233. How to Use New Research to Drive Massive Business Growth | Rick Parrish

Companies often focus on designing logical, frictionless transactions, but customers base their loyalty on emotion. This fundamental disconnect is driving customer loss. The latest data proves it, and this episode reveals exactly what to do to shift the trend at your workplace. Across the U.S., customer experience scores recently hit historic lows after four straight years of decline. While 2026 shows a marginal increase, only 26 percent of companies have actually made progress, with the vast majority remaining completely flat. Forrester's Customer Experience Research Leader, Rick Parrish, joins Stacy Sherman to explain the underlying reasons behind this multi-year decline. They discuss what the top-performing companies are doing differently and how to use concrete data to convince budget holders to fund crucial CX initiatives. Inside this episode, you will learn: The Frictionless Trap: Why making an interaction incredibly "easy" still won't guarantee your customers come back. The "Delight" Backfire: Why the popular goal of surprising and delighting your customers is usually the wrong target, and which subtle emotions you should be designing for instead. Creepy vs. Helpful: The single "inside-out" mistake executives make that instantly turns a personalized experience into a liability. The ROI Paradox: The bizarre reason leadership teams routinely dismantle CX programs that are actively generating a positive ROI. The Reporting Structure Reality: What a year-long study reveals about where CX leaders actually get the most done and why the most coveted seat in the C-suite can actually delay your progress. Scaling the Voice of the Customer: An emerging technological approach to qualitative research that lets you multiply your customer listening without adding a single new staff member. Download The Distinctive Business Advantage research report to discover exactly what top-performing companies are doing to drive customer loyalty and sustainable growth, and what you can do as well. Bring these insights to your company. Stacy Sherman is available to present the findings and proven strategies at your events, workshops, podcasts, and training sessions. Contact her now.