Abstract

This IDC Perspective discusses the increasing importance of professional services, especially customer success services, when enterprises seek to invest in CX technology. Cost is obviously an important consideration given the macroeconomic environment, and switching vendors or renegotiating financial terms and conditions shows management reacting to corporate directives. This is a natural reaction to vendors passing on their increased costs, but it should be used sparingly and rather as an opportunity to create innovative, services-led solutions that deliver greater business value. Better use of vendor customer success services delivers incremental value. In addition, this strategy avoids supplier-buyer conflict, lengthy and risky procurement processes, and potentially unhelpful disruptions to IT infrastructures.

"Enterprises are under pressure to reduce operating costs, and IT investments in particular are under scrutiny," said Gerry Brown, CX Research Director, IDC. "However, corporate executives continue to prioritize customer experience programs, and a reduction in investments or scope is not advisable. CX should not be a stop-start investment — rather, it should deliver continuous incremental quality improvement. The solution is to focus on value-added improvements, and by embracing vendor customer success services, costs should be controlled, and incremental value and increased ROI should be forthcoming".

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