The risks of executive escalations
Executive escalations can be a real life-saver for an organization. Whether it’s a high-profile Customer or just someone whose experience has gone completely off the rails, sometimes escalating dramatically can truly save the day for CX. I recently had an experience that was saved by an executive escalation. I happen to know a Senior Director at a service provider that had recently disrupted its service, potentially causing a serious problem for me. He’s in CX too, and as a benefit of swimming in these waters, I was able to reach out to him directly and ask for help. As you’d guess, my issue was handled with great effectiveness and speed.
But that experience got me to wondering: what if I hadn’t ‘known people’? When I worked for a corporation in the Customer Support organization, we had an executive escalations team that was top-notch, filled with professional problem-solvers who had all the tools at their disposal with which to address any issue our Customers may have. They were a well-oiled team, run by one of the best senior managers I’ve seen. But as with any other organization, there are a few inherent risks with executive escalations and how we handle them. […]
Maybe you are already “doing” CX
“You’re soaking in it.” Do you remember that commercial for dishwashing soap that was supposed to be so incredibly good for your skin that the lady who’d gone in (to see Madge, remember?) for a manicure was unknowingly enjoying its benefits, thinking she was dipping her fingers into some wonderful skin tonic? Or have you heard the concept of fish not realizing they’re wet because they’re surrounded by water? […]
Today’s #CXQOTD: Is neutral feedback good?
Maybe, maybe not (how's THAT for 'neutral'?)
It's *only* valuable if you can do something with it. When you see it that way, that actual rating is meaningless in fact! pic.twitter.com/JZxP3var4n— ✵Nicholas Zeisler (@NicholasZeisler) February 11, 2021
The struggle for feedback
I came across the following article I wrote in an earlier part of my consulting career (I was much thinner then). Without knowing it at the time, I foreshadowed a lot of reflection that I use now as an executive CX consultant and Fractional CCO. At the time my practice was mainly focused on training clients and facilitating workshops in Lean Six Sigma and Agile Project Management among other topics…mostly more transactional than the larger and more strategic work I do with clients these days. Nonetheless, I think it is a microcosm of the concept of seeking and acting on feedback wherever you can. I use it still as a consultant and encourage my clients to do the same in their own VoC programs. I’ve lightly edited and updated some parts. Enjoy. […]
Don’t ask questions if you already know the answers
A good lawyer never asks a question for which he doesn’t already know the answer. That’s not necessarily just about being smart and being prepared. Frankly, it’s a manipulation technique used to sway juries and judges: When they get a witness on the stand, the most important thing for an attorney is to control the situation and allow just the right narrative to come through to the audience. People can object to the ethics, but the technique is age-old.
When we in the CX field speak of a similar rule, not asking questions to which we should know the answer. Likewise, it’s not about just being prepared; it’s more in speaking to respect for our Customers. Normally we are referencing surveys, and I’ll start with that, but there’s also another application of this rule I’ll mention in a minute. […]
