CEO Monthly Issue 9 2018

CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2018 31 4. Promote the customer perspective and make sure it is considered for all topics and projects of the organisation 5. Measure all the factors that form the customer experience through various KPIs. Wavestone further highlights in its report on the keys to a successful customer experience transformation that the role requires, “experience in quality assurance, operations or marketing. The Customer Experience Manager should fully understand the company issues and strategy, not just to give them greater legitimacy, but also, most importantly, so that they can The Rise Of The Chief Experience Officer: Who They Are And How They Are Transforming Businesses g identify areas for improvement in each department”[5]. The CXO is most valuable when an internal transformation is required, helping to drive better customer interactions and enhance the overall business performance. Consequently, an organisation’s need for a CXO depends on how customer- centric they already are. Amazon is one example of a company whose approach is founded upon expert customer understanding and management. If this notion already forms part of a company’s DNA and is rooted in its culture, organisation, and processes, the customer experience has no need for a champion. Customer experience also means employee experience The CXO is also not limited to the needs of customers. Another part of the CXO’s responsibility is to ensure an optimal experience for staff. Managed by HR, the employee experience is a reflection of the customer experience. The principle of Symmetry of Attention (a concept developed by the Académie du Service), suggests that there is a reciprocal relationship between the employee journey and the experience delivered to the customer. The satisfaction and well-being of employees is essential for guaranteeing customer satisfaction and turning those customers into brand ambassadors. As such it is important for the CXO to ensure that this symmetry is respected. The CXO acts as an internal customer ambassador, creating a bridge between the company and its customers. They ensure that each department is unified in providing a seamless, high-quality experience for customers which leaves a lasting positive impact. The rise of the CXO reveals a growing awareness amongst executives that the customer experience must become central to the company’s culture, organisation and processes in order to drive customer retention and acquisition.