Why Unified Goals Are Key to Customer Experience, According to Stacy Sherman, MBA. CSP®

In a recent LinkedIn post, Stacy Sherman, MBA. CSP® discusses a critical misconception about Customer Experience (CX), emphasizing that it transcends departmental boundaries and requires a unified approach across an entire organization. Sherman, an acclaimed speaker and CX expert, challenges the notion that CX solely belongs to customer service teams, asserting that every department plays a role in shaping the customer’s perception.

Sherman highlights that customers interact with a company as a single brand, irrespective of its internal structure. The initial point of contact, often with customer service, is merely the culmination of a customer’s journey that may have been influenced by various factors. As Stacy Sherman, MBA. CSP® points out:

“Your customers do not care about your org chart. They experience your company as one brand, not a collection of departments.”

This perspective underscores the need for a holistic view of the customer journey, moving beyond siloed departmental responsibilities. Sherman elaborates on the various touchpoints that can lead a customer to reach out for support, illustrating that the customer’s opinion is often formed long before they engage with the service team.

Debunking the CX Ownership Myth

Stacy Sherman, MBA. CSP® directly addresses the common question of whether Customer Experience is exclusively the domain of the customer service department. She argues that while customer service handles direct interactions, the root causes of customer issues often stem from other areas of the business.

Sherman lists several potential origins of customer dissatisfaction:

• Confusing product design
• Incorrect invoices
• Delayed deliveries
• Malfunctioning applications
• Unclear company policies
• Omitted onboarding steps
• Marketing promises not met by the actual experience
• Difficulty finding information on the website

According to Stacy Sherman, MBA. CSP®, by the time a customer contacts support, their overall sentiment towards the company has likely already been established. This reality necessitates a proactive, cross-functional approach to CX.

Three Tactics for Leaders to Enhance CX

To combat these departmental disconnects and foster a truly customer-centric organization, Stacy Sherman, MBA. CSP® proposes three actionable tactics for leaders:

1. Create One Unified CX Goal

Sherman stresses the importance of establishing a singular, overarching CX objective that every team understands and works towards. She contrasts this with the common scenario where different departments have conflicting or separate priorities. As Stacy Sherman, MBA. CSP® states:

“I’m talking about shared objectives, so everyone prioritized the customer experience above everything else. When departments have separate priorities, customers feel the disconnect.”

A unified goal ensures that all employees, regardless of their department, are aligned in their efforts to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

2. Break Internal Barriers

The second tactic involves mapping the customer journey collaboratively with cross-functional teams. Stacy Sherman, MBA. CSP® advocates for bringing together representatives from product, marketing, sales, service, HR, operations, billing, and IT. This collective exercise aims to identify points of customer confusion, delay, or frustration. The critical question posed is about each team’s role in these issues and how they can coordinate to fix them. Sherman emphasizes that this process is about understanding the complete customer journey, not assigning blame.

3. Set Clear Accountability and Communication Rules

Finally, Sherman advises leaders to establish clear protocols for when customer issues span multiple departments. This includes defining who is responsible for internal communication, who updates the customer, and who ensures the issue is fully resolved. Without these clear rules, problems can linger, eroding customer confidence. Stacy Sherman, MBA. CSP® concludes:

“Companies improve CX when people stop hiding behind job titles and start owning the impact they create.”

By implementing these strategies, organizations can move towards a more integrated and effective approach to Customer Experience, ensuring that every customer interaction reflects a unified brand promise.