Letter from the Editor

By: Tim Young

“Well done is better than well said.”
-Benjamin Franklin

I hate the way I behave on calls to customer service centers. I’m embarrassed by just about every aspect of the process. I hate having to complain enough to be the squeaky wheel that gets some of the proverbial grease, and I cringe when I think of the times I’ve let frustration drive me to browbeat or in any way degrade a well-meaning (if occasionally poorly trained) CSR.

I dislike repeating myself. I dislike having to tiptoe around a problem before I can get properly escalated. I dislike feeling like the $30 a month I’m saving on my cable bill (or whatever) is being exchanged for the dignity I leave tattered on the call center floor.

What bothers me most is that I cannot see what I have seen companies talk about through years and years we have covered customer experience in this industry. There has to be a better way. We’ve been talking about customer experience for so long. Why do so many companies still get CEM so wrong? And, why do I end up in those call centers, dressing down a series of strangers to figure out why my modem speeds are inconsistent, or my package hasn’t shown up, or my payment randomly changed by $2.38?

There are a million answers to these questions, and a lot about our understanding and prioritizing of the customer experience has come a long way. But saying you’re about the customer isn’t nearly as powerful as showing it. And in this issue of Pipeline, we’ll talk about a deep understanding of the customer and the ever-important quest to treat the customer right at every step in the process.

In this issue of Pipeline, we will look at ways to improve CX, and explore how transparency and insight can lay a firm foundation for improved customer satisfaction. We’ll hear from Vodafone on reaching the “experience generation” (read: millennials) and talk about how network visibility will change in the next 2-3 years. We’ll examine the role that AI can—and will—play in the customer experience, and we’ll hear from Cricket Wireless on how large teams can stay nimble and customer-focused in fast-moving times. We bring you all that, plus a word on security for connected cars and lots more news and opinion from the industry.

Enjoy!