Here's the latest post on Unlocking CX Potential from our Customer Experience Lead, Natalie Freakley
I am back! After such positive feedback from my last CX blog, I was asked if a follow-up might be on the way, here it is, no getting away from my CX chatter just yet. I briefly mentioned that I would delve into what I believe the security sector can learn from other industries and where that belief is rooted.
My work history has been varied, I have worked in the travel and banking industries spanning over 20 years both front line and management positions so, people and people-pleasing have always been my business. Those two industries have had decades of learning, failing and developing new practices and dare I say it, attitudes, to customer service and experience, yes, service and experience are different concepts. I believe different industries have lessons to teach each other, as although they may provide different services the common theme is a customer and the delivery of an experience to that customer.
I started as a “newbie” in the security industry in 2020 in the middle of a lockdown, great timing right? But this gave me a unique opportunity to view not only our business but the sector and wider industry too. How were we interacting with our customers when we couldn't meet them face to face? Would there be lessons to learn from remote communication, would information be more valuable than looking someone in the eye or shaking their hand?
Here is the brutal truth as I witnessed it: many, not all, view a customer as a function, a number or a statistic on a spreadsheet, a simple transaction. “They need us so I couldn't give two hoots what they are saying or feeling”, sound familiar? We will create a “fluffy” CX role and that way it looks like we care. Wrong!
Here is the thing about customer experience you don't need a CX specialist role or a customer experience team. You need a culture! A culture that puts your customer as a priority, that is driven from the very top and is lived and breathed by everyone in the business. Not your “CX team” It is really that simple.
Customer experience is your business and until this is embedded into your management team and is spoken about, a little bit of faith is necessary. This is because much of it is not directly visualised nor is it measured with monthly ROI, belief in its value will ultimately deliver results in turnover, performance and retention, importantly it starts from the top, with leadership if not nobody in your business will ever demonstrate or believe.
I have recently attended several events where I have spoken about the importance of customer experience (CX) within The Fire & Security industry. It has become apparent that some of our industry colleagues (you know who you are) are facing challenges when trying to emphasise the importance of CX within their organisations. This is concerning because, without a culture that supports and prioritises CX from the top down, it's unlikely that a company truly believes in it.
Can we change this? Absolutely! - but how?
We often talk about the skills gap in our industry, but we tend to focus solely on attracting new talent or engineers. However, there is a wealth of untapped talent outside of our industry, ranging from young professionals to seasoned experts. We need to look beyond our industry and learn from sectors like travel and banking that excel in CX. We should attract people from these sectors (and beyond), in a bid to leverage cross-industry knowledge to improve CX within the fire & security industry. Just as important is identifying and valuing those already in our organisations that have these skills and celebrating them as important, because they are.
There is no shortage of talent out there, and it is up to us to champion our industry and the diverse array of opportunities it presents, from entry-level positions to positions of leadership. As we seek out new talent, let's expand our horizons and draw from a wide range of industries.
Embracing new talent and ideas brings a fresh perspective on CX, leading to innovative strategies that enhance customer experience. Welcoming diverse viewpoints and fostering creativity helps meet evolving customer needs, enriches the customer journey, and invigorates company culture. Ultimately, integrating new talent and ideas is a catalyst for improved customer satisfaction and long-term success.
I'm setting a challenge. By reading a CX article, you're already contemplating the Service v's Experience dynamic. Your team knows what to do, but do they know how to do it? Go and have a look.
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