Does your customer experience strategy provide true CX insights—or just data points?

If you work in customer experience management (CEM), you’ve heard the word “insight” a million times. Every provider talks about it, few attempt to define it, and even fewer follow through on their promise to deliver.

Because the truth is, it’s easy to conflate insights with data points—things that make you go “Mhm” rather than “Aha!” The data can certainly point you in the right direction, but an insight tells you exactly what you’re seeing when you get there.

So many companies that implement a customer experience (CX) strategy end up drowning in data and struggling to take action. They may be getting vague information that’s confusing, overwhelming CX metrics that immobilize rather than motivate, or irrelevant customer feedback that defines no attainable goal. That’s because their CEM program is failing to provide actionable insights that drive meaningful change.

Forrester suggests that how an organization uses insights to drive customer loyalty is a key driver of success in the age of the customer[1]. The analyst firm also notes: “To become a customer-obsessed business, it’s no longer enough to be data-driven—or even data aware. You must drive your business forward with insights—about customers, processes, operations, and partners.”[2]

But what really is a true CX insight? What does it look like? What results should you expect from it? In an upcoming blog series, we’ll answer these questions and take a closer look at the 5 tests you should apply to every insight to determine if it meets the standard of a true CX insight. To really change your business, an insight has to be:

• Specific + inspire action
• Understandable + provide tactical tools
• Prescriptive + identify clear action items
• Measurable + define a tangible goal
• Worthwhile + demonstrate ROI

As companies invest more in CX, the demand for stronger outcomes is rising. To get a jump-start on determining if you’re getting the insights you deserve, check out the best practice guide: Anatomy of a true CX insight | 5 definitive tests to distinguish between insights + data points.

[1] The Insights Beat: Get Smarter About Your Competitors, Customers, And Company, April 2019 Forrester blog post by Srividya Sridharan

[2] Forrester event page for 2018 Data Strategy & Insights Conference: https://events.forrester.com/ehome/data18/633408/