Let’s Use Safety Protocols to Help You Create CX Protocols!

In safety, a ‘near miss’ is a close call—a moment when something almost went wrong. What if we applied that same thinking to customer experience? Here’s how to spot CX near misses before they become real problems.

Though not scientific, I have observed that organizations with strong safety performance also perform better with customer experience. What can we learn from reasonable safety improvement efforts that can be applied to CX? I want to focus on one important tool used in safety work: the near miss. I want to discuss how we can apply near-miss thinking to CX work.  

What is a ‘Near Miss’ in CX Protocols? 

OSHA defines a near miss as an incident in which no property was damaged and no personal injury was sustained, but where, given a slight shift in time or position, damage or injury easily could have occurred.”  For example, stepping up on a machine unsafely is a near miss.  Why?  The operator could have fallen and been injured by not following proper procedures. In customer experience terms, near misses can be integrated into your CX protocols to spot and fix issues before they escalate.

How does near-miss thinking apply to CX?  What are the near-miss examples in CX?   

The customer who gives a mediocre grade to the CX experience.  If you use NPS, it could be a Passive customer.  Their response was more of a “meh” than a “yay” or a “nay.”   

• The “great, but” customer.  This customer may be a Promoter, but mentions something that could be better.  From our work, we have found that about 30% of Promoter customers are “great, but” customers. 
• The upset customer who chooses to continue doing business with your company.   

There are near-miss experiences with customers, no matter what their ratings.  In CX terms, a near-miss experience is one that was not up to par but did not damage the longer-term business relationship.  The customer gave you some grace! 

How Does Near-Miss Thinking Fit into CX Protocols?

Taking another page from safety, I looked at a form for reporting near-miss incidents.  I am not suggesting that you create another form or process, but the form (click here to see the form) has some ideas to be applied to CX.  Here are three areas to focus on when doing your CX near-miss analysis: 

• Process: Was there a process failure resulting in the near miss?  If so, what process or processes did not work as planned?  What needs to happen to improve the process(es)?   
   
  In one case, a client had a convoluted process for getting credit approval. While the process worked to ensure credit was extended to worthy customers, it took much too long to get that approval from the customers’ perspectives.  Managers agreed with the customers and developed a much quicker credit approval process, resulting in lower costs. 
• Systems:  Was there a failure with the systems?  If so, which one or ones failed to perform?  What changes are needed to improve the system(s)?  
  
  This issue is a big problem in most companies. Many older ERP and DMS systems complicate serving customers fast and efficiently. In the case of one client, it was a major issue that inhibited CX improvement. Systems can and do hamstring a company’s ability to serve customers properly.  
• Human Connection: The human connection is vitally important and becoming more critical. If there is some emotional connection between the customer and the provider during the experience, the customer is likelier to be loyal over the long term.   

Our work highlights the importance of the human connection.

One of the questions we ask in our surveys is to ask the customer what went well. If the customer mentions Friendly/Caring/Professional Staff, the NPS for those customers is four points higher than all others. If, on the other hand, the customer says that Friendly/Caring/Professional Staff could be better, the NPS drops sixty points.   

Organizations have issues with processes and systems, no doubt. Poor processes and systems can make it harder for customers to do business with you. I have seen a few companies and organizations where these two categories were significant reasons for providing poor CX. I can think of several companies with great processes and systems, but their CX is not what you would expect.  The human connection hindered their ability to serve their customers better.  

How Do You Put Near-Miss Analysis into Action? 

It is not necessary to do a near-miss analysis of each experience.  Instead, focus on those experiences and customers that are meaningful to your strategy.  For example, you may focus more on larger and/or more profitable customers.  Or you may also focus on a new customer segment you are trying to penetrate, to learn better what these customers expect in an experience.   

As you evaluate each experience, ask the following questions: 

• Was there a process, systems, or human connection issue that caused the near-miss?   

• What specifically contributed to the near-miss?
  • If it was a process failure, is it too slow, prone to causing mistakes, or too cumbersome?  
  • If a system was the issue, was it a short-term problem unlikely to repeat, or something more long-term and strategic?   
  • If the human connection was an issue, what were the underlying reasons?  Is more training needed?  Is there a mismatch between the job requirements of those delivering the service and their capabilities?

• What are the recommended changes?   

You do not need to do too many formal near-miss analyses.  The fewer the better, but at least do enough to get a picture of what your customers are saying.  It is essential to look at the comments from the “great, but” customers.  They were satisfied with the experience but had suggestions for improvement.   

Putting the Customer as the Focus of Your CX Improvement Efforts 

One of the significant aspects of employing near-miss analyses in your CX protocols is that it puts your customer feedback squarely in the middle of your improvement efforts. This is what your customers said!  Your customer feedback can be used in an especially focused way to help improve your CX efforts.  As I talk with people involved in safety, I see that this rigorous process provides a great structure to identify improvement opportunities.

Lastly, in a world where technology is everywhere, don’t forget the human part of the equation, which matters so much in the B2B world. 

Keep in mind the recent quote by Bill Gates, May 2025: In a world increasingly driven by machines, it’s the human touch that may end up mattering most.

Let me know what you think.  My email is [email protected].