How to unlock automation in CX
Why collaboration, communication and agility are central to successful CX automation initiatives
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The overarching theme of All Access: CX Automation and Generative AI was that open communication and close collaboration with customers are central to ensuring the success of new automation initiatives. Taking customer feedback and having space to fail, learn and improve was described as essential to successful innovation by our expert speakers and panelists, who shared their approaches to automation and innovation.
The event kicked off with a fireside chat with André Beckers, managing director of customer care strategy and planning for Europe at FedEx, who explained how FedEx has worked closely with customers to develop CX automations that serve their needs.
When improving its website and self-service capabilities, the delivery giant asked customers to express their expectations from FedEx’s website and app and suggest opportunities for improvement. Once this data was collected, the customer care team set about testing the feasibility and effectiveness of these measures by implementing some of the suggestions. Customers were then encouraged to experiment with the new features and were intermittently asked for honest feedback. They found that more loyal customers were more likely to give useful and regular feedback.
This approach created a safe space which allowed the FedEx team to be agile. Beckers said in his session that receiving regular feedback from customers meant that “if we fail, we fail quickly and can improve quickly”.
The approach has been largely successful, helping to improve customer experience at FedEx. Beckers explained that “everyone was happy” with customers receiving the services they require and FedEx experiencing ROI on the time and money invested in new CX automations and upgrades.
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Sky-high innovation in automation
The newly launched Innovation Lab at United Airlines has worked with teams across the business to nurture innovation in operations and services including automation initiatives. During All Access: CX Automation and Generative AI, CX Network sat down with Jorie Sax, head of the Innovation Lab at United Airlines, to discuss the team’s approach.
Like Beckers, Sax emphasized the importance of agility and close collaboration. While the Innovation Lab’s customers were described as internal rather than external, the principles of close collaboration still apply. Sax explained that her team has used the safe space that the lab has provided to “prove out new concepts” with colleagues across the business to “ultimately develop and scale solutions that are flexible”.
If the concepts do not work the first time, the team has the time and space to fail, meaning they can “learn from it and adjust and pivot”, Sax noted. While the Lab has remained in its infancy, it has already experienced success via an autonomous wheelchair pilot in airports, which has targeted improving accessibility and the experience of those with mobility difficulties.
Keep communication channels open
The experts who participated at All Access: CX Automation and Generative AI were in general agreement that open communication should be prioritized whenever collaborating with customers and end users, internal or external.
When asked how to approach customers for feedback, FedEx’s André Beckers stressed that when engaging with customers, CX teams must set clear expectations from both sides, explaining the benefits of providing feedback to customers and how the company will act on this to improve services.
Karthik Eashwaran, head of business improvement at Rolls Royce, echoed this sentiment. Eashwaran and his team leveraged low-code/no-code to build a new employee reimbursement tool that saw great success, reducing the volume of calls and emails regarding reimbursement by an 80 percent.
Eashwaran said that implementing this incrementally with plenty of communication and transparency was critical in ensuring adoption. Educating the end user about the benefits of the new system was central to Eashwaran’s implementation strategy.
Eashwaran added that it was important to consider the end-user experience and feedback when measuring the success of the project to ensure that automation initiatives are serving their intended purpose.
For United Airlines’ Innovation Lab, strong communication and education was critical when rolling out the autonomous wheelchair pilot in airports. Sax and her team knew they had to begin with unveiling the capabilities of autonomous objects to ensure the business and customers knew exactly what the product was and how it could improve accessibility.
Sax’s advice for others working on innovative and new products or concepts, especially within large organizations is to “stay inquisitive and don’t be afraid to get others involved”.
