#NoBullshitCX #20yearsFuturelab

“Just be honest.” 

It’s Valentine’s day, so don’t throw tomatoes at me for this cheeky title, I am only joking. 

But am I though? It’s not the first time I use romantic analogies when getting CX concepts across. I called out “one-night brands” for not fulfilling their promises to the customers. I explained NPS by means of an old joke “I heard in the pub that you were a great lover”. I even likened Voice of the Customer to marriage as opposed to dip-in-the-dating-pool approaches of marketing research. 

As the analogy seems to work, I want to take it to its ultimate conclusion: Most companies still treat their customer engagement like a Tinder encounter: aim for the Quick score, then ghost them, and off to the next one. It works for a quick kick, but it’s hardly a recipe for long-term happiness. That you only find once you get to know the person, talk to each other about your preferences, communicate them clearly, and pay attention to the small things. And that’s the real goal: knowing each other so well, you will get it right every time, all the time, consistently. 

It is 2024, people. For f***’s sake (look, another double entendre), get to know your customers. Tell them about yourself honestly. And with a little bit of predictability, you can both enjoy the benefits of this relationship. Whether you remain friends with benefits or become life-partners – that’s none of my business. I am off to get some bubbles and chocolate.