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Annette Franz, CCXP

Founder + CEO at CX Journey Inc.

Mission Viejo, United States

Annette Franz, CCXP is founder and CEO of CX Journey Inc., a customer experience consultancy. She has 30 years of experience (both client side and vendor side) helping companies understand their employees and customers, identifying what drives retention, satisfaction, engagement, and the overall experience, and designing customer experience strategies to deliver a better experience for all constituents.

Annette wrote the book on customer understanding! It's available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats: Customer Understanding: Three Ways to Put the "Customer" in Customer Experience (and at the Heart of Your Business).

Annette's second book focuses on building a winning organization through a customer-centric culture. The book, Built to Win: Designing a Customer-Centric Culture That Drives Value for Your Business (Advantage|ForbesBooks), is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BAM!, Target, and hundreds of other outlets.

If you're looking for a keynote speaker, a coach, a consultant, a journey mapping workshop/process facilitator, an influencer, or a thought leader who loves to speak, write, and teach others about customer experience, employee experience, and culture, you've come to the right place!

Annette was named one of “The 100 Most Influential Tech Women on Twitter” by Business Insider and is regularly recognized as a top thought leader in Customer Experience.

She serves an Advisory Board Member for CX@UCI, mentors other professionals in this field to help them advance their careers, and is an international speaker and an avid writer; you can find her thought leadership on her own blog and in Forbes, Business2Community, CustomerThink, TechTarget, Quality Digest, APICS Magazine, and more. She is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP).

She is also an official member of the Forbes Coaches Council, an invitation-only community for successful business and career coaches. Members are selected based on their depth and diversity of experience.

Available For: Authoring, Consulting, Influencing, Speaking
Travels From: Orange County, CA
Speaking Topics: customer experience, employee experience, culture

Speaking Fee $20,000 (In-Person), $10,000 (Virtual)

Personal Speaking Website: annettefranz.com
Annette Franz, CCXP Points
Academic 0
Author 228
Influencer 381
Speaker 23
Entrepreneur 105
Total 737

Points based upon Thinkers360 patent-pending algorithm.

Thought Leader Profile

Portfolio Mix

Featured Videos

Putting the Customer in Customer Experience
January 18, 2023
Putting the Customer Back into Customer Experience
January 18, 2023
Customer Understanding: Put the “Customer” in Customer Experience and at the Heart of Your Business
January 18, 2023

Featured Topics

Putting the "Customer" in Customer Experience

Everyone talks about customer experience and customer-centricity, but do they really know what that is, what it means, and what it entails.

So many companies give lip service to customer experience - and there are a ton of examples - which means customers still feel like they aren't really at the center of all that businesses do, whether it's designing a product, a service, or a process.

How do we fix that? Customer understanding is really the cornerstone of customer-centricity. In this keynote, I talk about three ways to achieve customer understanding - helping you put the "customer" into "customer experience."


In this presentation, attendees will learn:

*What customer understanding is and how to achieve it
*Why and how customer understanding is the cornerstone of customer-centricity
*What a customer-centric culture looks like
*Why brands must invest in a customer-centric culture: the benefits of a customer-centric culture

Improve the Customer Experience... From the Inside Out

Among the building blocks of a customer experience transformation strategy, focusing on the employee experience is one of the most critical. But why haven't companies made this a priority? We know for a fact that the employee experience drives a great customer experience!

In this presentation, I not only explain what the employee experience entails and how to improve it, but I also share stories from my client work that support the notion that if we fix the employee experience, you'll have resolved 90% of the issues with the customer experience.

You can't fix what's happening on the outside if you don't fix what's happening inside! What other aspects do you need to think about to fix what's happening on the inside? I'll share three other things that need to be considered in addition to the employee experience.

Build a Winning Organization Through a Customer-Centric Culture

A customer-centric culture is one that is deliberately designed to be that way. There must be commitment from the top, especially from the CEO, to put customers' best interests at the heart of everything the business does.

There are 10 foundational principles that ensure you get the culture that you design and allow. This presentation, which became the basis for Annette's second book and which has been updated to reflect new thinking in (and since) the book, is a must-see for organizations that want to shift how business is done to ensure that the customer is front and center.

Company Information

Company Type: Company
Minimum Project Size: Undisclosed
Average Hourly Rate: Undisclosed
Number of Employees: Undisclosed
Company Founded Date: Undisclosed

Areas of Expertise

AI 30.03
Analytics
Business Strategy 31.57
Change Management 30.19
CRM 30.14
Culture 35.04
Customer Experience 42.98
Customer Loyalty 31.71
Design Thinking 38.97
Future of Work 30.03
Innovation 30.04
Leadership 31.35
Management 30.10
Marketing 30.17
Predictive Analytics
Startups
HR 30.08
Digital Transformation 30.01

Industry Experience

Automotive
Engineering & Construction
Financial Services & Banking
Furniture
High Tech & Electronics
Hospitality
Insurance
Manufacturing
Professional Services
Retail
Telecommunications
Travel & Transportation
Utilities

Publications

108 Article/Blogs
VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER: THE FOUNDATION OF A CONNECTED EXPERIENCE
CX Journey Inc.
September 27, 2023
Digital transformations are a funny thing. I’ve read too many articles about digital transformations where authors and brands alike think that these transformations are all about the digital strategy and the digital experience.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Digital Transformation

KEYBANK’S PATH TO ORCHESTRATING CUSTOMER JOURNEYS – PART 1
CX Journey Inc.
September 13, 2023
Today’s post is the first in a two-part series by Ben Motteram, customer experience strategist and founder of consulting firm CXpert. I share this post because it covers a hot topic in customer experience circles today: journey orchestration

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Tags: Customer Experience, Culture

FIVE WAYS TO SOLVE YOUR CUSTOMER-CENTRICITY CHALLENGES
CX Journey Inc.
September 06, 2023
Getting all executives committed requires building the business case and appealing to the left and right sides of their brains – or to their heads (logical) and their hearts (emotional). Also, you’re going to need to link the work that lies ahead to business goals and outcomes. This requires data – data that provides insights into customer behaviors and preferences, data that tells customers’ stories, data that helps the business make informed decisions about how to deliver the expected experience, and operational data.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Leadership, Culture

EMPLOYEE OFF-BOARDING: CAN YOU AUTOMATE IT?
CX Journey Inc.
August 30, 2023
Similar to onboarding, the job of off-boarding employees sits with multiple folks because it can and does include multiple aspects of the employment relationship. It’s a team effort. Who is involved and what are their roles?

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Tags: Culture, HR, Future of Work

EMPLOYEE OFF-BOARDING: ARE YOU TAKING IT SERIOUSLY?
CX Journey Inc.
August 23, 2023
A few weeks back, I wrote about the importance of employee onboarding. Since then, I’ve also written a couple of articles on customer onboarding and a couple on customer off-boarding. Yes, there’s a pattern here; it’s time to write about employee off-boarding. It’s just as important as onboarding, as it helps maintain a positive relationship with departing employees, safeguards company assets and sensitive information, and facilitates knowledge transfer to the remaining team members.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Leadership, Culture

DESIGNING YOUR CUSTOMER OFF-BOARDING PROGRAM
CX Journey Inc.
August 16, 2023
Last week, in the first article of this two-part series, I wrote about the concept of customer off-boarding, the opposite of customer onboarding. This week’s article will cover who’s responsible for it, if it makes sense to automate it, and how to design a proper off-boarding program.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Culture

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR CUSTOMER ONBOARDING PROCESS
CX Journey Inc.
August 02, 2023
In last week’s post, I wrote about the importance of proper customer onboarding, as well as the benefits of doing it right and the pitfalls of doing it wrong or not doing it at all. In this post, I’ll answer a few important questions, namely: who’s responsible? is automation OK? and what are the key design considerations for this process?

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Tags: AI, Customer Experience, Culture

THE BENEFITS OF PROPER CUSTOMER ONBOARDING
CX Journey Inc.
July 26, 2023
Let’s take a look at what customer onboarding is, if it’s only for B2B, what it entails, why it’s so important, who’s responsible for it, how it looks if it’s automated, and what some of the necessary considerations are when designing an onboarding program. I’ll cover the first four in this week’s post and the latter three in next week’s post.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Leadership, Culture

THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING
CX Journey Inc.
July 19, 2023
Years ago, I wrote an article that was syndicated on the Business2Community site. In that article, I mentioned the importance of proper employee onboarding. Someone commented on the article with outrage, saying that I was making up new words and that this term wasn’t necessary. Stick with what we already have. Blah, blah, blah. I think that was back in 2013 or 2014. Unbelievable. That term has been around since the 1970s.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Culture, HR

DOES YOUR BRAND DOWNPLAY THE VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER?
CX Journey
June 28, 2023
That’s how CCW starts their latest report, the 2023 CCW MARKET STUDY | CX Trends, Challenges, & Opportunities. I can’t tell you how much the statement that companies chase trends and investments based on lord-knows-what resonates with me. You cannot be customer-centric without bringing the customer voice into all you do. After all, that’s what it means to be customer-centric.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Culture

IF YOU WANT TO WOW SOMEONE, DO SOMETHING UNEXPECTED
CX Journey Inc.
June 21, 2023
If you want to WOW someone, do something unexpected rather than ordinary. After all, you’d never get excited for receiving a paycheck for the correct amount. You assume it’ll be right. The same holds true for other areas of your life.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Culture

ARE YOU CUSTOMER-CENTRIC, CUSTOMER-FOCUSED, OR CUSTOMER-OBSESSED?
CX Journey Inc.
June 14, 2023
Did you know that customer-focused and customer-centric do not mean the same thing? Oh, and then add the concept of customer-obsession for more confusion, and you’ve got folks using these terms interchangeably, when they really aren’t interchangeable.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Culture

PRIORITIZE THESE FIVE THINGS TO DRIVE EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES
CX Journey Inc.
June 07, 2023
In a world where products and services are becoming more and more commoditized, customer experience is the only true and sustainable differentiator. That means that customer experience leaders have a lot of pressure on them to “get it right” from a variety of angles.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Design Thinking, Culture

MORE JOURNEYS AND WHY THEY MATTER
CX Journey Inc.
May 24, 2023
In this second part, I take a look at user journeys and how they differ from customer journeys, churn journeys, why it’s important to understand the difference between all of the journeys discussed in this series, and where journey mapping and personas come into play.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Design Thinking, Culture

BUYER JOURNEYS VS. CUSTOMER JOURNEYS: BRIDGING THE GAP
CX Journey Inc.
May 17, 2023
This is the first of a two-part series on the various journeys we attribute to different constituents of our businesses. What are they? How do they differ? Why is it important to differentiate? And who needs to be involved and engaged when? That and more can be found in this series!

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Tags: Customer Experience, Culture

UNEXPECTED EXPERIENCES: DISRUPTING THE MOVING INDUSTRY
CX Journey Inc.
May 10, 2023
I’ve run across some interesting brands lately, so I decided to start a “limited series” about these brands and what they’re doing differently to create unexpected experiences in their industries.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Culture, Customer Loyalty

RIGHT TO REPAIR COMPLIANCE WITH KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
CX Journey
May 03, 2023
One of the hot topics of 2023 is the concept or movement known as “right to repair.” It’s not a new concept, though. You own your car. You can take it to any mechanic if it needs repairs. But that’s not how it always was. Used to be that you’d have to go to a dealership for those repairs, but after decades of work to get right to repair legislation passed, you can take your car to a local mechanic to get it fixed or fix it yourself.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Management, Culture

FIVE BENEFITS OF JOURNEY ORCHESTRATION
CX Journey Inc.
April 26, 2023
The customer experience never sits still. Just as customer tastes and preferences change, CX is always evolving. According to Adobe’s 2023 Digital Trends Experience Index, “89% of senior executives believe customer experiences are constantly resetting to match their best omnichannel experiences.” The need to exceed your latest and greatest experiences means the bar is constantly being raised

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Tags: Customer Experience, Culture

CX JOURNEY MUSINGS: SHOULD YOU BREAK DOWN OR CONNECT SILOS?
Journey
March 29, 2023
There’s a lot of talk about organizational silos and how they affect the employee experience, the customer experience, and the business overall. Many say that silos should be broken down. But should they be broken down, or should they be connected?

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Tags: Customer Experience, Culture

Empathy: Can It Be Measured?
Import from wordpress feed
February 08, 2023
What is empathy? Why is it important? Can it be taught? How can it be measured? How do you put empathy into action? All of these questions and more addressed in this week's article!

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Tags: Customer Experience

Organizational Silos: Impacting Both Employee and Customer Experiences
Import from wordpress feed
February 01, 2023
After a keynote I did last week, I took some questions. One of them was related to organizational silos, their impact on the experience (for both employees and customers), what you can do to break down/connect those silos, and my thoughts on the role of matrix organizations/structures in breaking do

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Tags: Customer Experience

QUIET QUITTING: IT’S BEYOND TIME TO FOCUS ON YOUR EMPLOYEES
Journey
January 25, 2023
Probably one of the hottest topics in business over the last year or so has been the Great Resignation (Reshuffle, Reset, Renegotiation, Rethink, Reimagination, etc.). The Great Re[insert your preference here] is really the great awakening. Shining the spotlight on employees should have happened long, long ago.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Culture

The Importance of A Winning Customer Data Strategy
Import from wordpress feed
January 18, 2023
I am thrilled to share that I took on the role of hosting Concentrix Catalyst's digital talk show series, Born Digital, which is pioneering new ways to connect through organic, human-centered, creative content. We've filmed two episodes so far. Today's article highlights some of the things we discus

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Tags: Customer Experience

If You Have Employees, Then You Need An Employee Experience Program
Import from wordpress feed
January 11, 2023
Employee experience is a hot topic right now. Finally, right? The Great Resignation really turned the focus onto employees and on understanding what’s driving them to switch jobs, move to other industries, or leave the workforce altogether. A lot of studies have been conducted to better understand

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Tags: Customer Experience

When It Comes to Data, Eight Rights Don’t Make a Wrong
Import from wordpress feed
January 04, 2023
Data is at the heart of designing and delivering a great (connected) customer experience. Without data informing your design and delivery, you really are flying blind.

But: How do we do that? And which data?

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Tags: Customer Experience

1 Board Membership
Board Chair, Customer Experience Professionals Association
Customer Experience Professionals Association
January 01, 2020
Founded in 2011, the Customer Experience Professionals Association is the premier global non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and cultivation of the Customer Experience profession.

The CXPA supports the professional development of its members and advances the field by providing shared best practices and education, developing standards, offering networking opportunities, promoting the industry, and creating a better understanding of the discipline of Customer Experience.

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Tags: Customer Experience

2 Books
Built to Win: Designing a Customer-Centric Culture That Drives Value for Your Business
Advantage|ForbesBooks
March 22, 2022
With her new book Built to Win: Designing a Customer-Centric Culture That Drives Value for Your Business, Annette implores leaders to transform their existing company culture and rebuild it in every way around the needs of their customers. “A customer-centric culture is one in which the customer’s needs and perspectives are woven into the fabric of the organization,” Annette explained. “They are, literally, at the center of every decision, conversation, action, process, and strategy.” Learn about the 10 foundational principles needed to do just that.

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Tags: Culture, Customer Experience, Leadership

Customer Understanding: Three Ways to Put the "Customer" in Customer Experience (and at the Heart of Your Business)
KDP
September 03, 2019
In this book, I cover the three approaches to customer understanding: surveys and data, personas, and journey mapping. I could’ve written the whole book about journey mapping, but there’s so much more to building a customer-centric business than journey mapping. The culture must first be deliberately designed to put the customer at the heart of the business. And all foundational elements of a CX transformation must be in place to make that happen.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Design Thinking, Culture

3 Founders
Experia Summit
Annette Franz
September 01, 2019
Experia Summit is a virtual summit for experience management professionals. In just five days, learn from the best of the best about how to build a people-centric organization that not only puts people first but also experiences phenomenal growth as a result of that.

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Tags: Business Strategy, Culture, Customer Experience

Co-Founder, Partner
Insight Wave
December 01, 2018

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Tags: Customer Experience, Design Thinking, Culture

CX Journey Inc.
Annette Franz
April 07, 2017
CX Journey Inc. is a customer experience strategy consulting firm that specializes in laying the groundwork required to establish a CX roadmap and strategy that will drive your culture transformation efforts and ensure that the customer is at the center of all you do. We offer a variety of services, including coaching, consulting, workshops, speaking, and thought leadership/content.

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Tags: Business Strategy, Culture, Customer Experience

1 Industry Award
CXPA Impact Award
CXPA
October 07, 2014
CX Impact Awards recognize individuals that are exemplifying excellent customer experience and making an impact on the organization and its customers. From front-line employees to senior leaders, these awards showcase professionals from all backgrounds and industries who have successfully led or supported customer experience, voice of customer, or other initiatives in pursuit of specific customer experience goals within his or her organization on behalf of clients.

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Tags: Customer Experience

1 Industry Certification
Certified Customer Experience Professional
CXPA
June 12, 2014
The Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) credential is the marker of a committed customer experience professional who has demonstrated the wide range of knowledge essential to manage the customer experience in today’s challenging environment.

The CCXP credential demonstrates that a professional has the experience, education, and competence to lead and direct customer experience strategy, programs, and projects. Candidates for these credentials are looking to distinguish themselves in the workforce, validate their skills, stand out to employers, and maximize their earning potential.

Credential ID 000-052

See credential

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Tags: Customer Experience

2 Keynotes
Customer Understanging: Put the “Customer” in Customer Experience and at the Heart of Your Business
CX Talks
October 22, 2019

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Tags: Culture, Customer Experience, Leadership

Put the "Customer" in Customer Experience
Freshworks
November 19, 2018

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Tags: Customer Experience, Design Thinking

1 Speaking Engagement
Deliver Service That Meets the Moment
Oracle
January 26, 2022
If you're looking for an event host (virtual or in-person), emcee, or panel moderator, I'm happy to help! In this video, you'll see the Oracle Advertising and CX Virtual Summit (filmed in a cool location in Orange County, CA), which I both hosted and keynoted.

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Tags: Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty

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