On this episode of Experience by Design, we welcome Rick Denton from EX4CX. Rick has been working with companies to improve their customer experience strategy. Along the way, he has learned not only what to do, but what not to do as well. For instance, companies swing between extremes too often. They lean too much on technology as a solution. They mismeasure what success means. And ultimately, they do not value the role of people enough. We explore how to execute a better CX strategy, how to focus on people and not process, and how to bring better experiences as a result.
Much of our lives, especially in organizations, is governed by process. In fact, organizations can be evaluated based on how mature their processes are. Technological systems are set up to implement processes that employees are supposed to follow. At the same time, process can be a killer of innovation. When we are wedded to processes, we can lose sight of the practices that people can employ to make customer experiences better. Thus we end up in a tension between process and practice, the established ways of doing things and the emergent skills of how things get done.
And there are a lot of choices in how we get things done. Technological advances like generative AI, chat bots, and other shiny objects can create the perception that all we need to do to improve our processes and outcomes is just adopt a new technology. In all of these considerations can be lost a key element to customer success: people. It is in the ideas of people and the voices of people that we can find solutions.
Or as Simon Sinek has said, if you don’t understand people, you don’t understand business.
Today on Experience by Design to help us explore the intersection of process, practice, and people is Rick Denton. Rick is the founder and lead for EX4CX, or Execution for Customer Experience. Rick is a long-time customer experience advisor, as well as a keynote speaker and podcaster for the CX Passport Podcast - a weekly talk with guests about customer experience and travel. As a consultant, he has been able to work with such companies as Hilton, Bose, CapitalOne, and Dell.
How can we use technology for the betterment of our customers? E.g., we talk about rethinking displaying information, like if I have to change a flight, the app or website clearly shows what I already paid, and what potential new costs will be before having to go through the checkout process. This way I can make better decisions. The point is to understand what people need and design for that. Not for what your board or even you alone think is best.