The hidden trap behind most CX failures
Adrian Swinscoe is one of the most respected (and refreshingly blunt) voices in the customer experience space. As the author of Punk CX, host of the Punk CX Podcast, and an advisor to global brands, he’s spent the last two decades helping companies strip away fluff and focus on what actually works: solving real problems for customers and employees.
His work challenges assumptions, exposes disconnects, and helps CX leaders rethink how they build strategy, listen to feedback, and deliver value, not only for customers, but for the business too.
In this six-minute episode, he shares the danger of assumptions in customer experience, how most CX visions fall flat, and what it really takes to compel change inside a business. No buzzwords, just the hard truth, with some punk attitude.
CX Minutes with Adrian Swinscoe, Punk CX and our host Sabina Persson, Custellence.
What’s covered in this episode
Guest insights
- Why assumptions are the root of bad CX
- The fatal gap between vision and ROI
- Why feedback is a gift and often wasted
- How to turn data into action
Quick links
Why assumptions are the root of bad CX
Ask Adrian the most common CX mistake, and he won’t hesitate: assumptions. Companies assume Gen Z doesn’t want to talk on the phone. They assume customers just want self-service. They assume personalization means product recommendations.
But the reality? People do want to talk, just not with poorly designed systems. They want personalization, but the kind that shows respect, not just upselling.
As Adrian puts it: “They’re not mute. They’re just not talking to you.”
Deep-dive: Gen Z And The Workplace: Myths, Realities, And Unlocking Their Talent (people managing people)
Related: How to build a customer-centric culture from the inside out
The fatal gap between vision and ROI
“If you can’t prove ROI, you can’t prove relevance.”
Adrian’s long-running research into CX leaders reveals a clear divide. The best companies start with a vision of the experience they want to deliver, then they define what data and tech are needed to bring it to life.
Most others do the reverse. They buy tools, load in data, and hope for a decent experience to emerge.
The result? Fluffy CX visions full of buzzwords like “digital-first” or “AI-powered”, but no real strategy. And without a link to commercial outcomes, those visions get ignored.
Why feedback is a gift and often wasted
Feedback isn’t just another datapoint. It’s a sign that someone took the time (and often emotional energy) to share something they didn’t have to. As Adrian reminds us, “Customers don’t have to give you feedback. If they do, it means it matters to them.”
That makes it precious. But too often, companies treat it like a one-way transaction. They collect it, analyze it, maybe send it upstream and then… nothing. No follow-up. No loop closure. No change visible to the person who took the time to speak up.
This, Adrian says, is one of the simplest and most overlooked gaps in customer experience. Because without closure, people stop sharing. And without feedback, you lose your most direct connection to reality.
He urges CX teams to stop thinking of feedback as an input and start treating it as a relationship.
🎯 Tip: Build feedback closure into your regular CX reviews. Not just as a metric, but as a commitment to dialogue.
Related: Feedback Is A Gift—And Wise Leaders Give It Generously (Forbes)
How to turn data into action
“Data informs us, stories move us, but experiences compel us.”
The most powerful CX lesson Adrian shares? Get out from behind your laptop. Yes, data matters. But dashboards don’t drive change, experience does.
He describes three levels of insight:
- Data informs
- Stories move
- Experiences compel
When you talk to customers, shadow service staff, or go through your own journeys, you don’t just know what’s broken – you feel it. And once you feel it, you’ll want to fix it.
More on this topic: Watch our CX Minutes playlist for more inspiration like this
Key Takeaways
- Assumptions are dangerous. Always validate them, especially when it comes to behavior or preferences.
- Start with the experience. Don’t let your tech stack define your CX.
- Feedback isn’t finished until the loop is closed.
- Fluffy vision = weak strategy. If you can’t tie it to ROI, it won’t last.
- Get out into the real world. Talk to customers. Shadow staff. Be your own user.
“When you experience the friction yourself, you can’t not fix it.” – Adrian
👉 Want to learn more? Watch the full Episode #11 with Adrian Swinscoe here.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why does Adrian say assumptions are so risky?
Because they often go untested — and when wrong, they distort every CX decision that follows.
What’s the main reason CX strategies fail to gain traction?
They aren’t tied to commercial outcomes. Without ROI, internal buy-in fades.
How do you handle feedback the right way?
Treat it like a gift. Thank people, fix what you can, and tell them what changed.
What’s the most powerful way to understand CX challenges?
Experience them yourself. Nothing replaces firsthand insight.
How can you personalize without creeping people out?
Focus on relevance and respect, not just pushing products.
What does Adrian mean by “experiences compel us”?
That the most meaningful motivation to improve comes from feeling the problem yourself.
Final thoughts
Adrian Swinscoe cuts through the fluff and gets to the heart of CX: stop guessing. Whether it’s assumptions, misaligned strategies, or neglected feedback, most problems start when we forget to check reality.
His advice is simple, but not easy. Get closer to the experience, let it guide your decisions and always remember: if you can’t prove it matters to the business, it won’t matter for long.
AI Summary
Adrian Swinscoe (Punk CX) shares a powerful reminder that most CX issues start with unchecked assumptions — about customers, strategy, and feedback. He breaks down why personalization often misses the mark, why feedback loops fail, and why starting with the experience is key to ROI. Most importantly, he urges CX pros to leave the dashboard behind and get close enough to feel the friction themselves — because that’s when real change happens.
Read the transcript
Note: This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and readability.
Intro
Sabina Persson — 00:08
Hi everyone, this is Sabina Persson from Custellence, and you’re so welcome to the videocast CX Minutes. It’s six questions, six minutes, and it’s all about customer experience.
This is a series of episodes where we bring you actionable insights, practical know-how, and personal stories from top professionals all around the world — in just six minutes.
Welcome
Sabina — 00:28
And I’m super happy to be joined by Adrian Swinscoe from Punk CX today. Welcome, Adrian!
Adrian Swinscoe — 00:36
Hi Sabina, nice to be here. Good to see you — and so nice to meet you finally.
Who are you and what do you do?
Sabina — 00:42
So we’re going to talk about challenges in CX — and the first question I have for you is: who are you and what do you do, for those who don’t know?
Adrian — 00:49
Wow, what an existential question — who am I? So my name is Adrian Swinscoe. I guess I’m a writer, researcher, author, and advisor on service and experience. I’ve been focused on that space for the last — what, 17 or 18 years now?
What I try to do is advocate for better customer, employee, and business outcomes. That’s the thing I’m most interested in. How can organizations develop, manage, and deliver better outcomes — for their customers, their people, and themselves?
I do that through writing, speaking, workshops, and advisory work. I’m here to get people thinking differently — so they can come up with their own ways of delivering the right kind of service or experience that makes sense.
What’s the biggest mistake companies make in CX?
Sabina — 02:32
Okay, so in your opinion — what is the biggest mistake companies make when it comes to their customer experience?
Adrian — 02:39
I was thinking about this, and it’s a really… I mean, I could probably come up with a long list. But I would just say: assumptions. I think a lot of companies make assumptions about what their customers want or need. And they need to be careful, because those assumptions often don’t stand up to scrutiny.
Let me give you two examples. One is simple — companies often assume that younger people don’t want to speak on the phone. But research shows that’s just not true. Particularly Gen Z — people say, “They don’t talk on the phone.” Actually, they do. They just don’t talk to you.
Gaming is a great example — people are playing multiplayer games, and they’re constantly talking to teammates. So the idea that they don’t want to talk? It’s not that they’re mute. They talk.
And sure, they want self-service, like many of us do. But when things get complicated, serious, or unfamiliar — they want to talk to someone. That’s human.
Sabina — 05:11
So assumptions really are the mother of all…?
Adrian — 05:18
Exactly.
Another example: companies want to deliver a personalized experience — and customers want one too.
But people make assumptions about what “personalization” actually means. Companies often want to sell more stuff. Customers just want to be seen, heard, respected. If they don’t feel that — they tune out.
There’s a great quote I love by Alan Alda. He said, “Assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while so you can see clearly.”
Sabina — 06:39
Ahh, beautiful. That’s so good — and so true. Assumptions really are dangerous, especially when you make business decisions based on them.
Adrian — 06:57
Exactly. It’s one of the biggest challenges in CX — making decisions without checking whether they actually make sense.
How do you handle customer feedback?
Sabina — 07:07
So, how do you handle customer feedback in your work?
Adrian — 07:20
Openly and with transparency, I guess.
There’s that old saying — “Feedback is a gift.” And it really is. Customers don’t have to give you feedback. If they do, it means it matters to them. So it should matter to you. Even if it’s negative, you have to treat it with honesty and humility.
If it’s a real problem — fix it. And then respond: “Thank you. Here’s what we’ve done.” The big thing? Most people don’t close the loop. They collect the feedback, analyze it, maybe do something about it — but they don’t tell customers what changed.
Sabina — 08:53
Oh that’s a good one — and it’s not even that hard to do.
Adrian — 09:00
Exactly. Imagine if a friend kept giving you advice — and you never told them what you did with it. Eventually, they’d stop sharing. And that’s what happens with customers too.
What’s a common CX challenge you see?
Sabina — 09:41
What’s a common customer experience challenge you face — and how do you address it?
Adrian — 09:54
Not just me — but generally? One big thing I see is that most companies don’t start with the end in mind. In my ongoing research, companies that lead in CX do two things: 1. They start with a clear experience vision. 2. They align data and tech to support that experience — not the other way around.
Too many teams acquire technology, add data, and hope an experience comes out the other side. And when you ask, “What’s your experience vision and strategy?” you get a buzzword salad — “AI-enabled, digital-first…”
But they can’t explain how it connects to commercial goals. And if you can’t do that, you can’t prove ROI.
Sabina — 12:24
And if you can’t prove ROI — you can’t get heard.
Adrian — 12:29
Exactly. Relevance requires results.
How do you balance customer needs and business goals?
Sabina — 12:36
How do you think companies should balance customer needs with business priorities?
Adrian — 12:44
It goes back to what I said earlier — it has to make sense for both the business and the customer. If it doesn’t, you’ll have to make hard choices. But even then, communicate what you’re doing and why. You can’t promise a white glove experience in a high-volume, low-cost model. That’s not honest.
What’s your one piece of advice?
Sabina — 14:03
And my final question — what’s one piece of advice you’d share, based on everything we’ve talked about?
Adrian — 14:13
Get out from behind your laptops.
Sabina — 14:23
Yes! [laughs] That’s a good one.
Adrian — 14:36
We all want to be data-driven, and that’s fine. But there are levels to this.
Level one: data informs us. Dashboards, charts, analysis — useful.
Level two: stories move us. Add human context, and things get more emotional.
Level three — and this is the most important — experiences compel us.
When you talk to customers, shadow colleagues, go through your own journey — that’s when it becomes real. When you experience the pain, the frustration, the friction — you feel it. And you want to fix it. That’s when change really happens.
Wrap-up
Sabina — 17:11
Adrian, huge thank you for those powerful insights. Really appreciate it — and I think you helped us see things in a new light.
Adrian — 17:23
Thank you.
Sabina — 17:30
And with that, thanks to all of you for watching. That’s all for this time — see you next time, bye!
Check out other episodes of CX Minutes here.
By Tove Lundell
