Using feedback as fuel: Agile CX optimization

Last year saw a marked rise in customer and employee feedback translating into real business improvements. The panel of 120 CX experts in the Big Book of Customer Experience 2021 revealed that process and product improvements based on feedback data stood as the most common technique for personalizing customer experiences. The popularity of this method rose by 13 percent from the year prior.  

The fact remains, however, that almost half of the study’s survey respondents admitted they fail to utilize voice of the customer data for process or product improvements.  This is a concerning reality, as the primary purpose of collecting feedback is to act on the insights so customer experiences can be optimized. 

Zach Reece, owner at roof repair and installation organization Colony Roofers, remarks on the value of feedback-led process and product improvements: “Such a focus will ensure that customer experiences are driven by the need to add value to the customer, rather than the company’s desire to make fancy products or services,” he states. “The most valuable products and services are always those that solve the customer’s problem in exactly the way they need it at exactly the time they need it.” 

To do this consistently, CX professionals could benefit from embodying a more Agile mindset. This mindset is laser focused on continuous improvement in the mission to deliver services that truly fulfil customer needs. 

Short development cycles and thorough cooperation around stakeholder feedback are used to embrace the disruptive nature of evolving service architecture. In an interview with PEX Network, Thomas Kohlenbach, senior product specialist at automation platform provider Nintex, notes that by embracing an Agile approach: “The result is a business that is more responsive to a fluctuating environment and better placed to respond appropriately when conditions around it change.” 

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Tips for building a customer centric, Agile business culture:  

Clarity with Agile development processes: Because of the tight timeframes and rapid shifts that Agile encourages, process break downs can be destructive. For Agile development to be effective, employees should know what to expect next at any point in the cycle, and who is responsible for handoffs.  

Blend structured and unstructured data: Brands struggling to achieve useful insights from structured, quantitative data alone should look to unstructured, qualitative sources. Louise Hope, sales development manager for commercial operations at Orion Corporation, says: “We need to leverage the opportunities that improved data access gives us while overlaying the real human element of what all this data means with regard to employee and customer experiences.” 

User testing pilot experiments, net promoter scores (NPS) verbatim comments and product focus groups are invaluable qualitative tools. The themes and notions that they highlight can provide a reality check on whether you are on track for delivering upgrades that will be appreciated by your customers.   

Strive for resilience and creativity: Successful Agile business cultures are rooted in the ability to thrive during change. Nintex’s Kohlenbach says that this versatility blends: “resilience and creativity [which] allows a company to adapt quickly and effectively when faced with uncertainty.”

Stay connected with each other: As teams perform short-term sprints to upgrade customer experiences, they must not lose touch with the various teams impacted by the product and process changes.  

Development processes should feature routine demonstration meetings with key stakeholders. Attendees should be given accessible visualisations on how the project is progressing and be welcomed to provide input.  

It is vital to ensure frontline staff are included in this process so they can fully bring the customer’s perspective to life. To this point, Hope notes: “If we are … building a customer journey without input from those who know the customer best — we might as well stop now.” 

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