2014 Customer Experience
INTRODUCTION
2014 Customer Experience Data Survey
In the modern era, the effective use of social media and other Internet-based resources is key to obtaining and retaining consumers. Creating a positive customer experience can be challenging, and Customer Experience executives are keenly aware of the difficulties presented by a demanding customer base with growing access to new methods of communication. Fortunately, companies increasingly seem to recognize the value of positive customer experience and the importance of giving their Chief Customer Experience Officers enough resources to serve their customers well.
Survey Structure And Methodology
This survey was developed in connection with an invitation-only event hosted by Consero Group in March 2014 for Customer Experience executives from Fortune 1000 companies. While the survey was limited to 51 participants, the answers provide valuable insight into the perspective and concerns of this group of senior corporate executives.
BUDGET & RESOURCES
Sixty-one percent of Chief Customer Experience
Officers feel they do not have sufficient resources
to manage their departments effectively.
The demands on Customer Experience departments appear to be developing faster than companies can accommodate them. The majority of respondents reported that their departmental budget has increased over the last year. This is a positive change and indicates that businesses are attempting to handle the growing burdens placed upon customer experience executives. However, many (61%) of the respondents also felt that they do not have sufficient resources to manage their departments effectively in this environment of increasing demands.
Figure 1:
How Has Your Departmental
Budget Changed Over The Last 12 Months?
Increased 68%
Decreased 16%
No Change 16%
Figure 2:
How Has Your Staff Size
Changed Over The Last 12 Months?
Increased 65%
Decreased 10%
Figure 3:
Do You Have
Sufficient Resources
To Manage Your
Department Effectively?
Yes 39% No 61%CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
STRATEGY
More than half (65%) of executives surveyed
have found journey mapping to be a useful
tool in improving their customer experience.
Chief Customer Experience Officers must enlist the help of middle management to promote a strong customer-centric culture within their organizations. While 65% of executives surveyed reported their middle management to be engaged with the corporate CX strategy, there remains some ground to cover to ensure organizational customer experience remains consistent on all fronts.Among the strategic tools currently used by Customer Experience Officers are gamification, journey mapping, and big data. Gamification is currently not a particularly popular tool, as only 24% acknowledge incorporating it into their CX approach. However, given feedback on this strategy during Consero’s recent customer experience event, it seems likely to draw more adopters over the coming year. Journey mapping is a more popular tool, used by 71% of the executives. With regard to using big data to support and improve their CX strategy, the Customer Experience officers were split, with 54% reporting they do not use big data and 46% reporting they do.
Figure 4:
Is Your Middle Management Engaged
In Your CX Strategy?
Figure 5:
Is Gamification A Part Of Your
Long-Term CX Strategy?
Yes 65%
Yes 24% No 76%
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
STRATEGY
Figure 6:
Have You Found Journey Mapping To Be A Useful
Tool In Improving Your Customer Experience?
65% Yes 6% No
29% I Do Not Use Journey Mapping
Figure 7:
Have You Used Big Data To Improve Your
Customer Experience Strategy?
46% Yes 54% No
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
OPERATIONS
An overwhelming majority (84%) of Chief
Customer Experience Officers do not have an
accurate means to measure the ROI of their
social media policies.
Customer Experience Officers are tasked with maintaining customer loyalty and engagement in an increasingly tech-savvy consumer world. To succeed in their goals, CX executives must implement a variety of techniques and continue to engage customers through multiple touch points. Fortunately, 82% of these corporate leaders are able to capture the Voice of the Customer, a valuable component in the process of engaging with consumers.
Only 62% of Customer Experience executives surveyed have cross-channel integration in place, a strategy that more departments may want to explore to ensure consistent messaging to consumers across different mediums. The same amount (62%) of executives use Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a tool to measure customer loyalty. Alternative tools to measure customer loyalty include the Operational Service Measure, Use Advocacy, and Overall Satisfaction (OSAT), among others. One area for concern is in the ability of the CX departments to measure the ROI of their social media policies. A majority (84%) of those surveyed do not have the means to do so, which could limit their ability to leverage social media optimally.
Figure 8:
Do You Have A Cross-Channel
Integration Program In Place?
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
OPERATIONS
Figure 9:
Are You Using Net Promoter Score (NPS) To
Measure Customer Loyalty?
Figure 10:
Do You Have An Accurate Means To Measure ROI
On Your Social Media Policy?
Figure 11:
Have You Been Able To Capture Your Company’s
Voice Of The Customer (VOC)?
Yes 82% No 18% No 84% Yes 16% No 38% Yes 62%
CONCLUSION
Lessons For The Industry
The prevalence of social media and the ability to create instant product evaluations have expanded the duties of Customer Experience departments and changed the nature of customer interactions. The demands on Customer Experience departments are ever increasing, and companies are acknowledging the importance of positive customer experience to overall success, although many Customer Experience executives still lack sufficient resources to run their departments well. Chief Customer Experience Officers will continue to need a variety of new tools and processes to manage the smart consumer effectively and retain customers in a competitive marketplace. In the remainder of 2014, corporations across the globe will need to remain focused on improved customer experience in the pursuit of continued corporate progress.
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