Creating a Customer Experience Roadmap

I’m not asking my CSMs to resolve support tickets. I’m asking them to leverage them. Support tickets aren’t just a backlog of problems; they’re customer truth bombs waiting to explode. If you’re not mining them for insights, you’re flying blind—and that’s exactly how churn sneaks up on you. Every Customer Success team I’ve ever led has been trained to use Support tickets strategically. Why? Because they’re packed with insights that make us better at our jobs. ✅ We learn more about the product. ✅ We spot trends before they become problems. ✅ We understand our customers’ use cases more deeply. If you’re not tapping into support data, here’s what you’re missing: 🔥 Emerging Pain Points Recurring issues expose friction in the customer journey. Ignore them, and those minor frustrations turn into churn-worthy headaches. 🔥 Product Gaps Customers vote with their tickets. If the same feature requests or usability complaints keep surfacing, your roadmap is practically writing itself. 🔥 Engagement Risks A spike in tickets isn’t just noise—it’s a flare. Users don’t submit tickets when they’re thriving; they do it when they’re stuck, frustrated, or in need of more enablement. Here are a few ways my team and I are using these insights: ✅ Spot & Engage Struggling Users A surge in ticket volume? Proactively reach out before frustration turns into a cancellation. ✅ Create Targeted Content If the same questions keep coming up, turn those insights into help docs, webinars, or office hours. ✅ Surface Expansion Opportunities Seeing frequent feature requests? Build them—or better yet, use them to tee up expansion conversations. ✅ Map Out User Behavior Support tickets tell you who’s onboarding, who’s adopting new features, and who’s stuck. Use that data to drive deeper engagement. ✅ Collaborate with Product Your product team needs this intel. Share support trends regularly to influence meaningful fixes and features. High ticket volume isn’t necessarily a bad thing—but you need to know how to use it to your advantage. Bottom line? CSMs don’t need to fix support tickets. But the best ones know how to use them to drive retention, expansion, and adoption. _____________________________ 📣 If you liked my post, you’ll love my newsletter. Every week I share learnings, advice and strategies from my experience going from CSM to CCO. Join 12k+ subscribers of The Journey and turn insights into action. Sign up on my profile.

After nearly 30 years in the customer experience space, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the critical importance of partnership. You can have the most innovative CX strategy, cutting-edge technology, and even the most comprehensive data insights, but if you don’t have buy-in from the right stakeholders, and have business leaders willing to work with you, your efforts will always fall flat. Sounds obvious, but so many miss this. Managing stakeholder expectations and ensuring alignment across departments isn’t just about communication, it’s about trust and influence. Whether it’s C-suite executives, frontline employees, or even external partners, each stakeholder plays a vital role in shaping and delivering the customer experience. The best CX initiatives are those that have everyone on board, with a shared vision and a clear understanding of the impact on both the business and the customer. Being an effective partner means listening to stakeholder concerns, aligning your objectives with theirs, and continuously showing the value that customer experience brings. It’s about understanding their priorities and communicating how CX initiatives help meet those goals. When stakeholders see CX as an enabler of business outcomes rather than just a customer-focused initiative, execution becomes far more effective. The bottom line? CX success isn’t just about customers. It’s about aligning the internal team, building trust, and ensuring that everyone is invested in the same outcome. #customerexperience #stakeholdermanagement #leadership #strategy #digitaltransformation #collaboration #technology

Too often, companies think that adding more agents or reducing call times makes their call centers effective. But the reality is different. A recent Gartner study found that 58% of customers will stop doing business with a company after a poor service experience, even if the issue itself gets resolved. Meanwhile, Forrester notes that businesses focusing on value-driven customer service see up to 60% higher customer lifetime value. It’s a reminder that call centers built for volume are no longer enough. Today, they must be built for value. That means shifting from measuring “how many calls” to measuring “how much impact.” So, how can organizations transform their call centers into value centers? 1. Redefine success metrics. Move beyond average handle time and number of calls answered. Instead, measure customer outcomes, satisfaction, and retention. 2. Empower agents with more intelligent systems. Real-time insights, AI-driven routing, and contextual data allow agents to focus on solving problems, not just closing tickets. 3. Personalize every interaction. Customers expect to be remembered. Integrating CRM and conversation history ensures no one feels like they’re starting over. 4. Be proactive, not reactive. Predictive analytics and automation help prevent issues before they escalate, turning service into a driver of loyalty. Many organizations get stuck because they chase efficiency metrics while overlooking the bigger picture. The question we as businesses or governments should be asking is, 'Is every interaction moving the business forward?' #CX #CustomerExperience #DigitalTransformation #KSA

Getting the right feedback will transform your job as a PM. More scalability, better user engagement, and growth. But most PMs don’t know how to do it right. Here’s the Feedback Engine I’ve used to ship highly engaging products at unicorns & large organizations: — Right feedback can literally transform your product and company. At Apollo, we launched a contact enrichment feature. Feedback showed users loved its accuracy, but... They needed bulk processing. We shipped it and had a 40% increase in user engagement. Here’s how to get it right: — 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟭: 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 Most PMs get this wrong. They collect feedback randomly with no system or strategy. But remember: your output is only as good as your input. And if your input is messy, it will only lead you astray. Here’s how to collect feedback strategically: → Diversify your sources: customer interviews, support tickets, sales calls, social media & community forums, etc. → Be systematic: track feedback across channels consistently. → Close the loop: confirm your understanding with users to avoid misinterpretation. — 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟮: 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 Analyzing feedback is like building the foundation of a skyscraper. If it’s shaky, your decisions will crumble. So don’t rush through it. Dive deep to identify patterns that will guide your actions in the right direction. Here’s how: Aggregate feedback → pull data from all sources into one place. Spot themes → look for recurring pain points, feature requests, or frustrations. Quantify impact → how often does an issue occur? Map risks → classify issues by severity and potential business impact. — 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟯: 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 Now comes the exciting part: turning insights into action. Execution here can make or break everything. Do it right, and you’ll ship features users love. Mess it up, and you’ll waste time, effort, and resources. Here’s how to execute effectively: Prioritize ruthlessly → focus on high-impact, low-effort changes first. Assign ownership → make sure every action has a responsible owner. Set validation loops → build mechanisms to test and validate changes. Stay agile → be ready to pivot if feedback reveals new priorities. — 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟰: 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 What can’t be measured, can’t be improved. If your metrics don’t move, something went wrong. Either the feedback was flawed, or your solution didn’t land. Here’s how to measure: → Set KPIs for success, like user engagement, adoption rates, or risk reduction. → Track metrics post-launch to catch issues early. → Iterate quickly and keep on improving on feedback. — In a nutshell... It creates a cycle that drives growth and reduces risk: → Collect feedback strategically. → Analyze it deeply for actionable insights. → Act on it with precision. → Measure its impact and iterate. — P.S. How do you collect and implement feedback?

Every company says they listen to customers. But most just hear them. There's a difference. After spending years building feedback loops, here's what I've learned: Feedback isn't about collecting data. It's about creating change. Most companies fail at feedback because: - They send random surveys - They collect scattered feedback - They store insights in silos - They never close the loop The result? Frustrated customers. Missed opportunities. Lost revenue. Here's how to build real feedback loops: 1. Gather feedback intelligently - NPS isn't enough - CSAT tells half the story - One channel never works Instead: - Run targeted post-interaction surveys - Conduct deep-dive customer interviews - Analyze product usage patterns - Monitor support conversations - Build customer advisory boards - Track social mentions 2. Create a single source of truth - Consolidate feedback from everywhere - Tag and categorize insights - Track trends over time - Make it accessible to everyone 3. Turn feedback into action - Prioritize based on impact - Align with business goals - Create clear ownership - Set implementation timelines But here's the most important part: Close the loop. When customers give feedback: - Acknowledge it immediately - Update them on progress - Show them implemented changes - Demonstrate their impact The biggest mistakes I see: Feedback Overload: - Collecting too much data - No clear action plan - Analysis paralysis Biased Collection: - Listening to the loudest voices - Ignoring silent majority - Over-indexing on complaints Slow Response: - Taking months to act - No progress updates - Lost customer trust Remember: Good feedback loops aren't about tools. They're about trust. Every piece of feedback is a customer saying: "I care enough to help you improve." Don't waste that trust. The best companies don't just collect feedback. They turn it into visible change. They show customers their voice matters. They build trust through action. Start small: 1. Pick one feedback channel 2. Create a clear process 3. Act quickly on insights 4. Show results 5. Scale what works Your customers are talking. Are you really listening? More importantly, are you acting? What's your approach to customer feedback? How do you close the loop? ------------------ ▶️ Want to see more content like this and also connect with other CS & SaaS enthusiasts? You should join Tidbits. We do short round-ups a few times a week to help you learn what it takes to be a top-notch customer success professional. Join 1999+ community members! 💥 [link in the comments section]

Are you making it hard for clients to buy from you? This is one point that a lot of businesses miss out on. Even the ones with high quality products and established brands. They unintentionally complicate customer interactions: 👉🏼 lengthy sign-ups, 👉🏼 confusing processes, 👉🏼 unresponsive teams. This oversight has a cost, because high customer effort is frustrating. It silently pushes customers toward competitors, shrinks repeat business, and dramatically limits referrals. If it is not addressed on time, this complexity can, and will: Growth ❌ Profitability ❌ Word-of-mouth ❌ Customers today value ease more than ever. If dealing with your business feels like a chore, they'll quickly find another option that's easier to work with. Prioritize customer effortlessness. Making your business exceptionally easy to interact with transforms satisfied customers into loyal advocates. Customers may like your products or services, but they stay with you because you're simpler, easier and more enjoyable to work with. They naturally gravitate toward experiences that save time, remove friction, and respect their energy. Here are four simple practical actions you can take today to make it easy and effortless to do business with you: 1️⃣ Simplify your process: Audit your customer's journey. Remove unnecessary steps, simplify forms, and clearly explain each stage. 2️⃣ Eliminate wait time: Prioritize responsiveness. Quick replies, easy-to-find information, and clear timelines reduce customer anxiety and frustration. 3️⃣ Equip your team to solve problems immediately: Empower frontline teams to make decisions on the spot, removing layers of approval. 4️⃣ Constantly ask for customer feedback on ease: Regularly check in with your customers - "How easy was it to work with us?" and then act on their responses. Want your team to effortlessly attract, delight, and retain customers? Let's connect. #CustomerDelight #CustomerObsession

When we think about improving an online shopping experience, we often jump to new features or a better design. But behind the scenes, web performance—how fast and smoothly a site loads and responds—is one of the biggest drivers of user satisfaction and business impact. In a recent blog post, Walmart Global Tech’s Engineering team shared their journey to improve their site’s performance systematically, and the lessons are highly relevant for anyone building digital products today. Their journey began with choosing the right metrics. Instead of relying solely on backend or infrastructure-level indicators, they shifted toward Core Web Vitals, a set of user-centric metrics that reflect the real customer experience. These include how quickly content loads (Largest Contentful Paint), when the page becomes interactive (Interaction to Next Paint), and how stable the layout is during loading (Cumulative Layout Shift). By anchoring their efforts in these three metrics, the team ensured that any optimization directly improved what customers actually felt. From there, they focused on how to move these metrics across a massive user base meaningfully. The team set goals based on the 75th percentile, ensuring that improvements benefited most users and weren’t overly influenced by outliers. They also embedded web performance into company-wide decision-making: Core Web Vitals are integrated into Walmart’s experimentation platform, incorporated into the release review process, and included in leadership discussions. In other words, performance isn’t just an engineering KPI—Walmart turned it into a shared organizational priority. This work is a great reminder that improving performance isn’t just an engineering task; it’s about building a culture where user experience is measurable, visible, and owned by everyone. Their approach shows that when a company aligns around the right metrics and integrates them into everyday workflows, even small performance gains can compound into meaningful business results. #DataScience #Analytics #Metrics #CoreWebVitals #Optimization #WebPerformance #SnacksWeeklyonDataScience – – –  Check out the "Snacks Weekly on Data Science" podcast and subscribe, where I explain in more detail the concepts discussed in this and future posts:    -- Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gKgaMvbh   -- Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/gFYvfB8V    -- Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gcwPeBmR https://lnkd.in/gqsfix-p

🚨 Here's my "Monday Truth": Stop calling it a “Customer Journey” if your teams aren’t traveling together to set up the customer for success at every touchpoint. Everyone loves the phrase customer journey. There are plenty of methodology and approach slides and workshops. Persona maps. Swim lanes. Sticky notes dotting all the walls. But here’s the truth most companies avoid: If Sales, Marketing, Product, and CS aren’t moving in the same direction, it’s not a journey. It’s a relay race with dropped batons. And customers see and FEEL every dropped baton. 🎯 Overpromised expectations 🎯 Handoffs that create friction 🎯 Misaligned priorities 🎯 Internal debates that spill into external confusion 🎯 Teams operating on their own definitions of “value” Customers are rarely struggling with OUR teams. Instead they’re struggling with the seams between THEIR teams… but they instantly recognize when we operates the same way. Here’s the uncomfortable part: No matter how good your CS org is, you cannot out-execute internal misalignment. Not with systems. Not with better meetings. Not with heroics. Because journeys require teams who actually travel together. 🧭 If we want to fix it, here's a starting point: 🔹 1. Build one definition of value If every function answers “what does the customer value most?” differently… the journey is already broken. 🔹 2. Align on shared moments that matter Not handoffs. Not org charts. Actual moments that determine trust, momentum, and outcomes. 🔹 3. Create cross-functional accountability No single team owns the journey. Everyone owns the experience. Together. 🚀 So time for a Monday challenge.... Before your week gets away from you, ask this question: Are we building a REAL customer journey, or are we just drawing one on paper? Your customers already know the answer. It’s time we lead like we do too. 👊🔥 #Leadership #CustomerSuccess #CX #CSLeadership #CrossFunctionalAlignment #BusinessStrategy #CreateTheFuture #BetterEveryDay

Simply because something is "optimized," doesn't mean it's actually something people feel motivated enough to actually take action with. You can have an "optimized" checkout, with PayPal, or single step form completions, single step 'contact sales' forms.... but if the user doesn't want to do that action, it doesn't matter how 'seamless' or 'optimized' your checkout is. When we talk about #CRO, we should make sure we always center it around the goals of the user. Optimize the user journey, and their goals - not "optimize pages" or "optimize flows." This (wrongly) incentivizes us to do things like "single step checkout" and "make everything sticky" (e.g. sticky CTAs), which... if your site sucks at generating demand, a sticky CTA won't make them want to buy. CAN those things work? Perhaps. Perhaps not. (which is why we should always be testing these things out) It's much more valuable to instead focus on the goals of the customer. - The user is trying to learn about your product? Optimize the hell out of that. - The user is trying to buy? Optimize the hell out of that. - The user is just trying to contact the support team? Optimize the hell out of that. Inspired by a post Carlos Trujillo shared re: "adding extra payment options (e.g. paypal) is NOT a guarantee that you'll increase CVR/RPV" #Experimentation #Optimization

Our designer Rishikesh spends an hour every day watching users get stuck. Every morning at 10 AM, he watches session recordings on 4x speed, looking for the moment users pause too long, click the same button twice, or try the same action again. Here’s a tiny example from last week. Users wanted to download their finished deck. But instead of clicking the download button, many of them were typing "download" into the agent. That is a product failure. The user should not have to ask the agent to do something the interface already supports. So Rishi made a small change: when users typed keywords like "download," we automatically surfaced the download button right where they needed it. The result: agent and support requests about downloading dropped to zero. Last month, we caught 14 patterns like this. Most were invisible in our analytics dashboard. This is why we watch users get stuck. Not because we enjoy watching people struggle. Because this is where the roadmap often hides. A support ticket tells you what a user could articulate. A behavior trace tells you what they actually experienced. The best product insights are often not in what customers say they want. They are in what customers keep trying to do despite your product fighting them. Founders/product teams: what is one thing your users keep trying to do that your product keeps fighting them on?