Do you ever feel like your customer service data is a black hole? You put in all this effort to collect it, but you’re not sure what to do with it. 

In this installment of LiveVox’s CX Reflex Series, veteran contact center guru and CX whisperer Annette Franz discusses how to use customer service data to improve the customer experience through data analysis, journey mapping, and feedback loops.

Annette Franz, CCXP, is the founder and CEO of CX Journey Inc. and has spent the last 30 years in the customer experience profession. She started her career at J.D. Power and Associates in 1992 and spent much of the next 25 years prior to founding CX Journey Inc. in 2017 leading consulting services for the major voice of the customer (VOC) platforms, helping clients in a variety of industries develop and execute their customer experience strategies. She has also worked on client-side customer experience strategy for Mattel, Fidelity Investments, and Compellon.

Annette is an internationally recognized customer experience thought leader, coach, keynote speaker, and author of Customer Understanding: Three Ways to Put the “Customer” in Customer Experience (and at the Heart of Your Business). In this book, she outlines the importance of customer understanding through listening (feedback and data), characterizing (personas), and empathizing (journey maps) to developing a customer-centric culture. Her second book, Built to Win: Designing a Customer-Centric Culture That Drives Value for Your Business (Advantage | ForbesBooks), which dives into the ten foundational principles of a customer-centric culture, was released on March 22, 2022. She is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) and an official member of the Forbes Coaches Council.

Data analysis and journey mapping are essential components of effective customer experience management. Through data analysis, contact centers can gain insights into customer behavior, preferences, and expectations. Additionally, journey mapping allows organizations to visualize the full service lifecycle and identify potential opportunities for improvement. By combining data analysis and journey mapping, Franz says contact centers can develop actionable strategies that deliver a personalized, seamless experience for their customers.

Interview highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on customer experience. In the last week alone, more examples of bad customer experiences have been reported than ever before. This is due to a number of factors such as employee shortages, digital transformation efforts that haven’t kept up with consumer expectations, and a lack of understanding of customers’ needs.

To overcome these challenges, companies must focus on two key areas: listening to their customers through feedback and data tracking. By taking the time to actively listen to their customers’ feedback and measure how they interact with various channels, companies can gain valuable insights into what matters most. This will help them better understand their customers’ wants and needs in order to provide an exceptional customer experience.

The pandemic has highlighted the need for businesses to prioritize customer experience in order to remain competitive in today’s market. If they stay focused on listening and data tracking, companies will be able to create meaningful interactions that lead to long-term loyalty from their customers.

For more insider insights and thought leadership tips, check out the full CX Reflex Series on the LiveVox YouTube channel.