Implications of CX Consistency for Researchers – Part 2 – Intra-Channel Consistency

Previously, we discussed the implications of inter-channel consistency for researchers, and introduced a process for management to define a set of employee behaviors which will support the organization’s customer experience goals across multiple channels.

This post considers the implications of intra-channel consistency for customer experience researchers.

As with cross-channel consistency, intra-channel consistency, or consistency within individual channels requires the researcher to identify the causes of variation in the customer experience.  The causes of intra-channel variation, is more often than not at the local level – the individual stores, branches, employees, etc.  For example, a bank branch with large variation in customer traffic is more likely to experience variation in the customer experience.

Regardless of the source, consistency equals quality.

In our own research, Kinēsis conducted a mystery shop study of six national institutions to evaluate the customer experience at the branch level.  In this research, we observed a similar relationship between consistency and quality.  The branches in the top quartile in terms of consistency delivered customer satisfaction scores 15% higher than branches in the bottom quartile.  But customer satisfaction is a means to an end, not an end goal in and of itself.  In terms of an end business objective, such as loyalty or purchase intent, branches in the top quartile of consistency delivered purchase intent ratings 20% higher than branches in the bottom quartile.

Purchase intent and satisfaction with the experience were both measured on a 5-point scale.

Again, it is incumbent on customer experience researchers to identify the causes of inconsistency.   A search for the root cause of variation in customer journeys must consider processes cause variation.

One tool to measure process cause variation is a Voice of the Customer (VOC) Table. VOC Tables have a two-fold purpose:  First, to identify specific business processes which can cause customer experience variations, and second, to identify which business processes will yield the largest ROI in terms of improving the customer experience.

VOC Tables provide a clear road map to identify action steps using a vertical and horizontal grid.  On the vertical axis, each customer experience attribute within a given channel is listed.  For each of these attributes a judgment is made about the relative importance of each attribute.  This importance is expressed as a numeric value.   On the horizontal axis is a exhaustive list of business processes the customer is likely to encounter, both directly and indirectly, in the customer journey.

This grid design matches each business process on the horizontal axis to each service attribute on the vertical axis.  Each cell created in this grid contains a value which represents the strength of the influence of each business process listed on the horizontal axis to each customer experience attribute.

Finally, a value is calculated at the bottom of each column which sums the values of the strength of influence multiplied by the importance of each customer experience attribute.  This yields a value of the cumulative strength of influence of each business process on the customer experience weighted by its relative importance.

Consider the following example in a retail mortgage lending environment.

In this example, the relative importance of each customer experience attributes was determined by correlating these attributes to a “would recommend” question, which served as a loyalty proxy.  This yields an estimate of importance based on the attribute’s strength of relationship to customer loyalty, and populates the far left column.  Specific business processes for the mortgage process are listed across the top of this table.  Within each cell, an informed judgment has been made regarding the relative strength of the business process’s influence on the customer experience attribute.  This strength of influence has been assigned a value of 1 – 3.  It is multiplied by the importance measure of each customer experience attribute and summed into a weighted strength of influence – weighted by importance, for each business process.

In this example, the business processes which will yield the highest ROI in terms of driving the customer experience are quote of loan terms (weighted strength of influence 23.9), clearance of exemptions (22.0), explanation of loan terms (20.2), loan application (18.9) and document collection (16.3).

Next, we will look into the concepts of common and special cause variation, and another research methodology designed to identify areas for attention. Control charts as just such a tool.