Customer experience challenges: different everywhere, or not?
27 June 2023
If you work in the CX field, you may well have heard of the CX peer-to-peer community. A group of like-minded professionals, passionate about customer experience, who meet annually to learn from and inspire each other on a wide range of topics. customer experience challenges.
And so it was on a sun-drenched Friday in June. For the occasion, we were welcomed to the beautiful offices of AG Insurance in Brussels. Spacious, light-filled rooms, excellent hospitality, and a gem of an inner courtyard. In terms of spatial experience, it was already a highlight for the more than 50 participants in this 5th edition.
What does the future hold for the customer experience?
The future? It is already here today, you just don't see it everywhere equally well yet. So says Tim Gielen, founder of Wave of Engagement, a must-follow company working on the retail experience of tomorrow. Tim is a strong believer in the combination of technology and the human factor, making him the perfect person to inspire a diverse group of professionals regarding the customer experience challenges of tomorrow.
I would like to share the 2 takeaways from his keynote below:
- Next-level technologies such as digital-only clothing, avatars, and AI models are already much more commonplace than we often realize. I have already resolved to engage in even more dialogue with younger generations to discover how they desire and perceive experiences, and how we can respond to that.
- Customers, people, do not think in terms of digital & non-digital. Digital should support the process in a store, remove friction, and provide everything so that the employee has optimal time for the visitor. The same applies to all other sectors. Digital should enable us to make more time for the human touch, and therefore not be a means to allow less personal contact.
How do you work on experience when you are physically “invisible”?
A customer experience challenge that AG Insurance also faced. After all, they work exclusively through partners and brokers and therefore have no physical offices on the high street. Yet almost every Belgian has at least one of their products, such as pension savings through their work.
However, that did not stop them from rolling out a robust customer-centric process throughout the entire organization. They presented a great case study, starting with raising awareness about listening to and engaging in dialogue with customers, followed by customer-centric agreements throughout the entire organization.
Key takeaway from their story: don't forget to celebrate your successes with your entire organization. Involve your employees as well, for example by holding a cake baking challenge when you reach a certain milestone.
And then it was time for? Action!
Because within the CX peer2peer community, we don't just believe in inspiration by listening to each other. We also want to effectively do and share what works and what doesn't in practice. That is why, this year, we once again invited four diverse sectors, each with their own concrete customer experience challenges. We then let a group of professionals brainstorm potential solutions and ideas. Curious about the cases we were able to include this year?
- Cheryl Krekels from Xandres shared her story about the journey to a more inclusive store and how they want to work on broadening their target audience.
- Anne Séverine Poupeleer from the Agency for Roads & Traffic gave us a glimpse into the challenges when your customer (that is, all of us) doesn't quite know what you do, and how you can turn negative perceptions around.
- Lotte Daniels from Jessa Hospital took us through the patient experience and the challenge they face regarding, among other things, resistance from employees on the one hand, and how to collect relevant feedback on the other.
- Nele Delange from Unilin shared with us their dilemma regarding segmentation in customer service and the potential advantages and disadvantages associated with it.
So, what is the deal with those customer experience challenges by sector?
To be honest: I could write a long read about all the practical do's and don'ts you pick up in just half a day. Saying that this community likes to share openly about how they work is a massive understatement. So, being there (again) next time is highly recommended.
I am sharing my 7 key insights with you below:
- Customer-oriented behavior is contagious when you see it regularly. So ensure there are a few employees in every team who lead by example.
- Despite many great achievements, clients can keep coming back to one thing that still went wrong. Admit the mistake and explain how we will prevent this in the future.
- Ensure that you yourself communicate sufficiently (and regularly) about everything that is going well, the great achievements, the improvements, etc. Customers often do not know what is actually going well; it is up to the organization to put this out into the open.
- Data is and remains key. It prevents you from relying solely on gut feeling or on exceptions on both the positive and negative sides. Continuously questioning, investigating, and analyzing what is really going on remains the method for sustainably evolving towards a customer-centric approach.
- Aligning all your channels is a must, but do not underestimate the impact and time investment on the back-end. Here too, the first step—explaining the 'why' and the impact on the customer—remains an important one.
- Resistance among employees means that the “why” is insufficiently clear, or that we do not understand why the new behavior is not feasible for them. Invest sufficient time in understanding the problem instead of going straight to the solution.
- Do not forget to explicitly state the mandate to help the customer. Especially throughout a change process, employees must regularly be reminded that they are allowed to take extra time for a customer, for example. Establishing new habits requires time, guidance, and confirmation.
And the answer to the question at the top of this paragraph? Simple. Yes, every sector is a little different. But the customer experience challenges are similar everywhere. That is precisely why it is so valuable, even if you come from a different sector, to regularly look over the wall and discover how others approach it. You will find more applicable ideas than you might think at first glance.
A brief explanation of the CX peer-to-peer community
The community was founded on the understanding that most of us face the same challenges on the path to a truly customer-centric organization. We strongly believe that building bridges and sharing best practices is of tremendous added value for all participants. The driving forces behind this community are: Els Dhaeze , Suzanne & Dorothée from Möbius , and myself.
Would you also like to become a member of our growing community?
That's possible! We would love to welcome you and are already secretly planning a second session for this autumn. This time with limited spots, so act fast!
Share with friends:
25 February 2026
Expectation management. Admittedly, it doesn't exactly sound... sexy. And yet, it is often our secret weapon when optimizing or improving the overall customer experience. After all, most frustrations don't arise from truly bad service, but from a customer receiving something different than they expected. Discover in this article how you can get started with this.
10 January 2026
Why ‘good enough’ is detrimental to your customer experience
How often do you think, "I expected more?" when you buy something or have an experience somewhere? That subtle difference between not being dissatisfied but not truly content hurts more than you think. After all, the step from good enough to bad isn't that big, as it turns out. Discover the pitfalls of a good-enough mentality in your company in this article.
20 November 2025
Increase sales thanks to better, customer-oriented quotes
When we talk about more sales, everyone thinks of more sales, more marketing, and more advertising costs. But what if we told you that you are overlooking something important? Read everything you ever wanted to know about writing customer-centric quotes.
5 October 2025
How can you collect outstanding invoices in a customer-oriented way without damaging relationships?
The economy is stagnating, so there is a chance that you will increasingly have to deal with unpaid invoices. You want to chase your money, but how do you actually go about this without completely destroying your relationship with your customers?
1 September 2025
Customer-centric communication with AI: a good idea or not?
There is no getting around it: AI is here to stay and is getting better and more powerful by the day. But can AI also take over your customer service? In other words: can you communicate in a customer-centric way using AI?
27 August 2025
Turning inspiration regarding customer experience into concrete actions? Here's how to tackle it!
You read a book, you hear a powerful speaker, you see a LinkedIn post, and you think: Yes! This is what we need to do for our clients too! There is plenty of inspiration to be found regarding customer experience, but how do you ensure that concrete actions actually follow? We are happy to help you on your way!
3 March 2025
Travel update, a story about ungrateful customers and 5x customer experience inspiration from Italy.
In 2025, Customerry travels through Italy in search of la dolce vita & inspiration regarding customer experience and customer-centric working. These blogs are part travel diary, part inspiration, part tidings of the moment.
30 October 2024
Educating customers, easier said than done, or is it?
Does educating customers make sense? And what is the best way to do it? After all, you keep writing instructions and explaining things until you drop, and those customers either don't read it or don't want to hear it. Sound familiar? Read here why that is and what you can do about it.
21 June 2024
A story about sausages that are too long and… the customer journey.
What do the length of a sausage and the term corporate blindness have to do with your company's customer journey? Customerry is happy to explain it to you and share practical tips to get started yourself.
22 April 2024
Surprising & delighting customers in Disneyland Paris
Surprising and amazing customers: how does Disney do it? We went on a real experience trip and share our findings with you, supplemented with practical tips for your own organization.
1 February 2024
7 concrete, immediately applicable tips on customer-focused communication
Communicate well. We expect every employee to be able to do it. But who actually teaches us? And what exactly do you learn? That's right... We share 7 tips to make customer-focused communication just that little bit easier.
24 September 2023
Together for the customer, even with multiple teams. How do you do that?
Working together for the customer: is that going well in your team? And did you know that factors other than your colleagues influence your customer experience? Even as a solopreneur, yes! Customerry explains and shares practical tips for better collaboration with the customer.
15 September 2023
Customer-focused working in healthcare: what should you definitely pay attention to?
Customer-centric working in healthcare?! But surely we don't have customers? Yes, we do... Customerry shares the ins and outs of customer experience in healthcare, along with 7 key focus points for your organization.
27 June 2023
Why customer-facing communication is the soft skill of today and tomorrow?
Do you also want to know how to implement customer-oriented communication in your company and what the benefits are? The customerry tips will get you started!
2 February 2023
Need a customer experience budget? Here's how to convince your management!
Without a customer experience budget, you won't get anywhere. I repeat: without a customer experience budget, you won't get anywhere. Certainly not if you want to engage in structural customer experience management. Perhaps not pleasant to read, but a much-needed reality check. Or so you might be thinking...
6 December 2022
Customer experience trends? Get rid of them!
Strong words from someone who speaks and writes about customer experience all day long. And yet, I mean it: I don't really believe in those customer experience trends that are penned down year after year by all sorts of trend watchers... Read here why!
4 May 2022
Customer delight, the new customer experience?
Customer delight management, because being “simply” customer-oriented isn't enough. I almost fell off my chair – literally – when I heard the above statement last week. All joking aside, my conversation partner was firmly convinced that customer focus...
4 November 2021
Customer focus as a catalyst for a better world
I started Customerry because I want to contribute to a better world. A world with more understanding. A world with more tolerance. A world where everyone is allowed and able to be themselves. Where does my belief in customer focus come from? Where does that...
9 November 2021
6 tips for an outstanding customer promise.
What is your customer promise? I ask this question in every conversation with (potential) clients. Too often, however, they still cannot provide an answer. Either we reel off a mission statement that is outdated or that they themselves do not really know...
26 March 2021
Improving customer experience: start with the basics
It probably won't surprise you that I consider improving customer experience just as important as sales, a solid marketing strategy, or operational excellence. It's just in my nature, a passion for customers, a desire to improve the world, call it what you will...
19 March 2021
Company values: an indispensable compass in turbulent and less turbulent times
What is the mission, what is the vision, and what are your company values? It is a recurring question at every intake interview, every prospecting meeting, or at the start of a new project. The answer? ...one moment, I'll just look it up...
12 March 2021
Customer journey (mapping): useful tool or completely superfluous?
Our favorite workshop? Journey mapping! Mapping out what the customer effectively experiences during their journey with an organization is often an eye-opener for many companies. But why do you actually do that? What are the benefits, how do you get started, and what should you look out for?
22 February 2021
Customer-centric or employee-centric?
What do you choose: putting the customer first or putting the employee first? It is a question I have been hearing very often in recent months. Among other things, the war on talent, which is causing a shortage in the labor market, makes...
28 January 2021
Improve customer satisfaction? 3 customer experience trends to keep in mind.
Improving customer satisfaction is not rocket science. For those thinking, "That’s easy to say when you’re a customer satisfaction expert": I promise you that you don't need any prior knowledge to get off to a good start. After all, everything begins with...
12 December 2020
How customer-focused is your company now, and what does the future hold?
A simple question, no simple answer. You cannot calculate just how customer-oriented your company truly is in a flash. This is because there are a huge number of factors that determine the overall customer focus of your enterprise and the associated customer satisfaction. Of course, you can...
1 November 2020
Customer Experience ABC: customer experience terminology in plain language.
Optimizing customer experience: understand what you are talking about. Personally, I have a thorough dislike for the excessive use of jargon. Quite a few companies simply fail to use clear language that is understandable to everyone. And I, too, make that same...
25 September 2020
Measuring customer satisfaction? 3 practical tips you can put into practice immediately!
Why measuring customer satisfaction is important. If you want to work in a customer-centric way as a company, and thus respond maximally to the needs of your customers, the first step is to find out how satisfied your customers are today. And then you have...
1 August 2020
Customer experience, what is it actually?
The definition of customer experience is as follows: “any perception and emotion that a customer experiences during all interactions with your company throughout the entire customer journey and across all channels.” Quite a mouthful, then, but indeed...
