Unleashing the power of customer journey analytics: A quick guide for CX leaders

August 29, 2023

Most business leaders know they need to understand their customers. But with so many ways to listen, what’s the best way to uncover the information you need to make real change?

That's where customer journey analytics comes in—a powerful tool that can revolutionize your approach to customer experience and business growth. Customer journey analytics can help CX leaders gain valuable insights into customer needs and behaviors and drive meaningful results.

1. Harnessing the power of customer journey analytics

Customer journey analytics provide a holistic view of the entire customer journey, going beyond isolated touchpoints. By leveraging analytics effectively, you can gain a deep understanding of your customer's behaviors, preferences, pain points, and aspirations. These insights empower you to innovate in new ways to serve your customers and identify any gaps in their journey.

Research has found that 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions, and 76% get frustrated when it doesn’t happen.^[1] But with a best-in-class analytics tool, you can use insights to help you create the seamless and personalized customer journey customers expect.

But remember, it's not just about creating a beautiful journey map to hang on the wall—it's about using it as an active tool to drive real impact. With the consolidated, complete view of the customer experience, brands can:

Turn siloed data into actionable insights
Identify cross–channel pain points, reducing customer effort
Share and understand the customer story at every touchpoint
Measure the quality of the customer experience proactively
Predict the likelihood of problematic customer outcomes

In order to truly put these insights to work across the CX journey, you’ll need to make sure the insights you uncover are shared beyond the contact center.

2. Sharing insights for collective growth

Don't keep your customer journey map to yourself! Share it with your colleagues to foster a better understanding of the customer's perspective across the organization. For a brand to truly achieve successful CX, each stakeholder must collaborate to build a common vision and standard to work toward, ensuring every customer touchpoint contributes to the realization of a single vision.

Cross-organizational collaboration when building a CX strategy reaps rewards across the company. There is a proven link between the quality of experience and revenue. One recent report found that when customer service is perceived as a value center at an organization, revenue growth is 3.5X higher.^[2]

In addition, customers expect you to act as a single unit—not as disconnected departments and individual employees. It is more likely than not a customer will interact with many different people in various departments in the course of their interactions with a brand. Brands should ensure they are receiving consistent information across all communications.

3. Accelerating time to insights

Data is crucial for making informed decisions, but it often remains locked up in siloes or fails to translate into meaningful information about the customer. Break down these barriers and ensure that customer data is readily available, accessible, and analyzed effectively.

As Gartner research shows, successful customer and employee interaction outcomes are “moments of truth” in a journey that define best-in-class CX. ^[3] In order to do this, brands must create a journey that is consistent, complete, timeless, and reliable.

But perhaps most importantly, sharing these insights can help your organization accelerate the time it takes to gain valuable insights. Imagine implementing the power of real-time intelligence—leveraging customer feedback, operational measurements, and a comprehensive understanding of the market—to drive your CX strategy.

4. Visualize for cross-functional buy-in

Teamwork and cross-functional cooperation are vital for achieving CX success. Visualizing customer journey insights can be a powerful communication tool to gain buy-in from colleagues in different departments.

Insights gathered through a voice of the customer (VOC) program and other contact center solutions can enable your organization to deliver exceptional omnichannel experiences, at scale, and transform your brand.^[4]

Specifically, contact center CX insights can help your organization:

Quantify and isolate problems and issues
Identify the root cause of problems and issues
Track progress in making improvements

NICE found 95% of consumers say that customer service impacts brand loyalty, and 41% will abandon a brand after two bad service interactions. ^[5]

When everyone understands the value of your initiatives, collaboration flourishes. CX teams that collaborate cross-functionally are more likely to have a high return on investment (ROI) in their CX program. So, don't underestimate the impact of compelling storytelling and visuals in fostering cooperation and driving results.

5. Embracing AI for innovation and growth

Artificial intelligence (AI) has forever changed the customer journey and shopping experience. AI-powered tools can utilize base amounts of data encompassing everything from initial web search to intent. The best way to stay ahead of the curve and fuel innovation is with AI insights. Successful brands can use these insights as tools to tap omnichannel data and gain a deeper understanding of business and customer needs.

AI-driven supply chain inventory management ensures accurate and fluid inventory updates, improving operational efficiency. AI-powered customer feedback insights drive faster change and enable the creation of actionable plans. Customers now expect personalized and predictive experiences, and AI-powered automation can deliver on those expectations, speeding up response times and problem resolution.

Learn more about why AI is the future of CX with this white paper.

The takeaway

As customer experience leaders, we have a crucial role to play in shaping the future. Embracing customer journey analytics and leveraging AI technologies empowers us to create exceptional experiences, enhance employee satisfaction, and define what's next in the evolving CX landscape.

Customer journey analytics, when leveraged in an overall strategy, can be a game-changer for CX leaders. By harnessing powerful outcomes, sharing insights, breaking down data siloes, visualizing customer journey maps, and embracing AI, you can drive meaningful results and deliver remarkable experiences. So, seize the opportunity to understand your customers better, innovate faster, and shape the future of customer experience.

[1] NICE: Listen up: Get a 360-degree view of interactions to elevate customer experiences (2023)
[2] Accenture: End-to-Endless Customer Service (2022)
[3] Gartner: Gartner: Achieve best-in-class CX wins through total experience (2023)
[4] NICE: From Contact Center to Impact Center (2023)
[5] NICE: CXone | Digital First CX Report (2022)

About the Author

Jeannie Walters

Jeannie Walters is an award-winning customer experience expert, international keynote speaker, and founder of Experience Investigators, a firm that’s pioneered helping companies increase sales and customer retention through elevated customer experiences. Trailblazing the movement from “Reactive Customer Service” to “Proactive Customer Experience,” Jeannie is considered a leading authority for improving both employee and customer relationships. A Certified Customer Experience Professional and charter member of the Customer Experience Professionals Association, Jeannie’s worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies. As a Professional Member of the National Speakers Association, Jeannie has spoken to tens of thousands of people across three continents on the power of proactivity to increase brand loyalty.

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