Why do businesses that seem to have it all still fail to retain loyal customers? They may be strong in other areas but not so much in customer experience. But the question of “What then do their customer experience specialist do?” will surely pop up.
All right, since the question is already out there, we’ll also need to know more about who a customer experience specialist is.
The main purpose of this guide is straightforward: to give you enough information to help you become an excellent customer experience or CX specialist. In addition, it covers the essential skills that such professionals need to excel.
Furthermore, it reveals the difference between a customer experience specialist and a customer representative. Moreover, don’t just take it from me; why don’t you read it till the end and let me know your thoughts?
Who is a Customer Experience Specialist?
A customer experience specialist, also known as a CX specialist, is a professional whose responsibility is to manage and improve customers’ overall experience with a brand or a company.
In addition, they ensure that customers receive exceptional services when they patronize the brand.
Moreover, a CX specialist understands customer behaviour and preferences and ensures that their needs are met, thereby improving customer loyalty.
Essential Skills of a Customer Experience Specialist
As an individual who desires the role of a customer experience specialist, or if you already are one, there are very important skills you need to have. Irrespective of the organization you eventually find yourself in, these skills are essential to your success. Let’s take a look at them:
I. You must adapt to different situations, environments, and customer behaviours.
II. Have high problem-solving abilities.
III. Develop the ability to listen actively, which you’ll need when customers ask you to listen to them.
IV. Have a nudge for conflict resolution.
V. Be a team player.
VI. Hone your customer relationship management (CRM) software and systems skills.
VII. Solid knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
VIII. Have in-depth knowledge of the products and services offered by your company.
IX. You should have proper time management skills.
X. Show excellence in communication, both in written and spoken forms.
Read also: Competitive intelligence analyst: Key skills and steps to succeed
Key Responsibilities of a Customer Experience Specialist
Your responsibilities as a customer experience specialist include the following; however, there could be added responsibilities depending on your company.
I. You’re expected to develop and implement customer experience strategies that align with the goals of the company or organization you work for. These strategies are intended to enhance the overall experience of your customers.
II. You’re expected to collect data from customers through different means, such as surveys and interviews. Once you’ve done that, you are to analyze the data and then use the result to know what and where you need to improve.
III. You’re to ensure that every contact point with customers, such as websites, apps, and your company’s physical location, is optimized to give customers the best experience they could ever wish.
IV. You are to use KPIs to measure and monitor the satisfaction of your customers.
V. It’s necessary that the rest of the employees are trained on how best to deal with customers; hence, you have to ensure you train them so that they in turn will offer the best customer service.
VI. You’re expected to work with other teams in other departments like the sales and marketing department, HRM, and mobility for optimum operational excellence and to give the customers the best experience they deserve.
VI. You’re to resolve any complaint, dissatisfaction, or escalation that may arise from customers. Not only will you resolve them, but you’ll do so with empathy and as soon as possible.
Read also: Leadership skills every entrepreneur needs for business to success
A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Customer Experience Specialist
If you’re new to customer experience services and want to be a specialist, you’ll need to follow these steps:
1. Obtain Relevant Education
The first step in becoming a CX specialist is to get a bachelor’s degree in business administration, economics, marketing, and customer relations. You must do so because it will provide a solid knowledge base and skills you’ll need to actualize your goals.
2. Gain Customer Service Experience
Develop your customer skills by seeking out roles that bring you directly into contact with customers.
This could be from an internship, an entry-level position, or even a part-time job. All you want to do is practice, practice, and practice more!
3. Develop Excellent Communication Skills
In your quest to become a CX specialist, you need to develop strong communication skills because it’s almost your everyday experience communicating with customers.
Additionally, you need to be great at effectively relating to your customers through speaking or writing. This is completely unavoidable and should be considered crucial to your success.
4. Learn About Customer Experience Principles
Learning about the principles that guide customer experience will be advantageous to you. It is crucial because you need to understand customer experience concepts and methodologies fully.
Moreover, read books, industry-based publications, and articles that cover the areas of your interest.
5. Seek Professional Certification
A professional certification is a win for you if you can complete one. Different organizations offer professional courses like Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP).
Moreover, attending a professional course will further enhance your expertise when you work as a CX specialist.
6. Continuous Improvement
This step is a continuous process that involves doing what it takes to never remain in a certain position for too long.
You’ll have to keep reading, attending seminars and conferences, networking, and doing anything else you can to keep improving.
It also implies that you monitor your growth and performance to make adjustments when needed.
Excelling as a Customer Experience Specialist
Suppose you are already a customer experience specialist and desire to excel. In that case, you only need to improve the skills you have honed over time.
Excelling means being at the top of your game, and that can only happen when you’re actually at the top of your game. In addition, you must do away with any form of complacency that may give you comfort at the level you’re currently at.
Furthermore, excelling means identifying loopholes and tying loose ends you may encounter as you work. The extra effort you put into your work makes you excel.
Moreover, it’s not a difficult place to be; it just demands a more conscious and intentional approach.
Customer Experience Specialist vs. Customer Representative
Although these two roles—customer experience specialist and customer representative—may seem similar, their scope and roles are very different.
Aside from having different roles, there are also differences in their focus, expertise, interaction, and how they collaborate.
On the one hand, a customer experience specialist is responsible for managing and improving the overall customer experience with a brand. Moreover, a CX specialist is very strategic in ensuring customers get the best experience.
On the other hand, a customer representative is an individual who is more of a first-contact individual and has direct interaction with customers. Their duties are not to see that the overall customer experience is excellent but to directly interact with customers to help them with their needs.
In more simple terms, a CX specialist has a broader role that includes that of a customer representative but not vice versa.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a customer experience specialist measure the impact of their initiatives on overall customer satisfaction?
A CX specialist can do so by checking their customer retention rates, conducting customer satisfaction surveys, and collecting customer feedback.
How can a customer experience specialist deal with upset and difficult customers?
By remaining calm and empathic while actively listening to the angry customer, you can offer a solution that helps them.
How can a company measure the return on investment (ROI) of customer experience initiatives?
They can do this by paying attention to important metrics like the amount spent on ads to acquire customers, customer lifetime value, growth in their revenue, etc.
Conclusion
As mentioned earlier, this article’s purpose was to give you the necessary information you need to get listed as a customer experience specialist and even what to do to excel if you’re already one.
Follow the steps duly to become a CX specialist who’ll make a difference in his job. It is also important to note that this journey is a steady and continuous process, more of a marathon than a sprint.
Furthermore, you need to combine all your skills and experience to be at the top of your game. Moreover, you’ll achieve your goals with a growth mindset, perseverance, and consistency.