Connecting Dots… A Tool to Build a Lasting Customer Experience

I remember playing the connect-the-dots game in my early childhood days, which is still relevant today, and I see my kids play it too. However, many a time, the outcome of my work was not the intent of the author/creator, and it often resulted in my family members just shaking their heads! Over the years, I saw it not only intrigues you but also triggers the cognitive process in you.

If you are not thinking about the big picture of Customer Experience (CX) and how data, technology, and content affects an enterprise, then you will probably not connect those dots either!

The biggest challenge in customer experience space, especially in the financial services industry or in any other major industry, is that enterprises are often organized through products, where each product is catering to a specific line of business/service, and this is how the businesses managed internally. This style of IT landscape creates a fractured experience for customers, who often end up having completely different interactions depending on whom they are talking to; Let us assume you are that customer and you are talking to someone in banking versus, someone in the loan department or the credit card department, what would be your experience? I am sure you get the story right. Hence the goal must be focusing on moving away from a fragmented to the connected enterprise by linking the entire ecosystem and not let silos define the customer experience.

 If you want to thrive, it is time to break down the silos and connect the dots across your enterprise and broader ecosystem. Appreciate that technology and data play a huge role in breaking down those silos. All enterprises have plenty of data, and as you know, 'data is the new fuel'! Hence, it is pivotal to have a strategy around customer-centricity, and look at the data, find patterns, analyze them to develop a better understanding of your customers (KYC principle). With a base understanding of the composite view of data, you could then start ‘Connecting the Dots’ to get meaningful insights and improve those interactions with the help of the right technologies.

One thing that you cannot think of differentiating is between B2B and B2C when it comes to CX; they all need the same, meaning a seamless journey experience across the business value chain, customer touch-points/channels, including the partner systems using the right digital technologies.

In the process, you might discover several Dots are yet to be connected. I would suggest attacking one area at a time so that organizations can cope up and not overwhelmed with a massive change. To ensure it is managed well, you should have a Change Leader who drives the Connecting Dots program/initiative.

It takes a lot to get in the mindset of customer-centricity, it does not happen overnight, and to change the mindset you need to exercise forbearance and be relentless. At each step, you may have to keep reemphasizing, enforce or reinforce if necessary to keep the customer in the center of everything that you are attempting to do or involve customers from the beginning and to do so requires a concentrated effort from the top of the organization to the every last one in the organization.

However, striving and making it as an ongoing journey, you can succeed in creating a Lasting Customer Experience, which in turn boosts the growth. 

Thanks for reading. The views expressed are my own. Feedback and comments are welcome.