Why Quality Research Matters in CX

by Ankesh Agarwal, CCXP and Michelle Spaul , with special commentary from CXPA’s CEO, Greg Melia, CAE

Does this sound familiar?

Meet Jane, a passionate Customer Experience lead at a mid-sized retail chain. Eager to gain executive sponsorship for a new CX initiative to redesign their click and collect process, in response to rising customer frustration with the existing setup. She walked into the CEO’s office armed with her project plan and opened up with a compelling stat:

“66% of customers are willing to pay more for a better experience.”

She started making her case: streamlined pickup, reduced wait time, and enhanced loyalty.

But the CEO stopped her mid-slide, asking skeptically: “Where’s this stat from? How’s it relevant to our business and region? Can we trust it?”

Jane paused. She found it on online while looking for research to strengthen her case. She remembered that the research was by a provider, but couldn’t recall the exact source. Suddenly, she was not so sure she should have used it.

The moment passed; the CEO thanked her but asked for more robust data—something more relevant and grounded in credible research. Jane left the room feeling frustrated. She felt she had lost her momentum. Her idea, no matter how good, now seemed speculative.

Keen to know what happens next? read on…

The big risks

Unverified stats, out-of-context numbers, outdated reports, vague industry claims, or superficial internal research can set you up for failure, as they:

• Erode credibility for you and the CX discipline
• Create unrealistic expectations with stakeholders
• Invite executive skepticism or, in some cases, outright dismissal
• Present a weak narrative, which is hard to back when challenged by finance or operations
• Undermine the ability to build a compelling CX ROI narrative

In Jane’s case, one unverified stat delayed her fabulous idea at the inception stage. And in a broader sense, it is likely to slow down deployment of new CX initiatives, throttle project funding, and perhaps derail Jane’s entire program.

The solution

Quality research is more than just data, it empowers you to bring meaningful, credible insights into the discussions. It helps you speak the language of your stakeholders and builds a robust case for CX projects.

The key for the CX professional is understanding that research facts must not only be accurate, but that the right research must be chosen to ensure it is relevant to the audience and project stage.

Accurate, relevant research will:

• Build trust with skeptical stakeholders
• Position CX as an impactful and investable business function
• Help prioritize CX initiatives within various teams’ agendas
• Get affirmative nods for investments, implementation, and adoption
• Help you sustain support and participation across stakeholders

And as businesses become more open to CX and CX efforts catch momentum, the use of research shifts progressively from industry generalizations to your own organization’s data. This transition adds credibility to business cases and boosts team engagement by clearly tying CX projects to real business outcomes. It also allows your organization to share its experience and learning to benefit more organizations, creating brand differentiation through CX leadership along with stronger employer branding.

Pro tip:

Tailor your insights for the audience and the project stages. For example: 

…a CEO needs a direct connection between your data and business ROI to approve resources and funding

…the Operations manager will look for feasibility & efficiencies, to be on board with a prioritized project plan

… the Frontline wants to see how this initiative will simplify their jobs and help with higher conversions

As a project progresses,

… general examples from others may help build general awareness of the potential benefits to your organization

… activity-based facts and measures may help build common understanding on how to get the project started 

… measures and benchmarks of project ROI can help assess the progress and efficiency

… research that documents business impact and outcomes can help the business recognize the value of CX

The insight

Circling back to Jane’s predicament, after her initial setback with the CEO, she regrouped.

She researched and evaluated credible industry insights relevant to her business context, collaborated with the analytics team to extract data from past initiatives, and built a compelling, data-backed business case, which helped her secure executive buy-in and project funding.

As the project moved into implementation, Jane partnered closely with the Operations Director, who saw the clear value in the projected outcomes. Motivated by the data and confident it would help him smash his annual performance objectives, he championed the deployment and accelerated adoption within her team.

In the end, credible and contextual facts and figures became Jane’s greatest tools for influence, for investment, and ultimately, for impact.

Next steps in this Conversation

Special commentary from Greg Melia, CAE, CXPA CEO

The CX profession is at a critical stage of development. As more organizations reach advanced stages of CX implementation, there is an increasing need for a more advanced understanding and mastery of research. Much of the existing CX research base was developed at a time when building general awareness and common understanding were priority needs, sometimes priorities driven by vested interests of the research sponsors. Additional insights have been drawn from other fields and applied to CX – sometimes with, and sometimes without, validation for real-world business applicability. As a profession, we are still in the early stages of agreeing on the research and methodologies for measuring CX project ROI and broader business impact.

These reasons are why CXPA has formed a Research Committee. The purpose of the CXPA Research Committee is to:

·        Raise awareness and understanding of the issues highlighted in this article – and develop guidance to help CX professionals use research with confidence and credibility

·        Provide industry guidance to help encourage the growth of quality, reliable research about CX; and

·        Give strategic advice to CXPA leadership on potential roles for CXPA in addressing CX community research needs, including increasing affordable access to reliable CX research  

The CXPA Research Committee members and I look forward to bringing additional value to the CX community. If you are interested in learning more or getting involved, please contact me (greg@cxpaglobal.org) so that we can find the right engagement opportunity for you. 

Together in Advancing CX,

The CXPA Research Committee

Jim Tincher, CCXP (Chair)       

Michelle Spaul (Vice Chair)

Álvaro Pérez Fernández

Ankesh Agarwal, CCXP

Catherine Gauthier, CCXP

Dr. Kartina Sury, QFC

Lori Laflin

Megan Burns

Sahil Shetty

Gabe Smith, CCXP

Greg Melia, CAE