I was invited to be on a panel at the Future of Customer Experience Conference in Dallas to discuss modernizing the customer experience.

“Modernizing the customer experience” implies that the customers are going to be modernized. Looking at the end users (customers in the CS world) we work with at SupportNinja, it was difficult for me to think that they are not modernized. In fact, that auspicious “end user” in the BPO space our clients are so keen on (as are we) are already modernized. They are pushing the envelope of what customer service, or better-termed experience creation, looks like and molding it in a high speed and transitional way.

Customer experience is a holistic process by which all interactions with your customer (business, consumers, etc.) is consistent and packed full of meaning to drive brand loyalty and repeat business. Knowing this, all customer lifecycle interactions should mold to create an experience for an increasingly tech-forward and evolving customer. We are modernizing our interaction to their needs.

Instead of us being the tail that wags the dog, in fact, the dog is wagging us.

So how are we being “wagged” in the world of CX?

• Online distribution of “bad reviews” gives a level of consumer power unforeseen to consumers of products and services. I like to think of the old suggestion box where there may have been very minimal influence. Today, when you drop a note, it goes to thousands, if not millions, of people.
• Distribution channels are more consumer-centric and center the whole process on the consumer (e.g., delivery and online ordering).
• Support driven by the consumers, via online platforms, are allowing for customers to be more involved in their support process.
• Digital Natives or millennials will surpass in numbers, even to baby boomers, in just a couple of years. This amazing and technology forward group which are centric in their approach to support (think Veruca Salt a la Willy Wonka). Specifically, we are seeing omnichannel demands for these younger users who seamlessly switch from chat to email to voice within a single ticket.

The impact of customer service on customer experience
demands a keen awareness of the modernized world of a typical end user.

It is fast, user-driven and can have a significant impact on brand integrity and loyalty.