A Simple CX Strategy: ‘Am I Easy to do Business With?’

A line that I say a lot in my work, being a non-technical person surrounded by engineers: “I’m a simple person, so give me the easy version’.

Companies have a tendency to needlessly overcomplicate a lot of things. To look for ways to add layers of complexity or nuance, to add a unique spin on something so that we can say we do it differently or better than everyone else.

I see it in CX all the time. Businesses have the notion that they must ‘delight’ their customers or ‘go above and beyond’ to stand out. I’ve seen businesses send gifts or offer night’s out to customers yet fail to respond to support tickets.

In the B2C sector, the same companies are regularly highlighted for their CX – Amazon, First Direct, John Lewis, M&S, Timpsons. For the most part, their success is predicated on the fact they do the simple things well and dealing with these companies is relatively low effort for the consumer. These principles apply equally in any domain.

When I analyse any company’s CX I start with the same question…

How easy are you to do business with?

This question spans every element of your experience strategy and customer journey and is a simple tentpole by which to measure where you are. A comprehensive and effective CX strategy renders it easy for a customer to interact with you throughout the journey.

It is easy to buy what I want from you.

Your buyer journey is a topic of its own, but in essence your product and service offerings should be as simple and transparent as possible, with clear pricing and contractual terms, and executing the purchase should be streamlined and efficient.

It is easy to get a refund or cancel a service if I am not happy.

This topic is more complicated in the B2B world than in B2C. However, it is a crucial element of your CX program since it is often when relationships strain. You must balance business needs with an empathetic and effective set of policies that provide great CX in what is a difficult relationship moment.

It is easy to get help when I need it.

An effective CX strategy allows you to meet customers where they want to be met. This means that you need to have a multi-channel strategy that makes it easy for customers to have their questions answered quickly and effectively. That could be using anything from self-help tools and FAQs to chatbots and helplines.

It is easy to get something fixed when it goes wrong.

Often the acid test for a company…how quickly and effectively do you react when something breaks or goes wrong. This is frequently a technical issue, but it could be anything e.g., an incorrect invoice. You must have effective processes in place that allow you to capture, triage and solve problems appropriately.

It is easy to be a customer of yours.

A bit of a catch-all category, but in any ongoing customer/supplier relationship there are various recurring elements of the dynamic that must be a part of your CX strategy. From how often you send customer emails, how easy it is to see invoices and how effectively you push product updates, they should all be as frictionless as possible for the customer.

As I repeat regularly…great CX really is not complicated and asking yourself how easy you are to do business with is a good place to start.