Lee Roquet's journey from CX leader to CEO of Finch offers valuable insights for those navigating the complex world of customer experience. By simplifying the CX journey into key moments that matter, organizations can build a foundation for success and growth. As the CX landscape continues to evolve, Roquet's experiences serve as a guide for leaders striving to create meaningful and impactful customer experiences.
What advice do you have for someone's first 100 days as head of CX?
Transitioning from a CX leader to a CEO, Roquet reflects on the challenges and differences in perspectives. He emphasizes the importance of understanding that as a CX leader, you are a slice of the pie. His advice for those embarking on their first 100 days as head of CX includes being a sponge, gathering insights from data and frontline teams, and focusing on key moments that matter. Roquet advocates for a marathon mindset, urging CX leaders to pick three things to improve in their first 90 days and build from there.
What does your CS strategy focus on currently and in the future?
As the CEO of Finch, Roquet outlines the current 90-day focus, centered around launching a new product, defining moments that matter, aligning them with marketing, and standardizing processes. Looking ahead, his vision is to start 2024 with a new product, a refined process, and a company that is scalable, repeatable, and predictable.
How Do You Measure Success With CX?
Lee Roquet emphasizes the importance of scalability and growth in CS programs. Success, he argues, is measured through various key performance indicators (KPIs) such as renewal rates, engagement, NPS scores, and referrals. Additionally, understanding the contribution of each division to the overall profitability of the company is crucial. Celebrating milestone moments, like achieving profitability for an account, is a significant aspect of measuring success in CS.
What pain points do you have leading a CX team?
Roquet shares his experience of managing CX teams, highlighting the challenge of ensuring each team member understands their contribution to the organization's profitability. The pain points arise from balancing efficiency, team management, and maintaining a positive customer experience. As a manager, Roquet underscores the importance of efficiency, considering factors like team size, workload, and individual contribution to achieving success.
How do you establish partnerships and gain buy-in with the C-suite?
Addressing the challenge of obtaining buy-in for CX initiatives, Roquet emphasizes the need to align initiatives with revenue and profit goals. He encourages CX leaders to present solutions that contribute to the company's overall success. Roquet believes that the CX can become the foundation for recurring revenue and long-term success by focusing on the customer and validating initiatives with feedback.
Do you have an example of utilizing customer feedback to improve your company?
Lee Roquet provides a tangible example of using customer feedback to enhance business processes. By analyzing feedback from prospects who didn't convert, Roquet identified a flaw in the sales process—a lack of product demonstration. Implementing changes, such as introducing demos, led to improved conversion rates. Furthermore, Roquet emphasizes the significance of regularly reviewing customer churn data, celebrating wins, and learning from losses to enhance the customer experience continuously.
What is the future of CX?
Roquet begins by contemplating the future of CX in the context of the technological advancements we're currently witnessing. With the rise of open AI and powerful language models like GPTs, he envisions significant changes in service offerings within the next 12 months. AI, according to Roquet, is finally delivering on the promises made over the past decade. He anticipates a shift where e-commerce brands can independently manage customer experiences by leveraging AI to access data conversationally.
About Lee Roquet
Lee Roquet is the CEO of Finch and provided a glimpse into his career path and his transition from the VP of Customer Experience to the CEO role. With a background spanning 25 years in the SaaS software space, Roquet's passion for CX and XM has been a guiding force in his journey. He is active on LinkedIn, where he shares his journey and welcomes conversations around CX. Roquet is also associated with Finch.com, offering support and coaching in the e-commerce space. Additionally, he hosts the Finch Happy Hour Podcast, where he and his team share insights, ensuring that they don't take themselves too seriously in the rapidly changing business landscape.
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.