Think about the best film or show you recently watched. It was likely immersive and refreshing in an entertainment era where quality production has become an afterthought. Conversely, when was the last time you stopped watching a film or show because the characters were grossly unbelievable or the plot was incongruous?

Customer experience in business succeeds or fails for similar reasons that movie productions succeed or fail. Customers seek an immersive experience orchestrated by authentic people that consistently delivers. Do this well and you will build long-lasting, predictable customer relationships. Do this poorly and the discontinuity of an unpredictable experience will churn customers out of your portfolio.

Continuing the same analogy, qualifying customer context is exactly what the online streaming services do with the entertainment they present to us. Their algorithms have created the context of what we expect to see and enjoy. What exactly is customer context? It is a clear understanding of customer expectations and characteristics utilized by your customer-facing workforce to meet them at every point of need.