Jeremy Watkin, the Director of Customer Experience and Support at NumberBarn, recently shared his journey into the world of CX, which began in a contact center right out of college. Over the years, he progressed into management and discovered the broader concept of customer experience. He emphasizes that customer service is just one piece of the larger CX pie. Jeremy's fascination with the voice of the customer and his dedication to integrating this into every aspect of the business has shaped his approach to CX leadership.
What advice do you have for someone's first 100 days as head of CX?
For new CX leaders, Jeremy advocates for a listening-first approach. He suggests immersing oneself in frontline training, understanding team pain points, and deeply analyzing customer interactions. Building bridges across different departments and working towards a common mission is crucial. According to Jeremy, aligning with a company’s mission and fostering interdepartmental collaboration sets a solid foundation for effective CX leadership.
What does your CX strategy focus on currently and in the future?
Jeremy’s current CX strategy at NumberBarn focuses heavily on the voice of the customer. He emphasizes the importance of looking beyond survey results, noting that many customers do not respond to surveys. Jeremy has implemented triggers in their ticketing system to identify and address customer pain points. Additionally, leveraging AI and self-service tools to reduce friction and improve customer interactions is a key area of focus.
How Do You Measure Success With CX?
According to Jeremy, measuring CX success is a work in progress. While traditional metrics like customer satisfaction and NPS are important, he also integrates CX into quality assurance processes. He believes in evaluating whether customers would be satisfied with their interaction and continually refining their AI and self-service tools. The goal is to balance efficient customer support with a personalized touch.
What pain points do you have leading a CX team?
One of Jeremy's biggest challenges is prioritizing initiatives with limited resources. He stresses the importance of strategic thinking and avoiding the temptation to react impulsively to every issue. Balancing immediate customer concerns with long-term strategic goals requires emotional intelligence and a collaborative approach with engineers and product teams.
How do you establish partnerships and gain buy-in with the C-suite?
Jeremy highlights the importance of communication and demonstrates the impact of CX initiatives on revenue and resource allocation. Understanding the financial implications and working closely with the C-suite to align priorities is essential. Jeremy views his role as a mediator who effectively translates the needs and insights of the CX team to the executive level.
Do you have an example of utilizing customer feedback to improve your company?
A standout example of Jeremy’s approach to using customer feedback involved the number porting process at NumberBarn. Jeremy’s team created detailed guides for porting numbers to different carriers by analyzing customer satisfaction data and internal knowledge. This initiative significantly reduced the time required for number porting and improved the overall customer experience.
What is the future of CX?
Jeremy believes the future of CX lies in the synergy between AI and human agents. As AI handles more routine tasks, human agents will take on more complex problem-solving roles. He envisions a future where support agents are highly skilled knowledge workers with tools that enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
About Jeremy Watkin
Jeremy’s passion for CX extends beyond his role at NumberBarn. He founded the blog "Customer Service Life" over a decade ago, where he shares his experiences and insights. Jeremy is approachable and eager to connect with others in the CX field. He is active on LinkedIn and Twitter (@JTWatkin) and encourages anyone with questions to reach out.
About CX Chats
CX chats is an interview series with Ben Holland, where we talk to industry leaders in the field of customer experience and customer success. Each interview dives deep into the insights from each leader and highlights how they became successful, tips for aspiring CX professionals, and their thoughts on the future of CX.