Difference between UX and CX - Why should I care?
How often have you heard the terms' UI/UX' uttered together, like they mean the same thing? I bet a million times! But are they the same? Nah! People have no idea how badly they mix up things.
Another commonly confused pair is UX and CX - user and customer experiences. In some cases, there is an overlap between the meanings of these two terms. In other cases, they are not only miles apart from each other but even contrast. Even with contrastive usage, domain specialists have a hard time during conversations. But it surprised me when I asked a UX Guru on Twitter how he handled this challenge, and he responded, “I don't understand. Aren't they the same?"” Well, no, they are not the same.
Users and Customers are not the same. Even when a visitor on a website or a web application is both a user and a customer, she still carries different expectations while (1) using and (2) paying and beyond. More importantly, although not consciously, she will derive different experiences. The result from using the site/application will almost be instantaneous - for example, in the case of online shopping, how quickly the desired items could be found, effectively compared against each other, and sufficient information provided to make a final decision confidently - that will dictate the User Experience. The Customer Experience, on the other hand, will take much longer to take shape. Did she receive a loyalty discount while checking out? Was there a prompt order confirmation over email with a precise delivery date? Were the shipping updates sent frequently and accurately? Did the order arrive on the expected time and in good shape? How was the packaging? What did her family and friends say about the purchase? How was the first week of use? Any one of them can be a spoiler. And many other things that are entirely out of control for the product owner, product designer, and the customer herself. For example, the day after purchase, a much better option for the product was launched by another company than the one she just bought from, for almost the same price. Everything is ruined now!
In the case of an enterprise application, the customers and users are distinguishable. It is the company owner or somebody from the finance department paying for the Project Management tool, but the company staff actually uses it. Those who pay don't use the product, at least not as heavily and regularly as the primary users. The buying decision considers a lot more and beyond the user's experience. The affordability of the organization in the current situation, the bias of the staff lobby trusted by the finance head, the bias of the finance head herself, the level of industry standards and security compliance required by the customer organization versus the adherence provided by the product, are some factors that will drive the buying decision for the customers which has less or almost no direct involvement of actual users. The sad reality of the enterprise world is the customers (who pay) don't care about the pains of the actual users (their staff), at least not until it starts taking a 'visible' toll on the revenue earning.
Hopefully, by now, I have made it evident enough for you to see that UX and CX differ. The scope of work and the skillsets required for a User Experience Designer are very different from those of a Customer Experience Designer if any such a role exists. You must have seen the 'UX/CX Designer' job posts. The company and the people making that job post don't realize the difference and use these terms interchangeably. You may say these are just words, and they don't matter much, even while replacing each other. You won't be wrong. But it matters to me as a designer. A designer must know the difference because if you don't understand it, you might be inefficient in delivering a good solution.
Website - No customers; all visitors are users.
E-commerce Website - Customers and users are the same but have different expectations.
Social Media Website - Most visitors are users; advertisers (and paid users) are customers.
Consumer (B2C) Web Application - Customers and users are the same.
Enterprise (B2B) Web Application - Organization financial heads are customers; their staff are users.
B2B+B2C Web Applications - All the best! :D
I've mostly worked on designing Enterprise Web Applications, and a maximum visual design workforce is also employed in B2B development. Most design decisions on an Enterprise Web Application Product Development Team care for and favor customers. You (the designers) are the ones who will be responsible for finding a delicate balance between the interests of users and customers and delivering the best possible compromise. It is hard to get hold of end-users in the enterprise world. I have yet to see a design team that successfully contacted and recruited end-users (customer staff members) in their enterprise application design research. But I try my best to utilize end-user representatives (customer support staff, professional services staff, etc.) during my design research and Usability Tests - basically, people who directly listen to end-user complaints.
Marketing and sales departments deal with customers; it is very much possible that your Product Management Team, as well. So, please be aware of the risks to those you are listening to. Not that you shouldn't take their feedback and suggestions, but they worry more about product customers rather than the actual end-users. Know which one of the two worlds your stakeholder cares and represents. Almost none of your stakeholders will likely worry about end-user pains if you are on an enterprise product-building team. (In an ironic but accidental way, the 'UX/CX Designer' job post heading suddenly seems meaningful.) How does it feel now to carry the ethical burden of being a 'User Experience Designer'? Are we able to provide the proper justice to our job title and our actual end-users?
