In this series, we’ve covered a lot of CX basics. We’ve defined what CX is, described how to apply human-centered design to business problems, and even explored CX research. But one question still needs an answer: How do you know if it’s time to call in a CX (customer experience) design consultant?
That’s what we’ll examine in this article. First, we’ll start with an overview of what to expect from a CX consultant and the benefits of hiring one. Then we’ll explain 5 signs that it might be time to consider consumer experience design consulting.
What does a customer experience design consultant do?
A CX design consultant will help you develop a customer experience program that meets your customers’ needs and supports your business goals. We’ll work with you to find the reason behind bottlenecks, slow processes, customer experience gaps, and underperforming business areas. Then we’ll help you to improve and align your systems and fix the underlying issues that caused the original problems.
We’ve dedicated an entire series of articles to the CX by Design consulting process. Check them out if you want a detailed roadmap from the day companies realize they need a CX consultant to how we set our clients up for ongoing CX success.
What are the benefits of hiring a CX consultant?
If you’ve followed this series from the beginning, you know that the customer experience isn’t just about the front-facing interactions between the customer and the brand. It touches almost every part of the business in the background as well.
In other words, a great customer experience has a lot of moving parts. It can be time-consuming and difficult to track, map, and understand how all these parts work together. This requires a specific skill set. It also demands time and energy that many businesses can’t spare from their core activities.
Even if your business has woven CX into its fabric, there can be obstacles to CX growth. In either case, hiring a customer experience design consultant provides a clear direction forward. We bring clarity and experience to any project; with over 20 years of combined experience, we’ve learned to analyze and deeply understand business systems.
In the short term, we can help you identify and overcome current obstacles. In the long run, we can help you develop a sustainable system that clears the way for your business to thrive.
When do you need a CX design consultant?
Clients approach us with all kinds of problems, but these problems can usually be grouped into one of 5 main issues:
1. You’re new to CX or you need to grow your CX.
Maybe you’re starting a new business. Or maybe you’re in an established organization that needs to expand its CX capabilities. In either case, you need help developing and implementing a strategy that will support customers and employees alike. Ultimately, this will enhance your organization’s growth and profitability.
If you are new to CX – or if you have no idea how to expand your current customer experience/service offerings – this is a good indication you need some help from an experienced CX consultant.
2. You can’t justify a full CX team.
Even very customer-oriented organizations can’t always have a full-time CX team. Instead, leaders may ask a customer-facing team like marketing or customer service to take the lead on CX for the whole company. Or they may ask key team members across customer-centered departments to advocate for the customer experience.
If this sounds like your company, don’t worry – you can still provide an excellent customer experience. It just requires some expert assistance and training. Check out our case study on Developing a Company-Wide CX Mindset – Without a CX Team to learn how we helped a mortgage company reach this goal.
3. Your CX team is always putting out fires.
Maybe you have a CX team but they don’t get to spend much time on strategy or long-range projects. Instead, they’re always focused on making quick improvements to urgent problems.
This is an incredibly common scenario. It can simply mean that your CX team isn’t fully established yet and needs some guidance to level up. Or it could indicate some underlying problems in your organizational processes. A CX design consulting team can help you understand and address the real problem.
4. You keep tackling similar problems – or the same tough problem.
A recurring problem is another major reason companies seek out CX consultants. Maybe it’s a bottleneck in a workflow or a complicated customer service issue. Usually, this recurring problem is a symptom of other organizational issues. It takes an impartial, experienced team of observers to unearth the root causes.
To learn about how we’ve helped other clients in this position, read the case studies Improving the User Experience by Streamlining Consumer Repairs and Warranty and
Human-Centered Design, Empathy, & MVP Training.
5. You’re preparing for an update or transformation.
In the early 2020s, the concept of ‘digital transformation’ began coming into its own. Companies founded before the digital revolution were shifting from ‘patching in’ new tech to reworking their organization to include digital at every level.
This is an exciting time; it’s also complicated, challenging, and nerve-wracking. Because CX experts work with all kinds of digital tools and systems, they can help clients navigate this process with minimal disruption. Check out our case studies on
A Roadmap for Omnichannel Transformation Using Near-Term Strategy and
Website Concept, Structure, and User Experience Optimization for more information.
Why hire a customer experience design consultant?
CX design consultants can help your business navigate changes and solve complex and costly problems. We can give you a new perspective on your organization, your customers, and your employees. And we can explain how all three interact.
Perhaps most importantly, a CX consultant can ensure you understand the human needs of everyone your business touches – employees, customers, partners, and leadership. Once you have this insight, you can create a profitable and sustainable business model that will grow with your organization.
So, what’s next in your customer experience design journey? You may want to examine your organization’s CX maturity in light of your business goals. You may want to have a free consultation with us to explore your options. Or maybe you want to learn about our CX consulting services. Whatever you choose, we hope the information we’ve provided in this series helps you move forward with your CX goals!
