Bob Azman
This IS Personal. How Customer Service Can Build Relationships One Customer at a Time.
Before the end of the year, I was looking through my library of past business books and came across an “oldie but goodie”, The One to One Future Building Relationships One Customer at a Time by Peppers and Rogers. Originally published in 1993, according...
What’s Holding You Back from Creating Better Experiences?
How can we focus on the positive things we can do to facilitate true CX transformation within our organizations?
Is a free dessert your service recovery “go to?
How many times have you had an issue in a restaurant with service, a cold meal or incorrect charge? It happens, as it does in many industries. I’ve had my share of less than desirable experiences at restaurants. When it happens,...
Are You Hiring Applicants or Candidates?
Recently my financial institution requested that I complete a document, sign and return it to them, via Fax. I laughed out loud when I read their request. Fax? Who uses faxes anymore? I sent it to them in a...
Enough with All the “X’s”. It’s Time to Act!
CX. PX. UX. EX. XM. SX. How many different “X’s” can you name to describe the experience you want for your customers? It’s time to act.
Buying a Car…An Experience Time Has Passed By.
Have you tried to buy a car lately? Let’s forget for a moment that there’s a chip shortage causing car dealership lots to be nearly empty with skyrocketing prices for both new and used cars. Forget about discounts or rebates they...
Connecting Dashboard Dots for a Better Customer Experience
In 2013, Oracle conducted a research study among executives regarding the state of their customer experience initiatives. The study found that while 91% of the respondents wished to be a CX leader in their industry, only 37% said they were just getting started...
Oops we did it again? We’re Solving the Wrong Problem with Employee Workplace...
Oops, we did it again! We’re solving the wrong problem with employee workplace experiences. When the pandemic began, restaurants, to survive, had to convert overnight to take-out and drive-up options for their customers. Some restaurants simply took their in-person menus and...
Why Aren’t Customer Experiences Improving?
Despite what industry experts may profess, customer experiences aren’t getting any better. While customers expect immediate answers to their inquiries, efficient order processing and fast shipping, there’s no indication that fulfilling these expectations is improving customer service. What research do I have to...
Have you created a 360-degree customer experience?
As CX professionals are we too linear in our view of experience management? For example, service blueprinting, process documentation and journey mapping all tend to look at the customer experience in sequential steps. We describe experiences as the customer’s journey when buying...
Why is a Great Customer Experience so Elusive for Some Organizations?
It never ceases to amaze me how some organizations just don’t get “it” yet. The “it” is a better customer experience. Here are a few recent examples that exemplify my point. A top seller of home security cameras sends two cameras in separate packages both...
Is Social Responsibility a Part of Your CX Strategy?
I teach a global operations strategy graduate course at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. Each semester I set aside one of our sessions to discuss corporate social responsibility within organizations especially as they pursue globalization of their products and services....
Are Your Business Partners Aligned to Your Newly Established CX Strategy?
You’ve worked hard on establishing a new CX strategy for your organization. In developing your strategy, you secured the commitment of executive leadership; received the buy-in from department leaders; established a cross-functional team of frontline employees seeking their perspectives; sought out the voice...
Please! Experience Your Customer’s Experience!
“Terrified. Mortified. Petrified. Stupefied”, so said Russel Crowe’s character, John Nash, in the movie, A Beautiful Mind. And so, I am (am I)! Here’s a sampling of my recent experiences with a broad range of companies across a wide...
If Your Customer Experience Isn’t Broken, Fix It!
No, I’m not confused. I’m simply following the engineer’s motto. If it isn’t broken, take it apart and fix it! I know it sounds strange but are you sure you’re delivering the kind of experience your customers expect from your organization?...
With Your Customer Experience – Can You See the Forest for the Trees?
On more than one occasion, I’ve been asked by a CEO to “fix the customer service department” so the organization can improve its customer experience. The request sounds like this, “We’re getting too many service-related calls in our contact center and that’s giving...
For the Best Customer Experience, Answer this Key Question…WIIFM?
When it comes to executing effective customer experience strategies, we spend a good deal of time gathering, analyzing, and executing on the voice of the customer. We want to ensure we understand customer expectations. We desire to build our products or deliver...
Ask These 10 Questions When Deciding Where the Function of CX Should Report in...
I hesitated to write this article because if there’s one, there must be a hundred opinions on where the customer experience function should align in an organization. In my experience, I’ve heard and seen it report to any one of these C-suite positions...
It’s Time to Staff Up for a Better Customer Experience!
1 Hour telephone hold rates. 45-minute wait for chats. 5-7day delays in email responses. These are just a few examples of what I’ve been experiencing the last few weeks when trying to contact customer service at a variety of organizations....
Have it Your Way! Can Design Thinking Help Improve the Restaurant Customer Experience?
I haven’t been courageous enough yet to go to a restaurant and enjoy a sit-down dinner. Rather, I’m patronizing my favorite restaurants through ordering and taking out dinners from their establishments. It’s a difficult time for restaurants. Some may not survive or...