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Identifying the Identity of the Organization - The Customer Experience Standards - and how we want our Customers to feel when using our Services
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What makes a brand truly stand out?
Imagine being a customer at this bank - how does that experience feel at different moments in time?
How does it set itself apart from competitors? To truly differentiate in a competitive market, and more importantly, to sincerely care for our customers, a transformation roadmap needs more than just operational tweaks - it requires a unique set of Customer Experience (CX) Standards that don't just define, but actively support and challenge how employees and services should make customers and partners feel.
Over an exciting 4-month journey, we partnered with a driven transformation team to uncover and fine-tune the key qualities that make this organization exceptional and authentic. In a highly collaborative effort, we gathered input from every corner of the company, from all levels and divisions, to capture the essence of their unique CX.
The programme developed for the Bank followed four phases:
Explore & Identify - 1
Define & Verify - 2
Share & Spread. - 3
Experiment & Implement - 4
1.
EXPLORE through in-depth research and IDENTIFY what represents authentically and delightfully the brand's Icelandic service experience, and are the core qualities that make out an impactful and delightful experience.
2.
DEFINE a system, rooted in language - using questions, words, phrases - that motivates and challenges employees to embody the core qualities that represent the Brand's Icelandic service experience, called The CX Standards.
VERIFY whether this initial set of CX Standards resonates with the bank's customers, employees and leaders. Co-create and refine to ensure each CX Standard accurately reflects and supports the desired customer experience.
3.
SHARE the enhanced set of CX standards across the organization in a way that fosters a sense of ownership, inclusion, and engagement among all employees.
SPREAD the concept and application of the CX standards to colleagues and into projects with enthusiasm and passion, ensuring they are embraced and integrated into daily practices.
4.
EXPERIMENT with selected projects and use them as examples to inform the SHARE & SPREAD phase, exploring three possible approaches at different levels:
Level 1: Enhance customer journeys of current services.
Level 2: Develop new services for unmet needs.
Level 3: Rigorously measure outcomes against our standards to ensure alignment with our purpose.
IMPLEMENT these insights into new projects, applying the lessons learned from the example projects.
The Journey in an image
Outcomes
Key Learning Outcomes:
Customer-Centric Mindset:
Gained a deeper understanding of customer needs (23 key needs) through data-driven insights, enabling a customer-first approach across the organization.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
Involved 65 employees and leaders in the creation process, promoting a culture of collaboration and shared ownership of the CX standards.
Iterative Development:
The process of continuous testing, refinement, and feedback taught the organization to embrace an agile, iterative approach to problem-solving.
Empowerment through Tools:
Developed an application tool for the CX standards, empowering employees to integrate the standards into their daily routines.
.
Long-Term Impact:
Sustained Customer Experience Excellence:
With 1 final, well-defined CX standard and supporting tools, the organization is set to consistently deliver a distinctive customer experience.
Increased Employee Engagement:
Employees, having been actively involved and trained as ambassadors, are more engaged and committed to upholding the standards.
Word of Mouth:
Continuous improvements in CX lead to positive word of mouth, an increase in Net Promoter Score (NPS), and enhanced brand equity. In the long term, these improvements result in sustained customer loyalty, increased market share, a competitive advantage, revenue growth, and enhanced brand value
Leadership and Cultural Alignment:
A shared language and approach to customer experience will align leadership and employees toward common goals, reinforcing a cohesive organizational culture.
Methods Tools Techniques
In this 4-month project, we utilized a range of techniques and models tailored to each phase, including in-depth ethnographic interviews, agile methodologies, synthesis techniques, Jobs to be Done (JTBD), reflection methods, facilitation training, and energy coaching.
Duration of the Programme
This program was conducted over four Phases, running from August 2023 until November 2023.
Team Structure
Core Team:
1 Learning Design, Facilitation Lead, Interim Project Lead (E4G)
1 Client Partner (Agent)
1 Project Initiator, 1 Project Manager (Client)
Extended Core Team:
Internal CX Standards Project team (Client, 5)
Ambassador team across divisions (Client, 32)
Our Learnings
IDENTIFYING KEY EMPLOYEES
We repeatedly find that identifying two key types of employees is crucial: Internal Innovation Front Runners and Internal Early Adopters. Drawing from the innovation diffusion curve and Simon Sinek's tipping point (see video), these individuals can be identified through in-depth interviews and stakeholder engagement.
Innovation Front Runners are essential for putting the customer-centered approach into action and serving as ambassadors to engage others. They typical not just agree with CX, but are keen to learn how to truly bring into practice the new ways of working.
Internal Early Adopters are vital for generating curiosity and spreading new ideas, in this case the CX Standards. Through targeted initiatives like the Design Hackathons we appeal to them, and create demand and excitement.
MANAGING LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION CHALLENGES
The project faced challenges with “lost in translation” due to language differences between English and Icelandic. While the acronym TRUE worked well in English (each letter representing a CX Standard), it didn’t translate effectively into Icelandic. We ultimately switched to using a phrase instead. This experience highlighted the need for careful planning and alignment when dealing with multilingual versions for customers and stakeholders.
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