When envisioning a new and improved journey for your customers, remember that ideas for possible solutions to your customers’ points of pain are all around you. Try taking a look at how your competitors are solving the same types of problems that your customers face. Or, look at “comparative” customer experiences, provided by brands that are not directly competitive with you but may have some elements of commonality. For example, in a recent project with a network of hospitals looking to improve patient experience, we leveraged best practices from hotels and cruise lines who have created world-class guest experiences. 

Furthermore, ensure your team is immersed in “the art of the possible.” Technology is offering a continuously widening palette of tools that can be leveraged to improve customer experience, from 3D printing to artificial intelligence to augmented reality to drones. Our goal should not be to just start throwing cool new toys into our customer experience, but rather to combine an awareness of what technology now makes possible with a focus on customer needs to see if there is some potential magic at the intersection. As this graphic shows, the sweet spot right in the middle is what will be most successful.