Please note that in this article UX/CX can be used interchangeably
I recently published a poll on Twitter to see what people preferred, cooking or baking. Here are the results in just 3 hours.
An overwhelming win for cooking. While neither choice is wrong, I wanted to see what people preferred. You see, I prefer baking. Baking has some artistic elements to it but ultimately it comes down to a set of instructions that need to be followed for it to come out right. Sure, there can be some substitutes, but you just can’t substitute baking soda for baking powder.
When it comes to cooking, the audience and my sister’s favorite, you get a lot more wiggle room to be creative and add your own spin on things. Substitute red meat for chicken in a stir fry? Sure why not. Add some chopped or blended veggies to your spaghetti sauce for a healthy twist, go for it! Ultimately, it typically doesn’t ruin the dish.
To create quality over and over, your need a base recipe
When it comes to CX, you are cooking. In order for the dish, to truly be repeatable there needs to be a base recipe. AKA in order for your department to run at its best, you need repeatable processes in place.
By creating a documented workflow and defined customer journey, you are creating a reliable base recipe.
Learn to adapt and substitute with what you have
However, the beauty of cooking is that some parts are adaptable. When you have the base recipe (processes) set, you can experiment with the extras you have in your fridge (department). That’s what makes the recipe yours and unique!
When you look at your department specifically, the staff you have, and the technology you offer, those are all elements you can and should work into your recipe. You don’t have a CX-only staff member, what can you substitute or add to the recipe to ensure it still comes out well every time? Be creative! Find what works for you. Adapt your recipe as time goes on with introduced elements, and get rid of some that hold back the true essence of the dish.
Your written recipe (staff workflow + customer journey) needs to work for your department the ingredients it has. Owning it and using it to your advantage will make you unique and ultimately drive customers to come back over and over. Why? Because you’re reliable and you offer them something different!
Without people eating it, the effort will be wasted
Speaking of people eating, a cook without people to eat the food is kind of pointless. What I mean here is that regardless of how good you think your proposed workflow and customer journey may be, without by in, the point is moot.
The people experiencing your dish are just as important as the recipe itself. You need their feedback, their input, and ultimately their buy-in. Last year, I attempted to start a CX overhaul in my department. It did not go well. Why? Because although I had the buy-in of the higher-ups, the team was not a part of the process.
I had begun to create what I thought was a good recipe after getting people’s votes on what the dish should be. But I never went back to them to see if they liked the results. What came from that? They didn’t come back.
Evaluate the recipe, and keep making it better
Recipes should be a living document. Get feedback from faculty, your fellow teammates, and the students, and make the recipe better every time. If they didn’t like this substitute, what would work better in its place? Or should we nix it completely? These are important follow-up questions that make what was good, great.
Secret recipes are fun but having people to share your best dish with is even better
I have full confidence that what you come up with for your department will be exceptional. You’ll soon have the perfect feedback loop and the recipe only gets better. But ultimately, you need to admit to yourself, you aren’t KFC. What good does it do you to keep it a secret when so many people can use your recipe as their base to create their own unique dish?
Personally, once I’ve created the base of what I know will be an exceptional workflow and customer journey, I plan on sharing it with as many people as possible. It’s important for us chefs to stick together.