3 must-have steps to include in your CX strategy to improve frontline action and customer loyalty

The internet is abuzz with software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools designed for a DIY approach to the customer experience (CX) strategy. However, data collection and its associated tools are only part of the dynamic puzzle. The DIY path doesn’t explain how to make this specific information work for you by changing frontline behaviors. 

This post discusses the gap if you choose the DIY route. It also outlines three must-have steps to enhance your CX strategy and drive more action on the front line to improve customer loyalty.

The importance of frontline action

Many companies embrace the DIY approach to data collection, often assuming they’re “good to go” after purchasing a SaaS product for CX. These companies don’t realize it’s not as simple as collecting all their available data to generate meaningful results. After all, data is only as good as the action it inspires. 

Unfortunately, many organizations struggle to translate insights from their CX initiatives into actionable steps for frontline employees. 

In fact, “less than a third of voice of the customer (VoC) and CX measurement professionals report that all employees engage with customer feedback in their measurement programs.” Forrester Research

This insights-to-action gap occurs when companies over-rely on technology to solve their CX problems. Purchasing SaaS tools is not the magical solution to a complicated issue. Improving customer experience involves combining technology and people following the proper process to develop meaningful insights from data and apply them to trigger specific frontline action. 

Consider 3 must-have steps to improve frontline action and customer loyalty

To overcome the insights-to-action gap and drive more effective frontline action, consider incorporating the following three steps into your CX strategy.

1. Don’t rely solely on tools to know what to do with collected data. 
   Tools don’t solve problems. Humans do. Data analysis should be a collaborative effort between software and humans. While software can be an incredibly powerful tool to identify patterns across data points, it is not advanced enough to explain which behaviors frontline employees must adjust—and how. Relying on software alone to improve the customer experience is akin to waiting on a hammer to build a house. 
   
   Instead, meet the challenge head-on with a unique CX model we call software-with-a-service (SwaS). SwaS blends technology’s efficiency with human expertise to yield insights designed to improve the entire customer journey.
   
2. Give your data meaning because it’s meaningless on its own.
   If you want to drive swift frontline action, connecting a poor customer experience to a specific operational issue is critical.
   
   For example, if a customer complaint identifies a quality issue, it’s difficult to direct your front line to change if you can’t pinpoint what caused the unpleasant experience. This level of detail is what you need to enable frontline employees to understand precisely how they can resolve the issue, leading to more effective and efficient improvements.

Below we highlight the difference between data and data with direction. 

Most XM Providers

A platform with data and DIY insights

EX: Data indicates that customers are not happy about the quality you deliver.

The SMG Difference

Data + insights + client success team to drive action and measure impact

EX: Retrain evening staff at this specific location to raise the temperature of fryer oil by 5 degrees so fries are not soggy and cold.

3. Deliver impact via location-specific action.
   Ultimately, a one-size-fits-all solution doesn’t exist in the customer experience strategy world. What occurs at one location can vary significantly from the experience at another, even if your operations appear consistent on the surface. By delving deeper and pinpointing customer feedback to specific locations, you can identify and act upon the particular needs at each site.
   
   This level of specificity ensures a more accurate path to resolving the issues creating bad experiences, thus increasing the impact of your overall CX strategy and improving customer loyalty. 

By incorporating the three must-have steps in your CX strategy, you'll bring more insightful meaning and action to your data. This approach helps lead to faster frontline adjustments that could result in more growth at your locations and within your customer base. 

To learn more about how SMG interprets data and provides measurable direction through SwaS, schedule a demo here.