Defining Your Customer Experience in 2016

It’s already the end of February, and almost two full months into 2016! An important question as we head into the last month of quarter one is, “Where are you with your customer experience plan for 2016?”

For those who may be behind the eight-ball, it may be helpful to get a quick recap on the CX trends for 2016. In the January issue of Forbes Magazine, CX expert and New York Times bestselling author, Shep Hyken, shared some key insights on new trends as well as some continuing themes. Here are a few highlights:

  • Customers are smarter and more informed than ever.
  • Omni-channel strategies for connecting digitally will become even more omni.
  • The mobile phone is going to rule.
  • Pay attention to the weather, because it has an important impact.
  • Micro-data, or drilling down on your customer’s habits and feedback, will be important.
  • Targeted advertising delivered at just the right time is vital.
  • Value will continue to trump price.
  • Millennial customers are growing and now represent 25% of the population.
  • The new hot phrase in CX and marketing is “cognitive analytics,” where computers are doing more than just assimilating data.

For some of you, capitalizing on 2016 trends may be a bit of a challenge if you haven’t defined a specific and targeted CX plan for the year. And if that’s the case, it’s important not to put the proverbial cart ahead of the horse. It’s important to have a defined path, make informed decisions, and engage in the right activities before expending valuable time and resources. You want to ensure the best return for your investment.

Here at SGEi, we’re seeing a trend with companies that are opting to step back and conduct a strategic review of their company’s brand, culture, and values to assess whether or not these key cornerstones are properly aligned to deliver the desired customer experience. We’re presently working on multiple projects, helping organizations to map their customer journeys, review customer data, identify customer touch-points, and build-out brand standards and operating procedures that support both the brand and the desired customer experience. This process is a journey in-and-of itself, with a very specific and time-tested road map for success.

When your brand standards and operating procedures are clearly defined, aligned, and in place, it’s easier to pinpoint the specific value, benefits, and differentiators of your CX that you want to highlight and share through your various marketing, PR, and social media platforms.

In the coming blogs, we’re going to take a closer look at the CX roadmap and expound on each step in the journey. In the meantime, if you’re serious about raising the bar of your CX, a great place to start is with an in-depth review of your customer data collection activities and then go to check out your competition! Contact SGEi if you’d like to get started mapping your customer journey and improving your experience.

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