Businesses have been urged to move beyond basic customer care and deliberately invest in customer experience if they are to remain competitive and achieve sustainable growth.
Speaking during Money Mondays on The Morning Switch on Next Radio, Joan Ntabadde Kyeyune, Chairperson of the Advisory Council of the Customer Experience Association of Uganda (CXA Uganda), and the association's President, Antonina Ojiambo, said customer experience extends far beyond the first interaction between a customer and a business.
"Customer care is not just an interaction; it is how you treat a customer," Kyeyune said, explaining that the customer experience begins the moment a person engages with a business—whether at the entrance of a building, through social media, online platforms or face-to-face interactions.
She said while customer care is a basic expectation, customer experience is what differentiates successful businesses from their competitors.
The leaders stressed that customer experience should be driven from the highest levels of an organisation, with executives and managers fostering a culture that places customers at the centre of every decision.
They noted that first impressions are critical and called on businesses to invest in training employees to deliver consistent, high-quality service at every customer touchpoint.
The CXA Uganda leaders also expressed concern that many Ugandans have become accustomed to poor service and often tolerate experiences that should be unacceptable.
They encouraged customers to provide honest feedback whenever they receive poor service, saying businesses can only improve when they understand where they are falling short.
The discussion also highlighted the importance of service recovery—how organisations respond when things go wrong.
According to the leaders, businesses should not only focus on preventing mistakes but also develop effective strategies for resolving complaints, rebuilding trust and winning back dissatisfied customers.
They observed that technology is rapidly transforming customer experience through digital platforms, artificial intelligence, chatbots, online booking systems and digital payment solutions.
To remain relevant, they said, businesses must simplify customer journeys and personalise services to meet the changing needs and expectations of consumers.
The speakers also underscored the strong link between employee experience and customer experience, arguing that organisations cannot expect exceptional customer service from employees who feel undervalued or unsupported.
"How you pay them and treat them will play a key role in how they treat your customers," the leaders said.
CXA Uganda brings together customer experience practitioners, business owners and managers to promote best practices, offer professional training and certification, and raise customer experience standards in Uganda to global levels.
The association also encourages organisations to embrace customer feedback with humility rather than dismissing criticism, reminding businesses that customers remain the foundation of every successful enterprise.
CXA Uganda will host its CXO CEO Breakfast on July 31 at Sheraton Kampala Hotel under the theme: The Future Belongs to Customer-Obsessed Leaders: Lessons from Leaders Doing It.
The event will feature panel discussions, fireside chats and presentations by customer experience champions and business leaders on the future of customer experience and leadership.
The association said customer experience should no longer be viewed as the responsibility of a single department but as a strategic priority that starts with leadership and is embedded throughout the entire organisation.
