The Abridged CX GUIDEBOOK 📖

Hi Friends,

Firstly, congrats—you made it through a chaotic and eventful summer. Hope you have something relaxing planned for Labor Day Weekend!

Secondly, if you’ve been lurking in the silly shill corner of Twitter or LinkedIn, you might think everyone’s out here crushing it right now. But let’s be real—the data says otherwise.

The next year might be tougher than the last, so let’s focus on building strategically and thoughtfully and keep the noise at bay. 

It’s also the one-year anniversary of “CX Unlocked,” a 46-page guidebook I wrote to redefine how businesses think about customer experience. 

In it, I share a framework to elevate CX from hiring your first support employee to creating those magical moments that keep customers coming back. 

With the current climate demanding efficiency and retention more than ever, I thought now would be the perfect time to revisit some of my fav insights in a digestible and fun way.

A little giveaway exclusively for newsie readers: 

Download the full ebook and share a screenshot of your favorite part on LinkedIn by September 9, 2024, for a chance to win a beautiful, heavyweight matte-printed version. 😍

Make sure to tag Gorgias and me in your post so we can see your entry. I'll be selecting 10 winners.

Ok, let’s dive in.

This week’s newsie is brought to you by Gorgias, one of the OGs, who sponsored this newsie way back in the early days. 

Gorgias works with 15,000 ecommerce brands and has been my CX helpdesk of choice at both OLIPOP and Jones Road Beauty. 

On July 1st, Gorgias launched AI Agent to give your team more time to spend on the interactions that matter and less time stressing about monotonous tasks. 

• AI Agent is your newest team member. It sends accurate, personalized responses in the blink of an eye.

• Using the latest artificial intelligence technology, AI Agent learns your brand voice and support processes to handle your most repetitive tickets.

• AI Agent can also connect to Shopify and other tools to perform Actions (like updating a shipping address or canceling a recent order) to fully resolve tickets.

With AI Agent on your team, you can:

1. Resolve up to 60% of support volume with cost-effective AI

2. Delight customers with instant and personalized answers 24/7

3. Focus your team’s time on complex, VIP, and high-value conversations

To learn more about Gorgias AI Agent, head on over here.

Part One: The Foundations of Remarkable CX

When we talk about Customer Experience (CX), it's easy to get lost in the buzzwords—omnichannel, personalization, AI-driven support. But at its core, CX isn't just about the latest tech; it's about creating a foundation that allows your team to genuinely connect with customers. And guess what? That foundation starts with the people you hire.

1. Hire for Empathy, Train for Skills:

Let’s kick things off with a fundamental truth: Hire for empathy, and train for skills. 

Technical skills can be taught, but genuine empathy—the ability to put oneself in the customer’s shoes—is a rare quality that can make or break your CX team.

When you hire for empathy, you’re building a team that naturally cares about the customer experience. 

They aren’t just answering tickets; they’re solving problems, calming nerves, reading between the lines, and making customers feel heard and valued. From my personal experience, I have never been able to train for this. 

Snippet from the Guidebook:

At OLIPOP, we didn’t just hire support reps; we hired storytellers. We brought on people who could connect with our customers, understand their concerns, and convey our brand’s voice in every interaction. We believed in wearing our hearts on our sleeves, and that started with our hires.

To be honest, one of the best employees I have ever hired was someone who came from a cold Linkedin DM (HI Chasia!). Before even chatting with her, I knew her tone, diligence, empathy, etc, would be perfect for the CX role I was hiring for. 

The takeaway here?

Prioritize empathy in your hiring process. Conduct interviews that assess a candidate’s ability to handle real-life customer scenarios. Ask them how they would deal with a frustrated customer or a situation where they don't have all the answers. Their responses will tell you more than any resume ever could.

2. Build a Culture that Celebrates Customer Moments:

Next up: Build a culture that celebrates customer moments. Creating a culture that celebrates customer moments—both big and small—is crucial. 

And no, I’m not just talking about those rare, viral-worthy moments of “wow” that we all aim for. I’m talking about the everyday moments when your team goes above and beyond.

Every time a customer reaches out, it’s an opportunity to create a memorable experience. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture; sometimes, a simple acknowledgment of their issue and a sincere effort to make things right is enough. 

Think of the times you’ve been a customer and a company has turned around a less-than-ideal situation—those moments stick with you. They build trust and loyalty.

Snippet from the Guidebook:

We had a motto at my previous role: ‘Every touchpoint is an opportunity.’ We celebrated small wins—like a quick resolution or a customer who left a chat feeling more informed. We made sure our team knew the impact of their efforts, creating a culture where every customer interaction was valued.

Building this culture requires intention. 

Celebrate your team’s wins, big or small, and create an environment where customer-centric thinking is the norm, not the exception. This kind of culture doesn’t just happen overnight; it’s cultivated through consistent reinforcement and recognition.

3. Leverage the Power of Feedback Loops:

And let’s not forget one of the simplest yet most effective tools in the CX arsenal: feedback loops.

It’s one thing to tell your team to listen to customers; it’s another to create structured, systematic ways for that feedback to flow back into your organization. 

This could mean regular debriefs with your CX team, CES or NPS surveys sent out after customer interactions, or even more informal methods like Slack channels dedicated to customer insights.

Snippet from the Guidebook:

We implemented a system where every piece of feedback was logged, reviewed, and discussed. Whether it was praise or a complaint, we treated it as a gift.

The feedback didn’t just sit in a database; it drove change, from product tweaks to policy updates. When customers see that their voices are heard, it’s powerful.

By closing the loop, you show customers that their input matters, building trust and fostering a deeper connection with your brand. Internally, it empowers your team to see the impact of their efforts and understand that their work directly contributes to the company's growth.

Part Two: Scaling CX with Efficiency and Impact

Alright, friends, let’s keep this train rolling. Now that we’ve laid the groundwork with empathy, culture, and feedback, it’s time to talk about scaling these practices—because, let’s be rhonest doing CX right isn’t just about the warm fuzzies. 

It’s about driving growth, retention, and, yes, efficiency.

The current climate demands that we do more with less, and the truth is, great CX isn’t about having the most enormous budget.

 It’s about being smart, agile, and strategic. Let’s dig into how you can scale your CX efforts without burning resources.

1. Automate the Routine, Personalize the Unique:

One of the key messages from “CX Unlocked” is that automation isn’t the enemy of empathy—it’s an enabler. The trick is knowing where to draw the line. 

Use automation for routine, repetitive tasks that don’t require a human touch. Think of order status updates, shipping notifications, or basic FAQ responses.

But when it comes to unique, high-touch interactions, that’s where your team’s empathy should shine.

Snippet from the Guidebook:

Automation doesn’t replace human interaction; it enhances it. By freeing up your team from the mundane, you give them the time and energy to focus on what really matters—those moments that can make or break a customer’s experience.

For example, at OLIPOP, we automated the hell out of order tracking and delivery notifications. 

This allowed our team to spend more time on the things that truly mattered—like writing handwritten notes for loyal customers or jumping on a call to resolve a tricky issue. 

The result? Higher customer satisfaction and retention, without the burnout.

2. Invest in Tools That Scale With You:

Look, I’m all for the bootstrapping mentality, but there comes a point when you need to invest in tools that can scale your efforts without adding more bodies to the team. 

Think customer support platforms that offer integrated chat, email, and social media management, or CRM systems that provide a 360-degree view of your customer. 

The key is to choose tools that don’t just solve a problem today but will continue to provide value as your business grows.

Snippet from the Guidebook:

We didn’t need the fanciest tools; we needed the right ones. We looked for platforms that could grow with us, ones that offered flexibility, scalability, and a solid ROI. 

Remember, a tool is only as good as the team using it, so make sure it’s intuitive and aligns with your workflow.

When you’re evaluating tools, consider their scalability, ease of use, and how well they integrate with your existing systems. The best tools are those that enhance your team’s capabilities, not replace them. And remember, it’s not just about the shiny features—focus on what will actually drive value for your customers and your team.

3. Turn Every Interaction into a Retention Opportunity:

Retention isn’t just about loyalty programs and discount codes; it’s about how you make customers feel every time they interact with your brand. And that’s something that starts with your CX team. 

Train your team to look at every interaction as an opportunity to build trust, resolve an issue, or simply delight a customer. This mindset shift can turn routine interactions into powerful retention moments.

Snippet from the Guidebook:

We flipped the script on what ‘success’ meant for our CX team. It wasn’t just about resolving a ticket; it was about how we resolved it. 

Did we leave the customer feeling better than when they first reached out? Did we go beyond the transaction and build a relationship? These were the metrics that mattered to us.

By empowering your team to think this way, you’re not just solving today’s problem; you’re building a foundation for tomorrow’s growth. 

Remember, it’s often the little things—a kind word, a quick response, a thoughtful follow-up—that stick with customers and keep them coming back.

4. Measure What Matters and Act on It:

We all love a good NPS score, but let’s be honest—it’s not the only metric that matters. To scale your CX effectively, you must measure what truly impacts your business. 

This could be customer effort scores, first contact resolution rates, or even customer sentiment analysis. The key is to use these metrics to drive actionable insights.

Snippet from the Guidebook:

Data is only as good as the actions it inspires. We didn’t just track metrics for the sake of it; we used them to inform decisions, tweak processes, and, most importantly, improve the customer experience. It’s not about data paralysis; it’s about data in motion.

When you know what to measure and how to act on it, you’re not just collecting data but driving change. 

Use these insights to continuously refine your approach, from handling support tickets to training your team. And always keep the customer at the center of your metrics.

Scaling CX isn’t about doing more with more; it’s about doing more with what you have and doing it smarter. 

As we navigate these challenging times, it’s these principles that will help you not only survive but thrive. So, take these insights, apply them, and let’s make the next year even better than the last.

Until next time, keep building, delighting, and putting the customer first!

That’s it for this week!

Any topics you'd like to see me cover in the future?

Just shoot me a DM or an email!

Cheers, 

Eli 💛

P.S. Looking for inspo on your next email/sms campaign? 

I know you will love this.