You’ve likely heard of typical C-suite level positions like CEO or CIO. But newer, less common C-suite roles are starting to emerge – roles of less renown but equal import.
The CXO, or chief experience officer, is one such lesser-known C level role. A CXO is concerned with everything to do with the experiences an organisation creates for customers. But what does that entail, exactly?
Here’s a headline overview of the CXO role.
What does a CXO do?
A chief experience officer focuses on monitoring, managing, and optimising user/customer experiences. They do so at an executive level – with the decision-making capacity to drive progress.
The CXO role requires cross-organisational strategy. So, the chief experience officer will work with leadership, product design, front-line team members – any department that impacts or interacts with the customer. At each touchpoint, the CXO works to develop product and service strategies that ensure positive experiences.
In short, a CXO is someone on the C level dedicated to improving and maintaining great customer relationships.
In companies serious about adopting and promoting a customer-centric approach, the CXO role is fast becoming a staple.
The chief experience officer and customer service
Perhaps the most definitive part of our experiences with businesses comes from the service we receive. As such, a key part of the CXO role revolves around customer service.
A chief experience officer oversees the experience created through every part of the customer journey. This covers discovery, through to purchase, to use, to any other ongoing service and support needs.
This means that, in terms of customer service elements alone, the CXO will:
- • Oversee the collection and analysis of customer data
- • Work with customer-facing teams on service strategies
- • Research, implement, and optimise contact channels
- • Look for opportunities to empower and upskill agents
- • Identify and introduce tools to boost customer satisfaction
And that’s not all.
The chief experience officer and product design
Because the chief experience officer is all about experience, there’s more than the customer service side to the role. A CXO also deals with the experience that your products and services create in the first place.
Specifically, a chief experience officer takes customer data – user reports, direct feedback, call centre metrics – and communicates it to development teams and product managers. Their goal is to ensure that needs and expectations are being well met.
In other words, the CXO makes sure that the product or service on offer incorporates the experience that customers expect and desire.
A CXO, then, assists with UX design by acting with customer/user experiences as their core focus. They bridge the gaps between the product manager, customer expectations, the abilities of the business, and the resources available.
Why hire a CXO?
As a new role, is the chief experience position worth filling? In short: yes. A CXO brings a host of benefits to both customers and the company — particularly in terms of future success.
Better customer experiences lead to higher satisfaction and a better chance of retaining customers. But better experiences don’t just keep customers around. They make it more likely that a customer will use more of your products and services, too.
Every good experience we have with a brand generates trust. The customer knows they can expect great service and high-quality products. So, because you have someone overseeing everything to do with ensuring great experiences, you gain all the benefits that come with providing great experiences.
Additionally, having a CXO helps you keep a good view of the future of your product. Your business and its products and services are optimised. Your customer-impacting employees are informed. And your whole customer experience strategy is empowered via C level focus.
The chief experience officer role
TL;DR:
A chief experience officer takes an all-encompassing view and approach to creating great experiences. They’re someone with the authority to make needed changes, big and small, that ultimately help to create better experiences.
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