Beyond Surveys: Jim Tincher, CCXP on Optimizing Manufacturer CX Programs

In a recent LinkedIn post, Jim Tincher, CCXP discusses a critical imbalance he observes in many customer experience (CX) programs within manufacturing companies, arguing that an over-reliance on survey data hinders their ability to demonstrate value and drive meaningful improvement.

Tincher highlights a stark contrast between high-performing CX programs and those that struggle, pointing to a significant difference in how data is utilized. “The best-performing programs inside manufacturers spend about 20% of their time on surveys. The rest goes to behavioral, operational, and financial data,” he states. This contrasts sharply with less effective programs, which he notes often have this ratio inverted.

The Pitfalls of Survey Saturation

Tincher posits that this data imbalance is a primary reason why many CX programs fail to prove their impact. He invokes the concept of “What You See Is All There Is” (WYSIATI), a principle popularized by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman. “If your team spends all day in survey data, survey problems are all they will see,” Tincher explains. “They will miss the ordering patterns that signal a customer is pulling back. They will miss the delivery failures that erode trust before any survey catches it.” This narrow focus, according to Tincher, leads to a blind spot for crucial operational issues that directly impact customer relationships.

Operational Data as the Key to Growth

In contrast, Tincher points to successful programs that prioritize a broader data spectrum. He shares an anecdote about a leader who built an entire CX program around a “friction index” rather than relying heavily on traditional metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS). This approach, Tincher notes, has fostered significant engagement and growth within the organization.

“One leader I studied built his entire program around a friction index and never used NPS as a primary metric. Nine years later, the program involves over 400 employees in improvement work,” Tincher writes. This illustrates how focusing on operational and behavioral data can embed CX into the fabric of a company, driving widespread participation in improvement initiatives.

Distinguishing Growth from Sentiment

Tincher concludes by drawing a clear line between programs that falter and those that thrive. “The programs that get eliminated are swimming in sentiment. The ones that grow are swimming in operations,” he asserts. His analysis suggests that while understanding customer sentiment is important, it should not overshadow the importance of analyzing the operational and behavioral data that provides a more comprehensive view of the customer journey and drives tangible business outcomes.

Tincher’s insights offer a valuable framework for CX leaders, particularly in manufacturing, urging them to re-evaluate their data strategies and ensure a balanced approach that leverages both sentiment and operational metrics to maximize program effectiveness and prove business value.