In a recent LinkedIn post, Jim Tincher, CCXP, challenges a common assumption many customer experience professionals hold: that executives are primarily concerned with survey scores. Through his research, Tincher reveals that C-suite leaders are far more interested in tangible customer behaviors that impact the bottom line.
Tincher, who interviewed 34 C-suite executives for a study with CXPA, found a striking lack of focus on survey results among those he spoke with. He notes:
“I interviewed 34 C-suite executives in a study with CXPA. Only one spent meaningful time talking about survey results. One. She treated service scores as a leading indicator of financial performance, which is how everyone should view them.”
This singular executive’s perspective, Tincher suggests, is the exception rather than the rule. The overwhelming majority of the executives he interviewed prioritized observable customer actions over abstract scores.
Focusing on Actionable Customer Behaviors
According to Jim Tincher, CCXP, the executives he surveyed were more attuned to metrics that directly reflect customer engagement and financial health. These include:
- Renewal rates
- Churn
- Cross-sell opportunities
- Complaint volume
- Signals indicating account consolidation or potential defection to competitors
As Jim Tincher, CCXP points out, these leaders are deeply customer-focused, but their focus is on what customers *do*, not just how they *feel* about their experience as captured by a score.
Earning Executive Attention Through Business Impact
Jim Tincher, CCXP argues that for customer experience programs to gain traction with senior leadership, they must align with the executives’ existing priorities. This means shifting the conversation from survey data to the customer behaviors that drive financial performance.
He advises:
“If you want to earn executive attention for your program, start where they start. What are the customer behaviors that drive your P&L? Are accounts reordering across multiple product lines? Are they consolidating volume with you or splitting it among competitors? Are they giving you referrals to their peers?”
Tincher suggests a backward-looking approach: identify the key customer behaviors that signal growth or decline, and then work backward to understand the experiences or operational issues that influenced those behaviors.
The Power of Operational Improvements
In one compelling case study, Tincher recounts working with a distributor where the critical predictor of long-term growth wasn’t a satisfied customer sentiment, but the operational friction experienced in the first two weeks of onboarding. Customers struggled with a disjointed setup process for ordering and payment, leading to dissatisfaction and a reluctance to increase business.
The solution, as highlighted by Jim Tincher, CCXP, was not a better survey to gauge dissatisfaction, but a fundamental improvement in the operational process itself.
“The fix wasn’t a better survey. It was a better operation.”
He concludes by urging CX professionals to align their efforts with executive perspectives.
“Start with the behavior you need. Work backward to what broke. That’s the path your executives are already on. Meet them there.”
By focusing on demonstrable customer actions and their direct link to business outcomes, rather than solely on survey metrics, CX leaders can more effectively communicate value and secure executive buy-in.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Jim Tincher, CCXP on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on March 26, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →