to delight customers, whether by sending flowers to someone going through a tough time or simply taking extra time to assist key clients
4. Survey Refresh
Surveys are a cornerstone of any CX program, but they can also become stale. To ensure your surveys are still effective:
- Review Existing Surveys: Apply the 80:20 rule to identify which surveys provide the most value and don’t be afraid to “pause” or discontinue those no longer delivering value
- Assess Question Relevance: Assess whether all survey questions are still aligned with your overall business goals or if a refresh is needed
5. “See” the Customer
Finally, go beyond traditional text-based surveys to truly bring customer feedback to life:
- Organise a “Listening Tour”: Give employees and executives the opportunity to meet customers face-to-face by visiting key accounts. Rotate the team involved in these tours to broaden exposure, and capture elements of the tour through video for internal sharing.
- Run Video Surveys: Engage specific customer subsets with video surveys on key topics.
- Create Showreels: Compile these videos into showreels to present at key internal meetings or company-wide events.
Conclusion
Reinvigorating your CX program isn’t just about making changes for the sake of it. It’s about ensuring that your program continues to deliver real value—to your customers, your employees, and your organisation as a whole. Stay tuned for the second part of this series, where we’ll delve into more advanced strategies for keeping your CX program fresh and impactful.