Who drives CX? A deep dive into modern strategies and challenges

Digital transformation and social media have dominated today's dynamic business landscape, making customer experience (CX) not just a buzzword, but a core driver of success for brands across industries. Delivering exceptional CX is a shared responsibility across entire organisations, with no single team or individual holding the reins. 

But who truly drives CX, and how do social media, AI, and leadership shape this evolving domain? A panel of experts at the inaugural afaqs! Customer First Summit explored these questions in depth during a session titled Navigating Leadership in Customer Experience Strategy.

The panel featured Shitiz Dogra, associate director, of digital marketing at IndiGo; Sachin Vashishtha, CMO at Paisabazaar; and Vaibhav Khanna, head of product and subscriptions at NDTV Profit, and was moderated by Saurabh Agrawal, CEO of DAIOM. 

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A holistic interaction or individual responsibility?

CX encompasses every touchpoint a customer has with a brand—be it an ad, a website visit, a product purchase, or post-sale support. 

“For us, CX spans everything—from communication and ads to service delivery. While we, as aggregators, empower customers to choose financial products, the responsibility of delivery often rests with partner banks or fintechs. Therefore, for us, the ownership of CX is collective,” said Vashishtha. 

This collective ownership resonates across industries. 

Dogra emphasised the importance of every customer channel. “In aviation, customer touchpoints are endless—websites, social media, in-flight service—and no channel is a dead channel. Every complaint or feedback matters and every function owner must strive to resolve issues and protect the brand.”

He cited the example of musician David Carroll’s damaged guitar incident with United Airlines. Carroll released a viral song, United Breaks Guitars, in response to the airline's lack of empathy and poor support, which garnered over 25 million YouTube views and became synonymous with poor service. Fast forward to today, United Airlines has transformed its CX, ensuring seamless experiences at every touchpoint.

Khanna added that while CX interactions are holistic, leadership plays a vital role in fostering a customer-first culture. “It’s important to empower customer care teams to make decisions,” he said, citing American Express’s stellar consumer service as an example compared to other banks.

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Social media: amplifying customer voices

Social media presents a complex challenge for brands. While it serves as a powerful platform for brand-building and customer engagement, it has also become a megaphone for dissatisfied customers. 

“When brands stopped listening, customers started shouting—especially on platforms like Twitter. Unfortunately, Twitter has become an ORM (Online Reputation Management) channel instead of a place for proactive engagement. Brands must invest in sentiment analysis tools to understand feedback beyond just numbers,” said Dogra.

He explained that sentiment analysis helps track customer emotions over time and address underlying issues before they spiral out of control. Staying active and responsive on social media is critical for brands. Positive feedback can amplify brand loyalty, while unresolved complaints can quickly damage reputations. 

The role of AI: Promise and pitfalls

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative tool for scaling CX. From chatbots to social listening tools, AI enables businesses to address customer needs efficiently and at scale. However, without a robust foundation, AI implementation can backfire.

“Brands rush to adopt AI because it’s a buzzword. But AI needs clean, structured data to succeed. Without that foundation, even sophisticated tools will fail,” said Vashishtha. 

He warned against poorly implemented rule-based chatbots that trap customers in frustrating loops. Particularly in India, where customers value human interaction, AI must complement—not replace—human touchpoints.

“For B2C companies, AI can scale customer support, automate responses, and enhance social listening." However, careful implementation is necessary to prevent user frustration, he added.  

Leveraging MarTech and data for CX excellence

Modern CX strategies rely heavily on data and technology. Khanna of NDTV Profit spoke about the role of MarTech (marketing technology) in driving retention and personalisation. 

“We track customer activity to identify gaps. For instance, if a premium subscriber isn’t using their subscription, we reach out through personalised messages—via email, WhatsApp, or app notifications. Using data, we analyse behaviour, understand pain points, and address them before they churn.”

The goal, he explained, is to build habits and foster stickiness. “Our North Star metric is five active days per month. If a subscriber doesn’t hit this mark, they’re unlikely to renew. Through MarTech and data analytics, we re-engage them and improve retention.”

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Measuring success: Key metrics for CX

How do brands measure CX success? While traditional metrics such as Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) remain critical, CX leaders emphasise a broader, data-driven approach. Dogra focuses on app store reviews and ratings, which offer direct insights into user experiences. On the other hand, Khanna prioritises retention and renewals, ensuring customers see continued value in their subscriptions. For Vashishtha, the ultimate indicator of strong CX is organic, free revenue. 

“If customers are happy, they’ll return and recommend your brand. As the contribution of free channels increases, you know you’re heading in the right direction.”

However, he also cautioned against biased metrics, citing examples like incentivised automobile servicing scores that distort NPS values. 

Talent and leadership skills

According to Agrawal, CX offers immense opportunities for future careers. However, candidates must be tech-savvy and capable of understanding and dissecting data.

“If you want to be in this field, you must detach yourself from the brand, be ready to challenge senior leadership, and learn to truly listen to the customer,” added Dogra.

Vashishtha agreed, urging professionals to remain agile and responsive. “Stay on your toes. Learn to detach from the products you’ve built and focus on customer feedback—no matter how challenging it may be.” 

Catch the entire conversation here: 

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