Editorial
The Gist
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Data fragmentation risks. Disconnected CX technology leads to fragmented customer experiences. Centralizing data is key to delivering consistent, unified service.
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Technology alignment matters. Technology must align with organizational goals. Misaligned tools create confusion instead of enhancing CX.
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Balancing automation and empathy. Overautomation in CX technology can reduce human connection. Striking a balance between automation and personal interaction is vital for success.
Most executives recognize CX technology as an enabler of growth and an essential part of the modern digital customer experience and employee experience. This recognition stems from firsthand experience with productivity gains and scalability achieved by applying the right technology tools to drive business performance.
Left unmanaged, however, these tools can become a tangled mess of disconnected information, workflows and skill sets that limit an organization’s ability to meet expectations.
Here are four ways technology can hinder an aligned CX and EX strategy, as well as recommendations on how to manage each of these challenges.
Table of Contents
- 4 Ways CX Technology Hinders CX and EX Alignment
- Aligning Technology With a Human-Centric Approach
- Core Questions Around Workplace Technology
4 Ways CX Technology Hinders CX and EX Alignment
Data Fragmentation: Disconnected Systems Lead to Disconnected Experiences
The Issue: Data fragmentation arises when customer and employee data reside in isolated systems that cannot communicate with central systems in a timely manner. Factors like infrequent batch uploads, poor data classifications and user authorization barriers all contribute to siloed experiences and fragmented support models.
Example: Many years ago I worked in a team at American Express that tackled this issue for Platinum and Centurion card holders. The additional travel and concierge perks were a huge component of the value proposition, but we struggled to provide agents across the service spectrum with the data needed to provide the expected premium experience.
For example, travel booking details were only available in the SABRE travel booking system (now GDS) by travel agents. This meant that concierge agents had to ask customers to share locations and flight dates to book localized experiences, and it added an extra step for travel agents to notify the fraud team in cases of international travel.
How to fix it:
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Simplify and consolidate systems. Review your stack inventory and eliminate duplicative platforms and data workflows where possible.
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Centralize data. After the simplification effort, you may still need to centralize data to allow access to critical marketing, sales and service tools. If you have adequate data engineering resources, there are a number of tools that can be used to create a single source of truth for all departments. Another route is to select a customer data platform (CDP) solution that has prebuilt solutions for much of the data-management and API work.
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Normalize data. Just because the data is in the same place doesn’t mean you can use it. As part of the centralization effort, the team should make sure the data is clean and adequately classified. This includes deduplication, validation, formatting, lineage and classification, and access rights.
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Define semantics. After normalization happens, some companies go a step further to define their standard business terminology. This guarantees alignment with standard industry terms, preferred currency units, fiscal calendars and other KPIs. Data experts may refer to this as a semantic layer, which sits above the data warehouse to filter and format extracted data for shared use.
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Integrate. Use middleware or integration platforms to connect disparate systems.
Misalignment of Technology With Organizational Goals
The Issue: Even the best CX technology can create CX or EX issues if it doesn’t integrate well with the current experience, lacks proper support or remains in MVP or beta versions long after user adoption.
Example: A company adopts a chatbot to improve support but neglects to integrate it with their CRM or invest in bot maintenance and training. Instead of enhancing customer service and reducing low complexity requests, the bot’s generic and outdated responses increase confusion and service calls.
How to fix it:
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Start with objectives. Define how new technology will directly support organizational goals.
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Involve stakeholders. Engage teams across IT, HR and marketing to guarantee alignment.
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Measure ROI. Use KPIs like customer satisfaction and employee productivity to evaluate tech effectiveness.
Overautomation: When Efficiency Undermines Empathy
The Issue: Automation is invaluable for streamlining processes, but over-reliance can erode the human touch essential for both CX and EX.
Example: Fully automated offer and sales email journeys are often generic and impersonal, which leads to reduced conversion rates and revenue on marketing spend.
How to fix it:
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Balance automation with human interaction. Reserve automation for repetitive tasks while prioritizing human-led, empathy-driven interactions for complex issues.
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Monitor and optimize workflows. Regularly audit automated processes to identify inefficiencies.
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Enable seamless escalation. Make sure automated systems can hand off to human agents effectively.
Neglecting Employee Experience: The Forgotten Side of CX
The Issue: While businesses often prioritize CX, neglecting EX creates a ripple effect that undermines both. Employees may struggle with outdated tools, lack of authority to resolve issues, an increase in case complexity and the dread of being replaced by a bot.
Example: The new automated quote system lacks a key detail the agent needs to make an upsell, and this reduces their potential commissions.
How to fix it:
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Invest in user-friendly tools. Select intuitive platforms like Slack or Asana to streamline workflows.
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Find the value add in human service. While not all service requests require human support, treat every service interaction as a chance to gather information, set expectations and deepen the relationship.
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Provide growth opportunities. Offer career development paths aligned with organizational goals.
Related Article: CX and EX: How Engaged Employees Enhance Customer Experience
Aligning Technology With a Human-Centric Approach
The rapid pace of technological change amplifies the potential for misalignment between CX and EX. However, businesses that prioritize integration, alignment, balance and employee well-being can use CX technology as a unifying force.
My call to action for you is to take the time to review how technology impacts CX and EX in your organization. Identify areas of misalignment and implement strategies to address them. By doing so, you’ll make sure technology becomes a bridge rather than a barrier in creating exceptional employee and customer experiences.
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Core Questions Around Workplace Technology
Editor's note: Here are two important questions to ask about the impact of technology on CX and EX.
How does data fragmentation affect customer and employee experience?
Data fragmentation occurs when customer and employee data are stored in disconnected systems, which makes it difficult to access crucial information in real time. This can lead to poor, inconsistent experiences, as service agents and employees lack the data they need to offer support. Centralizing data can help unify systems and create smoother CX and EX.
How can technology impact both customer experience and employee experience?
CX technology plays a dual role in both CX and EX. When technology is misaligned with organizational goals, it can disrupt CX and EX, causing issues like automation that removes empathy or tools that don’t integrate well. However, when aligned with a human-centered strategy, technology can improve experiences for both customers and employees by simplifying workflows, centralizing data and enhancing communication.
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