Introduction to Customer Experience

The relationship between a business and its customers is centered on customer experience, which usually refers to the various touch points during the customer journey such as in-store customer service or user-friendly digital platforms.

Historically, successful investments in CX have resulted in improved customer retention and acquisition, higher sales, and increased customer loyalty.

The world is experiencing significant change, not just due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because of external life forces such as economic, social, and political factors. These forces are influencing people's decisions in significant ways, with 72% of consumers acknowledging their increased impact. Consumers are re-evaluating their priorities, leading to shifting expectations and behaviors when interacting with brands. As a result, the traditional idea of customer experience, which focused on sales and marketing touchpoints, needs to evolve to meet these changing needs.

In this section, we will provide an explanation of what customer experience entails, discuss its evolution and changing trends, and outline the potential benefits that a fresh customer experience strategy can bring to your business.

What is customer experience?

Customer experience encompasses a variety of factors and can be generally defined as the overall impression a customer or business has of a brand. It is present in every interaction between the two parties, and each interaction can either strengthen or weaken the relationship between them.

Creating a good customer experience involves establishing a relationship by comprehending people's wants, needs, and values. It is not just limited to the act of utilizing the product or service: the complete experience comprises pre-purchase connections with the brand (through marketing or awareness), the process of researching and making the purchase (either in-store or online), and post-purchase interactions (such as service, repairs, additions, etc.). The objective is to establish seamless and efficient connections between the brand and the customer.

Brands should always bear in mind that every interaction that people and other businesses have with them triggers some kind of emotional response. Those emotions, whether positive or negative, happy or sad, become linked with the brand. Consequently, customers may ask themselves some crucial questions based on those emotions: Should I make a purchase or not? Do I like or dislike this brand? Should I come back or not?

Recognizing that people's emotional responses can be complex and influenced by various external factors, it is crucial for brands to move beyond a simplified understanding of their customers as mere consumers and respond to their changing needs, desires, and emotions.

Establishing a relationship by comprehending people's wants, needs, and values

Why is customer experience required?

In a market where there is an increasing number of options, providing a positive customer experience is a way for brands to differentiate themselves from their competitors. It enables them to capture public attention and put their product or brand at the forefront of consumers' minds.

Suppose you're a business seeking to install beverage vending machines in your offices. Your customer experience encompasses not only your satisfaction in using the machine, but the entire process of interacting with the brand, making the purchase, and receiving ongoing support or future upgrades. While purchasing, the beverage retailer may provide you with a generic experience, such as displaying pictures of various products.

However, a superior approach would be to employ augmented or virtual reality to deliver a tailored, personalized encounter, allowing you to visualize precisely how each machine type would appear in your workspace. This exceptional customer experience results in your satisfaction, and your colleagues are also pleased, encouraging your business to utilize the same retailer for future vending machine needs.

To boost customer acquisition, loyalty, engagement, and growth, brands should focus on providing exceptional experiences and engaging with customers in more innovative ways.

How is customer experience evolving?

Two decades ago, an explanation of optimizing touchpoints, mapping customer journeys, and producing desirable products would have sufficed as an answer to the question of what constitutes excellent customer experience. However, today's customer-brand interactions and needs have evolved dramatically.

In the face of constant change due to external economic, social, environmental, and political forces, people's behavior is becoming more unpredictable. Consumers are more accepting of contradictory choices as their decisions become a balancing act between what they want, what they need, and what options are accessible.

Responding to the changes in customer behavior and external forces is not a simple task. Oversimplifying segmentation and failing to recognize the impact of external factors can lead to a disconnect between brands and customers. A customer experience strategy that prioritizes the customer's life experiences can help build strong connections that withstand constant change and disruption.

According to research, 64% of consumers wish that companies would respond more quickly to meet their changing needs, while 88% of executives feel that their customers are evolving more rapidly than their business can keep up with.

While businesses have shifted from a product-centric approach that prioritizes performance to recognizing the significance of customer experience, a static view of CX can lead to their downfall. Therefore, businesses require a life-centric approach.

A life-centric approach to customer experience acknowledges that people are multifaceted, complex, and constantly adapting to unpredictable life circumstances. This insight can be used by businesses to meet customers' evolving needs. By adopting a life-centric approach, companies can reach customers at pivotal moments and create connections that withstand constant change and disruption.

A customer experience strategy that prioritizes the customer's life experiences can help build strong connections that withstand constant change and disruption

Who is responsible for customer experience strategies?

Tech and IT: Enabling Business Processes at Greater Scale Tech and IT teams are responsible for developing and implementing technology solutions to support business operations This can include everything from website development to supply chain management systems However, a more customer-centric approach can help ensure that technology is not only efficient, but also supports a positive customer experience

CEO: Prioritizing Profitability Profitability is a key focus for the CEO in many companies This can sometimes result in a short-term focus on cost-cutting or maximizing revenue This approach can be at odds with a more customer-centric focus

Sales: Focusing on the Product the Company Wants to Sell Sales teams are typically focused on achieving revenue targets by selling specific products or services This can mean they are less attuned to customer needs and preferences A customer-centric approach can help sales teams sell more effectively by better aligning with customer desires

Marketing and Brand: Making People Want Things Marketing and brand teams are often tasked with creating desire for products or services This can involve developing compelling messaging, visuals, and campaigns However, this approach can be limited if it doesn't take into account the broader customer experience

Product Development: Creating User-Friendly Products Based on Market Research Product development teams are responsible for creating new products or improving existing ones They often rely on market research to understand customer needs and preferences A more customer-centric approach can help ensure that products are not only user-friendly, but also meet the needs of the customer

Talent: Using Traditional Metrics Based on Employee Performance Within a Function Talent or HR teams are responsible for recruiting, onboarding, and managing employees They often rely on traditional metrics such as performance reviews and KPIs to evaluate employee performance However, a more customer-centric approach can help ensure that employees are aligned with the company's broader customer experience goals

Supply Chain: Focused on Moving Products and Goods to Consumers Supply chain teams are responsible for moving products and goods from suppliers to consumers This can involve everything from logistics to distribution A more customer-centric approach can help supply chain teams ensure that products are delivered in a timely, convenient, and cost-effective manner that meets customer needs.

Operations: Focused on Providing Efficiency for the Company that Often Limits Growth Operations teams are responsible for ensuring that business processes run smoothly and efficiently While efficiency is important, a focus on operational efficiency can sometimes limit growth opportunities A more customer-centric approach can help operations teams identify new growth opportunities that align with customer needs and preferences


The existence of different priorities, targets, and metrics across departments can lead to each department operating in isolation, with blinders to the rest of the company. As a result, companies need to reorganize their internal operations in innovative ways to better evaluate and serve the changing needs of consumers. A more integrated approach is needed to ensure a holistic customer experience strategy that benefits the organization as a whole.

To stay competitive in a constantly evolving landscape, it is imperative for businesses to prioritize customer experience strategies across all stakeholders. This includes not only management, marketing, and sales but also service and other back-office functions. A life-centric approach to customer experience must be embraced by all in order to meet the ever-changing needs of customers.

By aligning the company's existing assets such as talent, data, and technology for more coordinated action, businesses can simplify their internal operations and pursue a common goal. This approach allows companies to pursue an external strategy that prioritizes maximizing the customer experience.

The current business landscape presents a critical opportunity for the C-suite to go beyond conventional CX strategies and redefine their organizations. To thrive in today's market, businesses must prioritize a life-centric approach that comprehensively understands and meets customer needs. Leaders who embrace this mindset and align their organization towards a common goal will emerge stronger, spark growth, and stay ahead of the competition

Future of customer experience is life-centric

In order to adapt to the changing world and thrive, brands must understand the complex life forces and paradoxical behaviors that are driving consumer behavior today. This requires a human-centered approach that incorporates data and technology to respond to the diverse and ever-changing needs of customers. By doing so, brands can harness these changes to emerge stronger and more prepared for the road ahead.

To adapt to the changing consumer landscape and deliver value beyond traditional CX strategies, businesses must shift towards a life-centric approach. This evolution requires a holistic understanding of customers' needs and behaviors, and a focus on enhancing their lives through new experiences enabled by technology and data.

If you want to learn more about what it means to be life-centric and how to develop a life-centric strategy for your business, explore further.

How can companies improve customer experience?

As customer experience has become a standard expectation across industries, it has become harder for brands to stand out through CX alone. From onboarding journeys for new banking customers to online clothing presentations, many of the basics have become ubiquitous.

Traditionally, businesses have prioritized optimizing customer touch points related to their products and services. While this approach has been effective in driving sales and loyalty, it is no longer sufficient. To succeed in the current landscape, companies must take a comprehensive, fluid perspective of who their customers are and what drives their actions, treating them as more than just consumers.

In today's business landscape, it's no longer enough for brands to focus solely on optimizing customer touch points around products and services. Instead, they must aim to enhance customers' lives through technology-led experiences that go beyond short-lived transactions. For instance, omni-channel services that connect brick-and-mortar shopping with customers' digital data can be used for greater personalization. To achieve this, companies need to have enterprise-wide imagination, vision, and empathy for customers. They should be driven to find creative ways to engage and serve people who seek simplification and agency.

Through a process of reassessment and re-evaluation, companies can identify the most valuable elements of their customer experience and align their brand promise to better meet customer needs. This customer-centric approach can lead to increased relevance and growth, as companies are better equipped to understand and anticipate the needs of their customers.

Through a process of reassessment and re-evaluation, companies can identify the most valuable elements of their customer experience