First, the good news.

Customer experience (CX) leaders have successfully elevated and transformed the practice of CX over the past decade. We’ve become more professional, more analytical, and more focused on business impact. Congratulations! 

Now the bad news: We have failed at delivering true innovation.

Yes, we've made incremental improvements. Yes, we've proven adept at following the example of well-known leading CX brands. And yes, we've enthusiastically embraced new digital tools, like chatbots.

But the low-hanging fruit has been gathered. CX performance has plateaued. Now what?

Simple: We need real, disruptive innovation. The time has come for an aggressive push for radical change in CX. We need innovation that leverages the latest technologies — but doesn't assume that innovation comes solely from new digital tech. And we need innovation that is deeply evidence-based, using both quantitative techniques (like behavioral economics) and qualitative research (like ethnographics).

The next revolutions are waiting. They will emerge from this sweet spot: At the intersection of insight and innovation.