There's a saying in competitive cycling - “Races are rarely won on descents but they can be lost.” If you crash going down a mountain at 40mph you’re probably out of the race, but being a great descender isn’t enough to win Le Tour de France - you’ve got to be a great climber, time trialist and competent on fast, flat stages too.

This is the best metaphor I have for how to think about customer experience — a bad one is enough to lose, but a great one isn’t enough to win. You also have to get the other bits right - a product or service that people want; a distinctive, appealing brand, and masterful comms. Ignoring these other factors is like trying to win a cycle race on the descents.

People don’t buy products or services that don’t meet their needs just because of the CX - it doesn’t matter what the experience of flying to Timbuktu is like if I want to go to Svalbard. People gravitate towards brands that resonate with their self image and values before they’ve even had an experience or leave them if a clash in values appears. And if people don’t know you exist or forget you in the decisive moment, the experience is irrelevant.

Remember - the aim is to create the most value for the customer, not to have a great customer experience.

See this post on LinkedIn