The desire to differentiate the business and enhance the customer experience leads companies to "throw AI" at processes, but this does not work, said Nicolas Callegari, founder and CXO at Decapod Customer Experience. This approach leads to the business using resources to try solving problems that don’t exist.
Speaking at the ITWeb CX Summit 2025 in Johannesburg yesterday, Callegari expounded on the underestimated power of getting the basics right. The advent of AI, the need to hyper-personalise products and digitise services entices businesses to focus on innovation, without understanding the customer needs, he noted.
The issue plays out in boardroom discussions that gravitate towards planning the next technology build and innovation to eradicate problems.
“But you can’t AI your way out of a bad process,” said Callegari, who added that business leaders often rely on statistics, research and surveys to shape their understanding of what customers want and what their needs are.
However, there is a disconnect between what business leaders believe customers experience and what these customers really experience, otherwise known as the CX perception gap.
Some companies understand this and have initiated customer-centric strategies to empower CX.
He cited companies like pet insurance firm Dotsure.co.za and Discovery Bank as examples of businesses that have tailored their services to address customer needs.
Callegari said business leaders need to “do the Gemba Walk often”, a reference to the principle of human-centred design where decision-makers step into the shoes of workers and experience the reality of that job for themselves. This experience gives decision-makers insight and clarity to shape the CX.
“Walk the journey as a customer… experience the journey for yourself, don’t just rely on graphs and reports,” said Callegari.
His advice to delegates is to remember: "What cannot be measured, cannot be managed." It’s important to measure what counts, to choose the metrics that matter and know the expectation of the customer to deliver a refined and simple but effective CX, he said.
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