Customer experience (CX) is key for marketers that seek to differentiate their brands. But what is CX?
First, there is some need to differentiate between User Experience and Customer Experience (Tim Lowden, DIGITALGOV):
Customer Experience (CX) encompasses all the interactions a person has with the brand. And may be measured in: overall experience, likelihood to continue use, and likelihood to recommend to others.
User Experience (UX) deals with people interacting with the product and the experience they receive from such interaction. The following metrics measure UX: success rate, error rate, abandonment rate, time to complete task, and clicks to completion.
Therefore, UX people are interested on multiple touch points of digital interfaces while CX people are interested on all kind of interfaces including physical ones. UX is an evolution of Web Usability, while CX is a marketing concept. UX is an instrument of User Experience. CX in fact is all about Connections and Interactions (Isabel Fernandez, Oracle):
Connections: Market effectively encompasses connecting with people, and the best way to do so is to use the connections people have with other people.
Interactions: CX can be defined as the relationship that a customer establishes with a brand through multiple touch points (interactions, channels) through the entire life cycle of his/her direct or indirect relationship with the brand.
Thus, CX refers to applying process analysis methods for better understanding how to create value through customer interactions across the multiple user´s touch points with the brand (Isabel Fernandez, Oracle).
To help you and your brand on this value creation pay close attention to Forbes Ten Customer Service And Customer Experience Trends For 2017:
1. Customer service is getting better (even if it doesn’t look like it).
2. Value and experience continue to trump price.
3. Personalization creates a better customer experience.
4. AI and IA assist those who assist the customer.
5. Chatbots are getting better.
6. There is more focus on “customer success.”
7. Proactive customer service is gaining in popularity.
8. The phone is being used less and less.
9. Fast, Faster, Fastest! Customers want a response.
10. Convenience wins the day.