Customer Experience Audit | Human-Centered Change and Innovation

Your Guide to Elevating the Customer Journey and Future Proofing Your Business

Customer Experience Audit 101

by Braden Kelley and Art Inteligencia

As a customer experience professional it is always surprising when I encounter a flawed experience that would have easily been caught if the experience had been walked by someone that’s distant from the experience design process – an auditor. To oversimplify things, think of it as secret shopping on steroids informed by the expertise and methods of customer experience professionals that map, compare and improve different experiences for a living.

Companies are in the habit of hiring an auditor for providing an external perspective on their financial reporting, but most (if not all) fail to engage in a similar annual audit for their customer, partner or employee experiences. Given that companies exist only as long as their customers permit them to, this seems short-sighted and incredibly risky.

To explore this situation in more detail, it only makes sense that we should first look at some of the basics of the customer experience and then the equally important customer experience audit.

Understanding the Basics of Customer Experience

At its core, Customer Experience (CX) is the culmination of all interactions a customer has with your brand. Whether it’s a visit to your website, a call to your support team, or the experience of using your product or service, each touchpoint contributes to how your brand is perceived. A robust CX strategy is not only a competitive advantage but a requirement in today’s market. This is where the Customer Experience Audit comes into play.

The Importance of a Customer Experience Audit

Conducting a Customer Experience Audit helps you identify gaps, inconsistencies, and opportunities in your current customer journey. This systematic approach allows you to enhance interactions, fostering loyalty and driving growth. A well-executed audit provides insights that guide innovations and improvements, ensuring that your brand is always delivering value and delight to your customers.

Six Key Components of a Customer Experience Audit

Customer Touchpoint and Journey Mapping: Identify all the points of interaction between customers and your organization across the different phases of the customer journey.
Feedback Analysis: Gather and analyze customer feedback through surveys, reviews, and direct communications.
Performance Metrics: Review key performance indicators (KPIs) such as Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT).
Competitive Benchmarking: Evaluate your CX against industry peers to identify best practices and areas for improvement.
Customer Journey Step and Touchpoint Walking: A lot can be learned by having an outsider walk the key touchpoints and steps in your customer journey, especially those connected to your moments of truth. These are the critical touchpoints in a customer’s journey that significantly impact their perception and relationship with your brand. These moments are pivotal in determining customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy, and addressing them effectively can create lasting positive impressions and drive meaningful engagement – and revenue!
Journey Analytics: Use analytics tools to track customer behavior and identify bottlenecks.

Pro tip: Involve cross-functional teams and outsiders in the audit process to gain diverse perspectives and insights.

Six Steps to Conducting a Successful Customer Experience Audit

Define Objectives: Clearly outline what you aim to achieve with the audit.
Gather Data: Collect quantitative and qualitative data from various sources.
Analyze Findings: Identify patterns, pain points, and opportunities from the collected data.
Implement Changes: Develop a roadmap to address identified issues and enhance the CX.
Monitor and Iterate: Continuously monitor the impact of changes and refine strategies as needed.
Rinse and Repeat: Conduct a customer experience audit at least once a year to track your progress and the success of your improvement project pursuits, while also creating an opportunity to identify new deficiencies that have been introduced as your customer experience continues to evolve.

Conclusion

By undertaking a Customer Experience Audit, you’re not only future-proofing your business but also prioritizing the needs and expectations of your customers. Remember, a remarkable customer experience is not a one-time effort but an ongoing commitment. As you embark on this journey, keep in mind that customer-centric innovation is the cornerstone of sustainable success.

Commit to a culture of continuous improvement, and you will see your brand not just meet, but exceed customer expectations. Let’s create experiences that are not only memorable but transformative.

If you are interested in conducting a customer experience audit of your business, please contact me.

Download the Customer Experience Audit 101 Guidebook as a PDF by clicking the link or the image above.