As companies strive to meet customer expectations, it’s no surprise that communications have become a focus to ensure customer needs are met and that customer experience is seamless across touchpoints. This means that in the world of Customer Communication Management (CCM) with regulated transactional communications, which are typically complex, filled with jargon and often make it difficult for customers to read and act, now is the time to focus on adding value and moving towards Customer Experience Management (CXM).
Technology has been at the forefront of adding value to regulated communications, from including videos to incorporating AI and ML to really personalize and make the information relevant. However, the real leap from CCM to CXM lies in delivering value by not merely focusing on technology, but by understanding a customer’s needs and treating every communication as part of a broader interconnected journey.
Shifting from Siloed Communications to Value-Driven Journeys
Traditionally, CCM has been about managing and delivering regulated transactional communications that have often been handled as isolated touchpoints, each designed to fulfill a specific regulatory requirement. However, this approach can lead to disjointed and impersonal interactions that miss the mark when it comes to customer engagement.
The shift to CXM requires a different mindset. It’s about seeing each communication not as a standalone event but as a part of an ongoing journey that spans multiple touchpoints, channels and across the lifecycle with the company. Each interaction should add value to the customer’s experience, making it easier for them to understand the information, take necessary actions, and feel more connected to the brand.
To achieve this, companies must break down the silos that often separate different types of communications. Instead of viewing a billing statement as just a transactional document, it should be seen as an opportunity to engage with the customer, reinforce the brand’s value, and guide them towards their next best action. This means rethinking how communications are created, delivered, and integrated into the broader customer journey.
Understanding What Customers Need
For the most part, customers have a really good experience if they’re on a company’s website, the portal or on the mobile app. The same can’t be said for the transactional communications they receive that don’t match their experiences elsewhere. At the heart of CXM is a deep understanding of the customer — who they are, what they need and how they prefer to engage.
For instance, consider a customer who consistently struggles to understand their billing statements. Traditional CCM might respond by sending more detailed explanations or additional documents, but this approach often just adds to the confusion. Instead, a CXM-focused approach would involve simplifying the communication, perhaps using a personalized video that visually explains the bill, highlights key areas and offers options for immediate action, such as making a payment or setting up a payment plan.
This approach recognizes that the goal is not just to deliver information but to ensure that the customer can easily understand and act on it. It’s about meeting the customer where they are and providing them with the tools and information they need to make informed decisions.
The Role of Technology in Delivering Value
While the focus should be on the customer’s needs, technology plays a crucial role in enabling the delivery of value across the customer journey. Technologies like AI, ML and the resulting hyper-personalization allow businesses to tailor communications to individual customers, ensuring that each interaction is relevant and meaningful.
For example, AI and ML can analyze a customer’s past interactions to predict their preferences and likely next steps. This enables the creation of hyper-personalized communications that anticipate the customer’s needs and provide them with the information that is most relevant to them with options they are most likely to value.
If a customer, for example, always pays when they receive the bill or statement, making that payment as easy as possible from that communication should be front and center, vs a customer that struggles to pay and has a payment plan presented upfront.
Ensuring Accessibility Across All Touchpoints
Accessibility is a critical component of delivering value in the CXM journey. Every touchpoint, whether digital or print, must be designed to be easily accessible to all customers, including those with disabilities. This means ensuring that communications are not only clear and concise but also compliant with accessibility standards whether in print or digital.
Creating Seamless, Value-Driven Customer Journeys
The ultimate goal of moving from CCM to CXM is to create seamless, value-driven customer journeys. So rather than just sending out a bill for example, the bill is followed by reminders to pay at the time that makes most sense to the customer; when the customer pays, there should be a confirmation sent and all these touchpoints should be seamless in terms of branding, tone and timing.
This means ensuring that every communication — whether it’s a billing statement, a policy update or a service notification — contributes to a positive customer experience and is part of a string of communications that help the customer along that specific journey. Each touchpoint should be designed to make it easy for the customer to understand the information, take the necessary actions and feel valued by the brand.
In Conclusion
The leap from CCM to CXM is about adopting a customer-centric approach that delivers value across the entire customer journey. By integrating this approach with the right technology within the right message, you can transform regulated transactional communications into meaningful, value-driven interactions that enhance the customer experience and drive long-term loyalty.
Liz Stephen has a true passion for helping organizations identify their customers' needs and consulting with them to satisfy those needs. She is an expert in Customer Communications Management (CCM) and helping clients utilize digital communications to meet their CX goals. As a true specialist in transactional communications, Liz has the ability to help companies make the needed microchanges now that will immediately impact the customer experience, all while putting the steps in place to make the longer-term step changes.
With more than 20 years’ experience in digital communications, Mia Papanicalou helps companies go paperless for transactional customer communications and works to improve those touchpoints through customized strategy and advisory services. She is a thought leader and as an expert in her field, shares her expertise through her consulting. Throughout her career, Mia has been an advocate for improving customer experiences through relevant, valuable and accessible communications. With a strong problem-solving mind-set, she is constantly looking for ways to improve critical customer communications. She is a regular speaker and blogger on digital customer communication, digital maturity and improving the customer experience.
