Customer Experience Vs User Experience: Considerations

July 20, 2017
Customer Experience Vs User Experience Considerations
Customer Experience Versus User Experience While these two phrases are similar, customer experience and user experience are not interchangeable. User experience (UX) differs from customer experience (CX).

An excellent CX is the primary objective, and UX impacts CX either positively or negatively. CX defines every point in a buyer’s journey from initial contact and purchasing the product or service to contacting customer service for assistance with unmet needs.

The UX defines the experience that a user has with a product such as an app or website. This is where interface design can impact UX the most through navigation, ease of use, information architecture, comprehension, visual hierarchy, and more. These factors determine if the UX is excellent or poor. Thus, a UX designer ensures that a business or brand creates an experience that offers a solution to pain points efficiently and in a delightful way.

Scope of CX and UX

The scope of customer experience is broader than user experience. It includes all experiences with not only all channels but also a specific product. It acts as an all-inclusive canopy that covers channels, products, services, and user feelings. Therefore, CX defines how a customer feels about:

  • Advertising
  • Customer service
  • Sales process
  • Brand reputation
  • Pricing and delivery of product or service

A CX professional will align company objectives and policies in relation to the overall  experience – with customer satisfaction as the primary driver.

Do other differences exist between UX and CX? Yes.

UX is quantifiable and measured by the rate of errors, the rate of success, the rate of abandonment, clicks to completion, and time to complete a task. CX includes the non-quantifiable qualities which prompt a customer to return and perhaps recommend your business to others.

An excellent digital user experience allows a user to:

  • Complete a task easily
  • Search and find information on a website quickly
  • Search web pages quickly and efficiently

An excellent customer experience allows a user to:

  • Have delightful, responsive, and professional communication with company representatives
  • Have positive feelings about the organization, its brand, its product or service, and its employees

With these considerations in mind, it is clear that CX represents the greatest opportunities and risks to an organization. If customers are happy with each interaction with people, websites, apps, and software, your business benefits. If your customers are not happy with the total experience, the potential for negative recommendations and falling repeat business grows.

In the best circumstances, CX and UX are symbiotic, with each interdependent on the other. Still, at the end of the day, the CX will determine the ultimate success or failure of a business.

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