ChannelVision Magazine

C ustomer experience (CX) will be the biggest differen - tiator going forward. We are at a time when the technol - ogy advancement is outpacing the us - ers. Service providers have to learn to take the technology out of the way in order for the users to get the benefits. There needs to be more talk about out- comes and benefits, less on features. Whether the customer is purchas - ing CPaaS or cloud contact center, the implementation is so important. How the service is delivered to the cus - tomer is a lasting impression. Rolling out cloud software to users remotely is not without challenges. Beyond factors such as bandwidth issues and quality of service, it is a new piece of soft - ware and, like any piece of software, the users will need training and other help. When a company migrates from one version of Microsoft to another, it is planned out and supervised. Why isn’t SaaS – what we are now calling CCaaS and UCaaS? No matter what product, to many buyers it is the same as walking down the potato chip aisle at the supermar - ket or the allergy drugstore aisle. It all looks similar. It is confusing. Yet it is the outcome that is being purchased – not a flavor. It is this perspective that needs to be added to the service pro - vider’s thinking. Once the ink is dry on the contract is when the real work begins. The roll out is where the rubber meets the road. It is where the brand promise has to be kept. The customer experience begins with the sales process and carries through the life of that customer. It is every touch of the customer. Compa - nies are hiring CX managers and of - ficers. It is more than just marketing. It is operations, billing, customer care and every other touch point of a cus - tomer with your company. Studies have shown that com - panies that focus on CX have lower churn and more revenue. Research by American Express found that 86 per - cent of customers are willing to pay more for a better experience. Accord - ing to a Bain & Co. survey, 80 percent of business executives believe their organization is delivering a superior experience. Yet only 8 percent of cus - tomers believe they are receiving a great customer experience. Consider - ing telecommunications doesn’t carry a positive customer perspective, im - proving customer experience should be a priority. Happy employees make happy customers. Keep that in mind and de - velop a way to not only get employee feedback but to act upon it. Employ - ees are the customer-facing touch point. The installer at the customer’s premises equipment has more impact on brand than many realize. Dirty, smelly, smoky, cranky or inconsider - ate all work against a positive experi - ence. Yet the installer may observe points of disconnect that could enrich the install process. Follow through is a big part of the customer experience, as well. In sales, follow up is integral. In implementation, follow through is how the loose threads are sew up. In customer support, fol - low through is taking the customer’s temperature after the fix. CX officers It Starts with CX By Peter Radizeski BUYERS SIDE 72 CHANNEL VISION | March - April, 2020