Could these be your "Customer Experience" New Year's Resolutions?

1.       Small Steps.  Don’t ‘boil the ocean’ when it comes to your CX initiatives.  Instead, work on very focused actions that can have immediate impact like changing a policy or improving a process. 

2.       Listen.  Commit to calling 5 customers a month.  No need for an expensive and lengthy survey – pick up the phone and call them. Imagine their surprise when you tell them you’re following up on an order or checking on their satisfaction.  Sure, it’s qualitative but one tweet by a customer that says you called could go viral.

3.       Engage.  Listen to employees across all functions of your organization.  The most learning I ever had in my many leadership roles was sitting down for breakfast with a group of 10-15 employees and asking them what’s happening?  How about one breakfast a quarter?

4.       Learn.  Join @CXPA (the trusted source for all things CX!)  to access beneficial, action-oriented content!  Take a class (check out @Rutgers customer experience management programs). Sign up for a webinar.  Read articles, white papers, books.  And expand your focus beyond CX oriented writings – learning about trends in related markets can help you build a better CX program.  

5.       Network.  Attend your local @CXPA networking events.  Connect with CX professionals online.  Informally share your successes and failures with colleagues inside your organization. 

6.       Utilize technology wisely.  It’s not a panacea but sometimes we treat it like it is.  Put new technology to work, like chat bots and AI, within an established CX framework.  Don’t let the tail wag the dog.

7.       Appreciate.  Your employees - for the jobs they do every day to deliver a great CX.  Your customers for the money they spend with you.  Skip the texts and emails – handwritten notes will WOW them both!

8.       Volunteer.  Give back to your community.  Help a non-profit create great customer experiences.  Mentor a colleague who may be new to the world of CX.

9.       Demonstrate value.  What we do as CX professionals is more than gather surveys, or map customer journeys.  We are the voice of the customer to our organization.  Create opportunities to share what we’ve learned and how what we do can make a tangible improvement in revenues and profits. 

10.   Avoid top ten lists.  Yes, that’s a little tongue in cheek since this is a list of 10 items.  But seriously, top 3, top 5, top 10 lists are great but better customer experiences are much more than what these lists can provide. Use them as a starting point and then be prepared to roll up your sleeves and make things happen! 

What have I missed? What would you add?