The CX Of Love

Customer Experience
Customer Experience
Image by Alex Alvarez on Unsplash.

I’m not a betting man these days. Lady Luck and me decided to go our separate ways. We agreed it would be safer that way. I get to keep my shirts and she’s free to have as many partners as she can handle, often seducing the unsuspecting with outlandish quick-fix ideas thinly disguised as qualified opinions and half-real facts. Good luck with Lady Luck!

But that being said, I would bet the family farm that if you’re reading this then you’ve heard of something called CX (the customer experience) and how it’s transforming the way business is done in every company no matter what niche the business is in.

The numbers are really convincing. In a recent article posted by entrepreneur.com 83% of businesses who call themselves successful actively measure customer satisfaction; the Harvard Business School found that a 5% increase in customer retention leads to more than a 25% increase in profits; an Econsultancy survey found that 82% of companies agree that retention is cheaper than acquisition.

Satisfied customers tell 9 people how happy they are compared to dissatisfied customers who spread malicious rumours (and home truths?) to 22 people. And so on.

It doesn’t feel like we’re studying rocket science here. It seems pretty obvious that good experiences grab customers while bad experiences push them away.

Easier said than done. I was recently trying to create a customer-centric culture with a former company and it was no walk in the park. Breaking old habits and trying to make people see that a paradigm shift is taking place was met with rolling eyes and appointments to go to. But as a concept doing unto others as you’d have them do unto you is as basic as it gets. We’ve all heard of it, we all know what it means and I’m sure we’d all agree it’s the way to go.

So what’s the problem? What’s so hard for people to understand? Are they afraid of what might happen if they started to really care? What’s good for you is good for me. It makes sense (to me at least.) So, what we do, what we say, even what we think has an effect on everyone and everything else.

I’ll let you into a little secret. I’m very lucky to be living on a beautiful tropical island in the world’s largest archipelago of Indonesia called Bali. It’s an amazing place with an even more amazing culture. And it’s had a significant effect on how I see things. How could it not? The Balinese have their own calendar of 210 days a year, most of which are dedicated to ceremonies that in turn are focused on maintaining balance between the forces of good and evil. This isn’t Star Wars people, this is real, at least it is for Bali. And that concept of what’s real is important because we create it!

If you didn’t know, the little island of Bali closes down for New Year (which is in March, of course) for an entire day of silence: the airport is closed, there are no cars on the roads, no bikes revving through tiny streets, no lights in houses, no shops plying trade, no noise except birds and the occasional barking dog because nobody is allowed on the streets.

For me it’s the best 24-hours of the year and with no light pollution the sky at night is something magical to behold! Events like this are as a result of a unique spiritual perspective manifested in something called Hindu Dharma, which has, as one of its core beliefs, the notion of Tat Twam Asi.

Roughly translated this means I am You and You are Me. You see, for the Balinese it’s about balance and energy. And the most powerful energy in the universes is love, of course! I make no apology if that sounds a bit too hippy for you because it is … and it’s beautiful man!

What’s good for you is good for me. What we do, what we say, even what we think has an effect on everyone and everything else. And that in turn reciprocates and when enough people think this way, like in Bali, it becomes a manifestation of Gladwell’s Tipping Point.

But this is also essentially what CX is all about. It’s about that energy of love.

If we could get this simple idea across then the more complicated and technical aspects of rolling out appropriate supporting CX programmes would be more easily understood and more fruitful as a result. For me all of this means it has to be more than just words, more than a webpage, more than a 45-minute training session, more than a meeting. It has to be something we “be” all the time, something indistinguishable from ourselves because it is the very essence of who we are.

This is why CX resonates so strongly and is gaining such momentum. We are waking up to the fact that we are connected and we are one.

We should embrace it and spread the word. I for one am welcoming the movement with open arms and a big old smile. How about you? Are you ready to spread some love?

If you’d like to learn more about the customer experience and customer journey mapping, get in touch with us today through hello@sevenstonesindonesia.com

 

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Andrzej Barski

Director of Seven Stones Indonesia

Andrzej is Co-owner/ Founder and Director of Seven Stones Indonesia. He was born in the UK to Polish parents and has been living in Indonesia for more than 33-years. He is a skilled writer, trainer and marketer with a deep understanding of Indonesia and its many cultures after spending many years travelling across the archipelago from North Sumatra to Irian Jaya.

His experience covers Marketing, Branding, Advertising, Publishing, Real Estate and Training for 5-Star Hotels and Resorts in Bali and Jakarta, which has given him a passion for the customer experience. He’s a published author and a regular contributor to local and regional publications. His interests include conservation, eco-conscious initiatives, spirituality and motorcycles. Andrzej speaks English and Indonesian.

Terje H. Nilsen

Director of Seven Stones Indonesia

Terje is from Norway and has been living in Indonesia for over 20-years. He first came to Indonesia as a child and after earning his degree in Business Administration from the University of Agder in Norway, he moved to Indonesia in 1993, where he has worked in leading positions in education and the fitness/ wellness industries all over Indonesia including Jakarta, Banjarmasin, Medan and Bali.

He was Co-owner and CEO of the Paradise Property Group for 10-years and led the company to great success. He is now Co-owner/ Founder and Director of Seven Stones Indonesia offering market entry services for foreign investors, legal advice, sourcing of investments and in particular real estate investments. He has a soft spot for eco-friendly and socially sustainable projects and investments, while his personal business strengths are in property law, tourism trends, macroeconomics, Indonesian government and regulations. His personal interests are in sport, adventure, history and spiritual experiences.

Terje’s leadership, drive and knowledge are recognised across many industries and his unrivalled network of high level contacts in government and business spans the globe. He believes you do good and do well but always in that order. Terje speaks English, Indonesian and Norwegian.

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Ridwan Jasin Zachrie

CFO of Seven Stones Indonesia, Jakarta

Ridwan is one of Indonesia’s top executives with a long and illustrious career in the financial world. He holds several professional certifications including being a Certified Business Valuer (CBV) issued by the Australian Academy of Finance and Management; Broker-Dealer Representative (WPPE); and The Directorship Certification for Directors and Commissioners, issued by the Indonesian Institute of Commissioners and Directors.

His experience includes being the Managing Director at one of the top investment banking groups in the region, the Recapital Group, the CFO at State-owned enterprises in fishery industry and the CEO at Tanri Abeng & Son Holding. He’s also been an Independent Commissioner in several Financial Service companies and on the Audit and Risk Committee at Bank BTPN Tbk, Berau Coal Energy Tbk, Aetra Air Jakarta as well as working for Citibank, Bank Mandiri and HSBC. His last position was as CFO at PT Citra Putra Mandiri – OSO Group.

Ridwan has won a number of prestigious awards including the Best CFO Awards 2019 (Institute of Certified Management Accountant Australia-Indonesia); Asia Pacific Young Business Leader awarded by Asia 21 Network New York USA (Tokyo 2008); UK Alumni Business Awards 2008 awarded by the British Council; and The Most Inspiring Human Resources Practitioners’ version of Human Capital Magazine 2010.

He’s a member of the Board of Trustees of the Alumni Association of the Faculty of Law, Trisakti University, Co-Founder of the Paramadina Public Policy Institute and actively writes books, publications and articles in the mass media. He co-authored “Korupsi Mengorupsi Indonesia” in 2009, which helps those with an interest in understanding governance in Indonesia and the critical issue of corruption. Ridwan speaks Indonesian and English.

Per Fredrik Ecker

Managing Director of Seven Stones Indonesia, Jakarta

Per is the Managing Director of the Seven Stones Indonesia (SSI) Jakarta office and has more than 25-years’ experience in Indonesia, China, and Western Europe. He previously worked in senior management positions with Q-Free ASA, Siemens AG, and other companies in the telecom sector. Over the last six years, he has been the Chairman of the Indonesia-Norway Business Council (INBC) and recently become elected to be on the board of EuroCham Indonesia.

His most recent experience is within Intelligent Transport Solutions (ITS), Telecom, and other sectors within the Indonesian market. He is today through his position in SSI and by representing Norway Connect, promoting Nordic and European companies that would like to explore business opportunities in the Indonesian market. He’s also playing an active role to help create the Nordic House concept in Jakarta that will provide an excellent platform for Nordic companies entering Indonesia, where they’ll find a community that can offer support with trusted information and affordable services to enter this market.