Why you shouldn’t outsource your customer experience

EVERY successful company knows that customer experience (CX) is important and that developing and refining it to delight customers is a priority.

However, there’s often a debate about who should own the customer experience project. Should it be outsourced to a bunch of consultants or subject matter experts? Or should it be managed in-house by a cross-functional team?

Unfortunately, the business case for outsourcing CX projects seems stronger because, in theory, outsourcing has many advantages. However, what many leaders ignore is that you should only outsource functions that are non-core to your business.

CX, being at the heart of everything a business does, is difficult to cast aside and classify as a ‘non-core’ function.

Here are three reasons CX projects should be handled in-house by cross-functional business teams and some insight into how that helps create outsized returns immediately:

# 1 | Organizational culture

Every organization has its own DNA and culture. And that’s exactly what needs to be replicated in the company’s CX. Without a hint and a bit of flavor of the company’s morals, ethics, and character in the CX, it won’t be as authentic and your customers will feel failed.

It’s also something that no consultant can replicate for you. It’s an integral part of the organization and is something only your employees can experience, which is what they will automatically add to the CX they create for your customers.

The representation of an organization’s culture is key to the CX. Take the Apple store for example. when you walk into the store, you see clean tables, wires neatly tucked away, devices beautifully displayed, and sales staff assisting you only when asked. It’s all very ‘Apple’ isn’t it?

# 2 | Business insights

When you’re designing your CX, imagine not being able to turbocharge it with insights that you gain from your business.

To put this in perspective, let’s say you’re an e-commerce manager and you’re trying to design an experience that engages with customers, keeps them picking one product after another, and helps them check-out with as few clicks as technically possible.

If you have the right business insights, you’re going to know what products customers buy together (which might be different from what logic suggests). New parents who buy baby products online wouldn’t logically also be keen to stock up on snacks or invest in new, more comfortable pillows.

But given their need to stay up late and their perpetual lack of sleep, e-commerce companies know both of those are logical recommendations and positioning them appropriately could dynamically improve the CX.

# 3 | Customer insights

Who knows your customers better than you? Nobody.

Your frontline staff knows what makes your customers buy your products, your customer service staff knows what your customers struggle with, your analysts know how long your customers wait before they’re provided with support, and your managers know what makes customers choose your products over others.

You have all the insights about your customer, different teams within your business know what makes your customers tick. Getting them together can help paint a holistic picture and highlight the exact path your CX project needs to move along.

Designing groundbreaking CX isn’t rocket science. It’s just a process — and you have all the people you need to get moving. Your only barrier? The leadership.

If you’ve got a strong cross-functional team paired with a senior business leader who has the clout and authority to can get things done, you’ll be in a position to establish your new CX faster than any external consultant on the market.

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