Achieving excellence in managing customer experience – An exploration of smaller details that make a difference

Abstract

Established firms acknowledge the importance of a customer experience (CX) as a leading strategic approach but face challenges in managing customer experience compared to digitally born organisations. However, in theory and practice, the concept of customer experience management is fragmented across contexts and approaches. Therefore, this study to explores a comprehensive and holistic approach to managing customer experience. Drawing upon the theory of the mundanity of excellence, this study introduces a fresh approach to manage and operationalise customer experience based on a framework (ACM): attitudes (A) towards customer experience centricity, capabilities (C) that integrate customer journey management and mastery of methods (M) to optimise customer experience. Integrating insights from indepth interviews with fifty senior leaders, the study identifies nine smaller detail sub-themes encapsulated within three overarching categories of ACM. Furthermore, the study identifies five operational stages of customer experience management - siloed, reactive, cohesive, data-enabled and culture-driven, each distinguished by their focus on specific attitudes, capabilities and methods. Finally, as a practical implication, the study offers guidance on how firms can evolve within the operational stages to better implement the ACM approach providing valuable insights for executives, CX leaders and practitioners.