Human Connection Drives Growth More Than Speed, According to Jim Tincher, CCXP

In a recent LinkedIn post, Jim Tincher, CCXP discusses a critical paradox in customer experience: while businesses focus on speed and automation, true customer growth is driven by human connection and making customers feel valued. Tincher, CCXP highlights research suggesting that efficiency alone is not enough to retain and grow a customer base.

Tincher, CCXP opens by referencing a conversation with Michael Ramsey from ServiceNow, noting the common assumption about customer preferences. “We’ve been telling ourselves that customers want faster, more automated, more digital. And they do — 75% prefer self-service first,” he writes. However, he immediately pivots to the core finding that challenges this widely held belief.

But when you ask what actually drives growth? It’s not speed. It’s whether customers feel like they matter.

The Empathy Gap in Customer Experience

Delving into research, Tincher, CCXP presents compelling data to support his assertion. He points to findings from ServiceNow’s research, which surveyed over 34,000 respondents, revealing that a significant pain point for customers is the lack of empathy. “In ServiceNow’s research (34,000+ respondents), 50% of customers said lack of empathy was their top frustration,” Tincher, CCXP states. This is further corroborated by AMCX research involving nearly 10,000 B2B customers, where feeling valued had a substantial impact on executive growth intent.

Tincher, CCXP argues that organizations that successfully blend speed with human-centric approaches are poised to lead the market. He contrasts this with companies that solely optimize for efficiency, warning that they risk alienating their customer base. “The organizations that figure out how to be fast AND human will pull ahead. The ones that optimize only for efficiency will keep wondering why their customers are leaving,” he emphasizes.

Shifting the CX Paradigm

To foster this more human-centric approach, Tincher, CCXP outlines three key shifts that businesses should consider:

• Measure differently: Move beyond traditional metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS) to include measurements of empathy, trust, and how valued customers feel.
• Unify systems: Eliminate the frustration caused by customer service representatives juggling multiple tools while a customer waits by integrating systems.
• Treat CRM as a system of action: Reposition Customer Relationship Management (CRM) not just as a data repository, but as a dynamic platform that manages the entire customer lifecycle.

Tincher, CCXP concludes by sharing links to the replay of his discussion with Michael Ramsey and the full CX Shift report, encouraging further exploration of these critical insights. The core message is clear: in the pursuit of customer loyalty and business growth, the human element remains indispensable.