Traditionally, many organisations review their goals and budgets for the coming year after the summer break. For customer experience initiatives, this often means updating the roadmap and backlog with a clear focus on impact and effort.
Some customer experience improvements are obvious “no-brainers” — small tweaks that require minimal effort but deliver high impact. These usually address basic, or hygiene, issues. However, such improvements aren’t typically the game-changers that set you apart in the market.
It’s the less obvious, sometimes even controversial ideas that can truly create value. Of course, these ideas come with risks. How can you be sure the proposed changes will really improve the customer experience? Gartner, for instance, notes that not every CX project leads to measurable success. That’s why it’s important to validate these ideas before committing a significant budget.
It might sound counterintuitive to spend money testing whether you should spend money later. After all, isn’t it clear what needs to be done? In practice, however, a deeper look often reveals that many “obvious” plans are based more on assumptions than on hard facts. Testing with a prototype or pilot can quickly show you if a change truly enhances the experience for your target audience. This initial step helps ensure that the ideas you invest in will actually deliver value.
Focusing on customer value is only one part of the equation. Often, organisations overlook the internal tasks, processes, and efforts required to deliver an improved customer experience. The friction your customers feel might actually stem from internal issues. It’s crucial to consider how any change will affect your teams. Ask yourself: How will adjustments impact workload and costs? Will they streamline operations or create new challenges? While customer experience is vital for business growth, your internal operations must be equipped to support these improvements.
Sometimes, process changes that benefit one department can inadvertently burden another. For example, an increase in online sales might also lead to more returns or complaints. The solution is to encourage open dialogue and collaboration across departments. By working together, you can maintain a customer-centric approach while ensuring that internal teams are aligned. When everyone is on the same page, you create a smoother value chain that paves the way for a positive ROI on your CX initiatives.
Broaden Your Perspective: Look beyond your organisation. Examine what your competitors are doing and explore the full range of possibilities in customer experience. External partners can often provide a valuable, broader perspective.
Work Across Disciplines: Evaluate changes from multiple viewpoints. Consider not just the benefits but also any potential downsides for the organisation — and work together to address them.
Secure Buy-In: For major initiatives like replatforming, getting the entire organisation behind the change is critical. As explained in a recent article, securing this buy-in can make all the difference.
Make Data-Driven Decisions: Rely on numbers rather than gut feelings. Understand both the value added for your customers and the impact on your internal operations. If the necessary data isn’t available, run tests to gather it.
Take Small, Continuous Steps: Incremental improvements can often be more effective than occasional, large-scale changes. In our earlier article, Getting a Foothold in Customer Experience, we discussed why gradual progress works best.
Consider the Long Term: Analyse both the immediate benefits and the longer-term impact, such as increased customer lifetime value or reduced return costs.
Avoid Analysis Paralysis: While it’s important to validate and crunch the numbers, don’t let endless analysis delay action. If customers are already finding a faster way to get their needs met, you’ve got enough information to move forward.
Cultivate a Culture of Value: Ultimately, success comes from embedding a value-driven mindset throughout the organisation. It shouldn’t be just the budget holder’s job to monitor ROI on customer experience; every team member should be focused on delivering value every day. Regular feedback, established routines, and data-driven insights will help you make informed decisions and foster a culture that creates lasting internal and external value.
The real win is building an organisation that consistently creates value on both fronts. When your teams work together and make informed decisions, you not only enhance the customer experience but also achieve sustainable success.