CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Mapping CX Research
Findings To Marketing
Documentation
By Carolyne Gathuru
T
he
Institute
of
Customer
Experience in Kenya recently
launched a research report on the
state of customer service in corporate
Kenya. This research was commissioned
by the need to have credible data to
drive decision making in the customer
experience space, and anchored on the
premise that “Customer experience is the
next competitive battleground”. The findings of the CX research report
therefore highlight key areas that when
mapped against marketing needs, make
for very important outcomes to be
internalized and actioned. And whereas
various findings from the entire research
have great relevance for the marketing
fraternity, the most in-depth take home
stem from the findings on Documentation
and Reporting.
The report challenges corporate Kenya to
use data to inform customer experience
strategy towards the provision of
delightful customer experiences. Why is
this report important in the light of brand
and marketing objectives, and towards
furtherance of the local and global
marketing agenda? The report indicates that that 73% of the
organizations polled had their documented
customer experience strategy cascaded
down to all staff in the organization.
It further advises that it is imperative
that CX strategy has ownership by all
departments with individual units across
the organization, mapping their specific
departmental deliverables against the set
standards.
That customer experience and marketing
are intertwined and the business case
for the harmonization of strategic intent
between these two departments should
be lobbied at budget and business
development levels, is not in contention.
The very same question may be asked
about the brand and marketing strategy.
How far down the food chain that is the
organizational structure has the brand
Much has been said by management
professionals world over about experience
being king, and what remains to be harmonized
depending on the lens through which it is
viewed, is whether brand experience, consumer
experience, customer experience or just plain
corporate experience are birds of the same
feather or feathers off the same bird.
16 MAL22/18 ISSUE
and marketing strategy gone. Is everyone
aware of what plans exist to uphold
brand equity, expand brand loyalty, and
implement marketing objectives? Would
the team member working in a non-
customer facing department articulately
express what the organization’s key focus
areas are with regards to the brand for that
strategic period? That every individual in
the organization needs to be aware of their
specific role towards delivery of the overall
brand strategy, needs to be underscored.
Unlike customer experience, there is a
relatively positive score on the existence
of documented brand and marketing
strategies. Documentation however, is not
enough. It requires that these documented
plans do not remain the preserve of a
few staff directly in marketing, but to
also ensure company-wide awareness for
customized implementation.
The interpretation of what needs to be
done per department must come from
the team leader, who in conjunction with
the Chief of Brand and Marketing, will
have created the relevant breakdown. No
greater marketers exist than the internal
customer and it is critical for organizations
to be keenly aware of this strength.
The research findings also revealed that
55.4% of customer reports are tabled
to Senior Management, 17.9% to the
CEO or Managing Director, and 10.7%
tabled to Head of Departments. It was
noted that the upward tabling of reports
to both mid and top level management
was commendable and that the area for
improvement was to have this cascaded