the new rules of digital experience

Recently, while traveling, I checked into a Marriott hotel on the mobile app. When I arrived, I walked right past the front desk, found the elevator, and made my way to my 10th-floor room. I pulled out my phone and let myself in.

And I knew that the next morning, when I checked out, I’d walk right past the front desk again while ordering a coffee on my phone. When I got to the coffee shop, I’d walk in, pick up my drink, and walk out. It was a pretty good bet that I wouldn’t speak to anyone until my 8am meeting.

Multiple transactions. Minimal interaction. Minimal friction. Like it or not, this is the world our customers live in.

This expectation of a seamless, digital-first experience is now the baseline for B2B SaaS. Our customers live in this world of minimal friction, and they bring that expectation to our products every day. The question for CS leaders is how we meet it. And in this new reality, there will be WINNERS and LOSERS…

Design for the Customer, Not Just for Cost-Cutting 

The winners will use deep customer knowledge to design digital experiences that put the customer’s needs first. The losers will be those who simply digitize to cut their own costs, leaving customers with clunky self-service portals that create more problems than they solve.

Use Data to Give Time Back, Not Just to Take 

The winners will use data to remove friction and give people time back. The losers will gather sensitive data for their own gain, putting customers at risk while providing no real benefit in return.

Personalize Experiences, Don't Standardize People 

The winners will design digital experiences that feel personal, showing empathy for customer segment-level needs. The losers will batch every customer into the same generic workflows because it's cheaper and easier for them to manage.

Build Tools for Outcomes, Not Just for Upsells 

The winners will create tools that help customers reach a specific, desired outcome. The losers will launch features only to trap customers into higher spending or check an internal box.

So how do you stay on the right side of this divide? It comes down to your design philosophy.

It means designing from the outside in. This is the classic battle between the Service Blueprint (how we want customers to interact with us) and the Customer Journey (the natural path a customer takes to solve their problem). Winners obsess over the customer's journey.

It also means automating to empower, not just to replace. The goal of a great digital experience isn't to eliminate humans; it's to free them up for the moments that require judgment, strategy, and empathy. Use automation for the predictable, so your team can be present for the pivotal.

The winners will win the long game by building trust through every digital interaction. The choice seems obvious, but it requires deliberate, customer-centric design.

Which side will you be on? 🤘

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