CE Best Practices Require Strategic Commitment
Posted by Brian Koma on Fri, Sep 18, 2009
According to the Vovici
CE IQ study, organizations that have the most loyal customers have a formal customer experience strategy and tactical plans to execute against it. In fact, out of 24 best practices studied, having a formal customer-experience strategy in place had the highest positive correlation (0.59) to the customer loyalty index.
But it’s not enough to just have a strategy: you must also have planned programs and tactics in place to achieve the strategy through practical, measurable changes (0.44 correlation). Further, to be effective, a strategy and plan must have the support of senior leadership and be communicated throughout the organization (0.42 correlation).
While three quarters of respondents to the study say that they have a CEM strategy, fewer than half have formal CEM programs in place along with compensation programs that align with CEM objectives. Many organizations appear to be paying lip service to the importance of CEM, with only 44% of respondents reporting that senior executives’ compensation is tied to the achievement of CEM goals.
Having an executive sponsor and the buy-in of the senior leadership team are indispensable components of success, but they may take time to achieve. Ultimately, this commitment to a CEM strategy and plan must translate into the organization in a way that allows the brand promise to be fulfilled (0.37 correlation).
Need help developing a customer-experience strategy for your brand? Please watch our
research webinar, “Countdown to a CEM Program”. Remember, out of 24 best practices, putting a formal CE strategy in place is the single most important practice.