Thoughts & Tidbits Blog

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably got the memo that AI is going to impact the way we do business. By now, you have probably also played with ChatGTP, Bing, Midjourney or the hundred of tools out there. 
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But while it’s fun to put the Mona Lisa on a surfboard or rewrite an email in the words of William Shakespeare, AI is above all a tool. And I want to learn how it affects my trade of customer-centricity. 

In my recent personal newsletter, Thoughts & Tidbits, I made the case that organisations should match their digital transformation investments with a ‘human touch’ for everything they do.

Tactically, because any digital edge will eventually be copied by the competition. Strategically because, until further notice, humans still pay the bills and we like a side serving of humanity. 

Still, we live in a time where nothing is as it was before.

The other day I saw a customer experience checklist that said a business had to be Easy, Fast, Convenient, Trackable, Personalised and Predictive ... OR ELSE, the relationship with its customers would fall apart.
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In my head, it makes sense. In my heart, I have my doubts. 

Especially when looking at my top 'real life' relationship: that with my wife.

We are living in an age of corporate transformation. 

Every business wants to be more agile, customer-centric, digital, diverse, sustainable, inclusive, and more. In fact, some large companies are running so many change initiatives that merely mentioning the T-word makes people groan. 
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Still, most transformations are a waste of time. 

Depending on your source, 70-84% of programmes fail. So every time organisations press the T-button, leaders gamble resources, pain and late nights for a lottery chance of success. 

Last week, I got home without remembering how I got there​

No, I wasn’t under the influence. Also, as far as I could tell, my brain was still quite functional.
 
I blanked because I knew the road so well that I walked it on autopilot. All I remembered of my journey was the podcast I was listening to. And the cyclist who nearly ran me over. 

To me, customer experience management has always been about making a difference.

Literally, by helping the companies I worked for differentiate. 

Metaphorically, by enriching their customers’ lives. 

Every exponential curve eventually takes you by surprise. Even if you’re watching.

In generative artificial intelligence, for me, that moment was last week.

​I’ve played with it since 2017. But I looked at it as a toddler writing or drawing. The effort and creativity were endearing. Though I felt it had a long way to go.

​Earlier this year, my views started changing.

​I had it coming

During a recent presentation, someone pointed out that I regularly mentioned the need to ‘level up’ the customer experience, but I never really described what that next level should look like. 

It was a fair point.
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Because yes, my point about levelling up is contextual, so my answer is always: "it depends". But that shouldn't prevent a clear opinion on where I think the CX profession should go next.

The answer I gave on the spot was a start.