If I’m honest, it wasn’t some lifelong ambition where I woke up at the age of 10 dreaming about Customer Experience (CX)! 

I sort of fell into customer-facing roles over 25 years ago, working in everything from customer service and account management to product management and consultancy within the automotive sector. Along the way, I built a reputation for being responsive, reliable and easy to get hold of. It sounds simple, but I’ve always believed that doing what you say you’ll do goes a long way. 

Throughout my career, I’ve naturally found myself looking for better ways of doing things. Whether it’s improving a process, using data to make better decisions or removing unnecessary friction, I’ve always enjoyed helping organisations work smarter, not harder. The bonus is that when you improve efficiency, you usually make life better for customers, employees and the bottom line at the same time. 

Since joining insight6 as the Customer Experience Director for Coventry & Warwickshire, it’s been a bit of a lightbulb moment. I’ve realised that, although I’ve never officially had “Customer Experience” in my job title, I’ve actually been applying many of the same principles for the past 25 years. 

Now I get to take everything I’ve learned and help businesses across Coventry and Warwickshire see their organisations through their customers’ eyes, uncover opportunities they may have overlooked, and ultimately create experiences that keep customers coming back. That’s a challenge I’m genuinely excited about.

One of the biggest lessons is that customer loyalty is built during the difficult moments, not when everything is going smoothly. 

The automotive sector can be fast-paced and demanding, with lots of moving parts (no pun intended), and things don’t always go to plan. When that happens, I’ve always believed in being visible and contactable. If everyone else is disappearing behind voicemail or email, I’d rather be the person who picks up the phone, explains what’s happening, agrees a plan of action or simply meets for a coffee to clear the air. 

It’s surprising how often that doesn’t happen, and I don’t think that’s unique to automotive. Most customers don’t expect businesses to be perfect. They do expect honesty, communication and the confidence that someone is taking ownership of the issue. 

Over the years, I’ve found that those conversations often strengthen relationships rather than damage them. When customers know you’re approachable, transparent and genuinely invested in helping them, they’re far more likely to stay loyal and recommend you to others. 

Although my experience comes from automotive, I think those lessons apply to every industry. Great customer experience is fundamentally about trust. 

I think it starts with understanding what your members are really trying to achieve and being genuinely invested in helping them get there. 

There’s probably a consistent theme running through my answers, but for me it comes down to being transparent, knowledgeable and taking the time to really understand the challenges an organisation or sector is facing. Once you understand those challenges, you can build practical programmes that make a real difference. 

Over the past 25 years in the automotive sector, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with several trade associations. I’ve spoken at conferences, hosted exhibition stands, delivered training workshops and facilitated round table discussions, all with the aim of sharing knowledge and helping members navigate change. 

Trade associations already do a fantastic job of supporting members with technical expertise, legislation and industry best practice. However, I think there’s an opportunity to go even further by helping members improve their customer experience, increase customer retention and ultimately become more profitable. 

For me, that’s an exciting opportunity. If a trade association can help its members not only overcome industry challenges but also build stronger, more customer-focused businesses, it becomes even more valuable and far harder to leave. That’s where long-term loyalty is created.

I think many businesses are still dealing with the knock-on effects of the pandemic, although perhaps not in the way people expect. 

During lockdown, organisations had to move incredibly quickly. At the time, I was working for an outsourced supplier to the automotive sector, and almost overnight we transformed from a 100% office-based contact centre to a fully remote operation. There wasn’t a handy instruction manual or years of planning behind it—we learned (in a day!) as we went because we had to. 

The result is that many businesses now have a patchwork of systems and processes that were introduced at speed. At the same time, customer expectations have continued to rise. People want to contact businesses whenever and however they choose -whether that’s online, through live chat, email or over the phone – and they expect a seamless experience every time. 

The challenge is that many organisations are trying to deliver modern experiences using technology that was never designed for today’s customer expectations. Layering new tools onto legacy systems doesn’t always create the joined-up experience customers are looking for. 

Then there’s Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is probably the biggest talking point in business right now. I absolutely believe businesses should embrace it, but thoughtfully rather than simply because it’s the latest trend. For me, AI is at its best when it takes care of the simple, repetitive, lower-value tasks, freeing people to focus on the conversations that really matter – those moments where empathy, judgement and genuine human interaction make all the difference. 

Ultimately, great customer experience isn’t about having the newest technology. It’s about using technology in the right way to make life easier for customers and giving your people the time to deliver the experiences only humans can. 

If I could encourage every automotive business to do one thing, it would be to take a step back and properly map their customer journey. 

It’s amazing how many organisations know their internal processes inside out, but have never looked at them through the eyes of their customers. Every phone call, website visit, email, workshop visit and handover is a touchpoint, and every one of those moments either builds confidence or creates frustration. 

I know you said one, but I’d also encourage businesses to look beyond the customer interactions themselves and understand the technology that’s supporting them. In many organisations, years of growth have resulted in what I jokingly call a “Frankenstein’s monster” of legacy systems, new applications, databases and workarounds that somehow all hold everything together. The trouble is, customers often feel the pain when those systems don’t talk to each other. 

The automotive industry has an incredible opportunity to change that. Today’s technology gives us access to richer vehicle data, predictive maintenance insights and earlier warning signs of potential faults than ever before. Used well, those tools can reduce vehicle downtime, improve communication and create a much smoother experience for customers. 

The beauty is that everyone wins. Customers spend less time off the road, businesses operate more efficiently, and profitability improves. That’s exactly the sort of outcome great customer experience should deliver. 

If I had to leave business owners with one piece of advice, it would be this: don’t hide behind email. 

Be visible. Be responsive. Pick up the phone. Better still, if the situation calls for it, meet your customer over a coffee. In an age where so much communication is automated or digital, a genuine human conversation can make all the difference. 

I’d also encourage every business owner to stay close to their customers. Don’t assume you know what they need or value – ask them, listen to them and act on what they tell you. The businesses that build the strongest customer loyalty are the ones that make customers feel heard, not just sold to. 

Finally, become one of your own customers. Walk through your website, phone your office, visit your premises and experience your business exactly as your customers do. It’s one of the simplest and most effective ways to uncover opportunities for improvement. 

Great customer experience isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about consistently getting the little things right, taking ownership when things go wrong and never losing sight of the fact that loyal customers are the foundation of every successful business.