CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Appnovation is a global full-service digital consultancy that helps clients navigate constant change by placing customers first and creating innovative digital experiences that are derived from human truth .
“ I am responsible for leading a team of strategic planning and insights professionals across North America who are committed to delivering positive outcomes for our clients ’ businesses and their customers .”
CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER ,
ZOPA
“ I lead a number of teams all focused on providing the best customer experience , including our Operations team , Marketing and Communications , Product Design and our app and web offering .
“ Zopa wants to make customers feel good about their finances and this means delivering better value products , in a way that is simple to use and understand . We focus on products like loans , cards and savings which have a significant impact on customer ’ s financial wellbeing and where we believe the customer offering can be most dramatically improved .
Eliminating silos To effectively replace silos , FSIs must recontextualise how the separate aspects of their business interact . Instead of just focusing on one specific part of the customer journey , such as POS , companies must re-evaluate how the end-to-end experience can be optimised for maximum customer engagement , retention and return .
“ When it comes to CX ,” states Humphries , “ it ’ s imperative to define a ‘ north star ’ strategy that leans to the future , yet anchors marketing , product , sales , and technology to a common path forward with shared goals .” In effect , the north star establishes how every aspect of a company is organised , which in practice grants greater levels of overall consistency and value for customers . As such , CX becomes an integrated and collaborative project consisting of separate but interconnected strands . “ Personalisation , content , SEO , marcom , as well as the data and technology that enables the experience , should all be aligned to the same overarching plan ,” she adds .
Technology itself also has an important role to play in reducing CX friction . AI ( artificial intelligence ) and omnichannel communication are important new tools , but Gambardella opts to highlight another : Open Finance . Capable of forging a more direct relationship between customers and the FSIs serving them , the broader implications of Open Finance could be revolutionary . Regarding Zopa ’ s specific use of Open Banking , she said , “ In some cases , it can be used to reduce complexity and friction , such as verifying a customer ’ s income . We can now do this in seconds when previously it would require bank statements and other documents to be submitted for review . In other cases , Open Banking helps us to improve customer ’ s access to credit by augmenting their credit record data .”
44 June 2021