An empowering customer experience is the norm!
Technological innovations have rapidly become ingrained in our behavior and our way of working. A significant boost to our contemporary experience economy (as vividly described by Pine & Gilmore back in 1999) is a result of this. Where we used to focus mainly on efficiency and satisfaction, today the importance of customer experience has taken a huge leap. In the world of tomorrow, a reliable, integral, and empowering Customer Experience is the norm.
From operational excellence to customer excellence
In the past 5 years, the potential gains from understanding customer behavior, thanks to digitalization, have become increasingly accessible to every customer-driven company. Through all these developments, the relationships between the soft and hard sides of both customer experience and business results are more visible than ever: increasing customer engagement, encouraging customer intimacy, and maximizing operational excellence. Keeping LEAN in mind, we know that the ultimate goal of operational excellence is to continuously ensure that customer expectations are fulfilled in the most effective and efficient way possible by the processes through which a company operates. And thus, we have arrived at the power of the synergistic effect that companies will strive for in the next 10 years: customer excellence.
Structural revenue growth through human-centered customer experience
But how do you increase customer engagement? How do you foster customer intimacy? How do you meet customer expectations? And, all of this with the goal of structural revenue growth. CX is recognized as a key and tangible driver of profitability. This directly touches upon the human factor (after all, customer experience is inherently human and personal). In distinctive enterprises, everything revolves around human-centricity. And when we truly see CX as a driver of 'tangible business results', we are inherently committed to moving from 'Voice of the Customer' to 'Customer Lifetime Value'.
Topics & Sessions
Human scale as a success factor – Pieter-Jan Varekamp, Univé Stad en Land
In his session, Pieter-Jan Varekamp emphasized the importance of the human scale in digital transformations. While digitalization and standardization formed the basis for customer excellence, he showed that it was the employees who were able to make the difference. Using practical examples, the discussion revolved around how organizations can leverage human-centricity as a distinguishing factor within customer experience.
From customer signal to customer value – Fabian Kortekaas, TUI
Fabian Kortekaas shared how TUI, despite the heavy impact of Covid-19, consistently prioritized customer experience. By listening carefully to customers and quickly responding to their changing needs, TUI was able to achieve tangible business results. His presentation inspired participants to actively and strategically utilize customer feedback.
Transforming to digital: employees as the key – Taco Schallenberg, Acorel
Taco Schallenberg discussed the crucial role of employees in digital transformations. He explained why organizations often struggled with the adoption of new systems and the impact this had on customer experience. Through three pillars and five practical tips, he provided guidance on how companies can increase employee buy-in and redirect resistance towards engagement.
Continuous listening to your customer – Miranda van der Schouw (Ipsos) & Thijs den Dikken (Acorel)
This session discussed how organizations can achieve distinctive customer experience by consistently collecting customer feedback and translating it into targeted actions. Miranda and Thijs emphasized that research and technology complement each other in creating unique experiences, provided that there was continuous monitoring to ensure that improvements had a real effect.
Digital services and customer experience – Mischa Tissen (Acorel) & Noventum Service Management
The closing session focused on the shift from human to digital interaction within the customer journey. Participants gained insight into how manufacturing companies were increasingly offering digital services and the role Artificial Intelligence played in this. The central question was how organizations could continue to provide a distinctive customer experience in a digital world.
The event provided plenty of food for thought and concrete inspiration to embrace customer-centricity as a growth strategy.
