At our latest TIDE (Tech, Information & Digital Executive) community event, technology and digital leaders from various industries came together at The Jolly Orange to explore a revolutionary approach to business transformation: Total Experience (TX). Over wine selected by our Michelin-starred sommelier, we explored how combining employee experience (EX—how staff experience their work environment and tools), user experience (UX—how people interact with your products and services) and customer experience (CX—how customers interact with and perceive your organisation) could be the key to unlocking sustainable change. Unlike traditional approaches that treat employee and customer experiences separately, TX recognises these as interconnected parts of a single system. The evening sparked rich discussions about the intersection of employee empowerment, customer satisfaction and technological innovation.
The employee-customer connection: A fundamental shift
The evening kicked off with a compelling case study that challenged traditional thinking about customer satisfaction. An energy company’s transformation journey revealed a crucial insight: “customer experience does not actually improve without employee experience improving.” Their approach focused on “getting the people on the ground talking to you to make a bigger impact.”
The results spoke volumes about the power of this strategy. Within 18 months, they reached the top spot among energy companies and achieved their lowest employee attrition rates ever, with total uptime of technology systems (meaning their services were available without interruption) hitting 100% after 24 months of transformation. This success story demonstrated how focusing on employee experience can create a ripple effect throughout an organisation, leading to improved technical performance and customer satisfaction.
From crisis to opportunity: when service recovery becomes a competitive advantage
One of the more surprising insights of the evening came from discussions about service excellence. Sometimes referred to as ‘The Service Recovery Paradox’, we discussed how “customers facing problems that are resolved well will be more loyal than ones that has never experienced an issue.” This was brought to life by a former executive of one of Europe’s largest airlines, who shared the compelling insight that “passengers on delayed flights with regular captain updates report higher satisfaction than those on on-time flights. Being kept informed makes all the difference.”
This challenges the common assumption that perfect service should be the goal, and that instead, timely communication and a robust strategy on how to resolve negative customer interactions would have a greater impact on customer satisfaction in the long run.
Proactive vs reactive experience
A common debate in customer experience is whether increasing automation loses the ‘human touch,’ making interactions feel less personal and, as a result, less positive. The group broadly agreed that both automation and human interaction have a role in the customer journey, depending on the context.
As one participant noted, “When it comes to reactive vs proactive customer experience, human intervention can actually feel clunky and unnecessary.” There is real opportunity for technology and automated processes to expedite simple, proactive tasks that need to be carried out swiftly, whilst more reactive tasks are more likely to require human intervention. For example, automated systems can predict and prevent issues before they occur, while human teams can focus on complex problem-solving, particularly in more emotive scenarios.
The future of Total Experience
As the evening unfolded, a pivotal insight emerged: “If the employee experience is lacking, progress in other areas becomes increasingly difficult to attain.” This perspective signifies a departure from traditional business transformation strategies, positioning employee experience (EX) as the cornerstone upon which other improvements must be built.
Achieving success with Total Experience (TX) necessitates both “concept-based trust”—confidence in the TX framework’s logic—and “evidence-based trust,” which involves observing tangible improvements in metrics such as employee retention and customer satisfaction. Organisations must not only embrace the TX philosophy but also substantiate it through measurable outcomes.
Building a TX-enabled future
The insights shared during our TIDE community event suggest a genuine shift towards more holistic, human-centred business transformation. By recognising the intricate interdependencies between employee experience, customer satisfaction and technological enablement, organisations can create more sustainable and effective change.
Key questions for leaders:
- How well do your employee and customer experience metrics align?
- Are there disparities between your technology capabilities and human needs?
- What opportunities exist to turn service recovery into loyalty-building moments?
The path forward isn’t about choosing between employee experience, customer experience or technological innovation—it’s about understanding how these elements work together to create a Total Experience that benefits everyone involved. As organisations continue to navigate their transformation journeys, this integrated approach offers a promising framework for achieving lasting success.
Want to learn more about implementing Total Experience in your organisation? Get in touch with us to explore how we can support your transformation journey.
