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Ideas, news & analysis
Amelia Sizemore Is Now A Certified Customer Experience Professional
Last week, my colleague Amelia and I joined nearly 400 other customer experience professionals at the annual CXPA Insight Exchange in New Orleans. It was an energizing (and, to be completely honest, exhausting) two days—but the work didn’t end for Amelia when the conference was over. The following day, she
Customer Support Is Not Just A Safety Net
Time flies… I realized the other day that Outside In was published nearly 6 years ago. And while a lot has changed in the world and in the sphere of customer experience during that time, I firmly believe that the analysis and advice in the book are just as relevant
To Avoid Workshop Rabbit Holes: Acknowledge, Capture, Pivot
Last week I outlined some tactics to prevent customers from derailing a workshop with out-of-scope ideas and feedback. But what if your workshop includes a tricky customer who continues to push the conversation in an unproductive direction? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. To ensure you’re
We’re Pledging 1% For The Planet
Happy Earth Day! I feel fortunate to have a short daily commute. It greatly reduces not only my stress, but also my daily contributions to the Earth’s greenhouse gasses. However, when I’m not walking to my office, I’m flying around the US—or to some other country around the globe—to meet
How To Keep Your Customer Workshops On Track
A face-to-face workshop with your employees and your customers can be an organization-changing experience. But getting in a room with customers isn’t all roses. Leaders who are new to the customer workshop approach are usually apprehensive about three things: “No one will want to come!” This is by far the
It Was A Good Week For User Agreements
If you’re like me, you watched (or at least followed the news coverage of) Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony before Congress this week. After all, privacy is an issue that customer experience champions should always have top of mind. But there was one moment in the hearings that particularly struck
The Customer Journey DOES NOT EQUAL The Customer Lifecycle
When I bumped into a former colleague at a recent conference, he was eager to chat about a journey mapping initiative his organization (a major financial services provider) was kicking off. But I got a blank look when I asked what journeys his team planned to focus on. “We were
AT&T Nails SMS
As I was turning on my phone after touchdown in Toronto a few days ago, I realized that I hadn’t set up an international mobile plan for my trip. Ugh. I was in the process of making a mental reminder to log onto AT&T’s website once I got to my
2018 Service Design Award — Call for Entries!
As head of the jury for the Service Design Awards, I’m proud to stand behind the outstanding and inspirational 2017 winners, and I look forward to welcoming our 2018 submissions. So if you’re a student, designer, or professional doing great service design work, don’t miss the opportunity to gain international
5 Steps To Mapping The Customer Journey
Wondering how to map the experiences that your customers currently have with your organization? Follow these five steps. 1. HYPOTHESIZE about the experience you currently deliver A hypothesis journey map is just what it sounds like: your hypothesis of what customers go through as they do business with you. Be careful with
