CX Lessons Every Organization Can Learn from Big Companies

Want to improve your customer experience? The best examples are right in front of you.

Many of the world’s largest companies are successful because they focus on customers. Their reputation for going above and beyond to make customers’ lives easier and better creates growth opportunities and loyal customers.

No matter your size or industry, here are four CX lessons that every organization can learn from big companies:

Involve and Empower Employees

Every employee, no matter if they’re on the front line or the back office, plays a role in customer experience. The more employees see the impact of their work, the more they will want to serve customers.

Each of the 130,000 employees at Disney resorts focuses on customers. On the first day of training, new employees learn that their primary goal is to create happiness–no matter their job title. Employees receive regular training so they have the best tools to serve customers. Instead of waiting for approval from a manager to solve a problem, employees are encouraged to use their best judgment and go above and beyond to make guests feel amazing. Disney values its employees and gives them the tools, resources, and freedom to serve customers, which creates a magical atmosphere for everyone who enters the parks.

Create a Culture of Customer Obsession

The ultimate mission of Amazon is to become the most customer-obsessed company in the world. It does that by instilling customer-centricity in everything it does. Founder Jeff Bezos famously left an empty chair in meetings to represent the importance of customers, and executives regularly take calls in the contact center to stay close to customers.

For Amazon, customer-centricity isn’t just words on a poster–it’s part of the walk and talk of the entire company, starting with leaders. Amazon sets ambitious customer-centric goals and then measures KPIs to keep teams on track. It leads in innovation by understanding customers and going above and beyond to make their lives easier and better. When a culture of customer obsession permeates your company, it comes through in every product and interaction with customers.

Prioritize Personalization

Each customer is unique and wants to be treated that way. Few things are more frustrating to customers than interacting with a brand that doesn’t know who they are or what they need. One of the best companies for personalization is Tesla. The company’s data-driven approach creates a unique experience for each customer, completely tailored to their preferences, lifestyle, and previous interaction with the brand.

With a single push of a button, Tesla drivers can change their settings to create their ideal driving experience, down to the lights and radio pre-sets. Tesla’s personalization seamlessly integrates into the experience and learns and adjusts the more customers drive their cars. There’s a reason Tesla customers are incredibly loyal–they feel understood and seen by the brand.

Stay Agile and Forward Focused

Many retailers struggled when the pandemic hit and they were forced to quickly pivot to online ordering and click and collect kerbside pickup. But Target was ahead of the curve because it had already built out its store pickup abilities.

Customer demands, trends, and technology are constantly changing. Companies must be agile to adapt and lead these changes and can’t stay set in their ways. Target does this by investing in digital technology that can easily adjust to current trends and blur the lines between in-person and online shopping. By keeping an eye on what’s coming down the pipeline, Target is prepared to pivot quickly and adjust its strategy to reflect current trends and needs.

Customer experience is always evolving. Paying attention to successful brands can help companies of all sizes create effective CX strategies.

About Blake Morgan

Blake Morgan is a Customer Experience Futurist. She’s a bestselling author and was recognized globally as one of the top 40 female keynote speakers. Her book, The Customer of the Future was recognized by “Business Insider” as one of the top 20 books executives are reading to deal with COVID-19. She lives with her husband, their two kids and two dogs in Calabasas, CA. For more information follow her on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.