Last Wednesday, our inaugural ‘Twimbit CX Stars 2023 Awards Gala Dinner’ concluded at The Athenee Hotel in Bangkok, and our excitement is still running high. As we reflect on the remarkable 3-month journey that led us to this milestone, we’re excited to take you behind the scenes of CX Stars. Much like the Michelin Guide, our mission is about recognising, benchmarking, and celebrating excellence in delivering Exceptional CX.  

In an era driven by technological growth with innovations like Generative AI and machine learning – a vital question arises in today’s modern customer experience (CX). “Does excelling in the digital sphere alone equate to delivering exceptional customer experiences?”. At Twimbit, we believe that delivering Exceptional CX requires a combination of experiences – Digital, Service, Brand and Employee. Companies that excel in these CX pillars and focus on a holistic CX strategy are certain to deliver Exceptional CX.  

Our vision of the CX Stars program was clear from the outset: to build a holistic CX benchmarking framework that would allow us to:

• Identify today’s leading Exceptional CX Stars
• Provide a mechanism for all companies to track their current CX progress
• Emulate best practices and strive to deliver better CX

In doing so, we aimed to highlight deserving companies and hopefully inspire others to never forget about the end goal – the customer (the beating heart of every operation).  

Setting out on this path, we had the pleasure of joining forces with Genesys, our founding partner, and Publicis Sapient, our supporting partner, for the Twimbit CX Stars program. Their unwavering and deep passion towards enabling exceptional customer experiences was the glue that genuinely held us together in making our program and the ‘CX Stars 2023 Awards Gala Dinner’ a reality for all. Together, we embarked on a journey to explore CX-centric companies across Asia.

But how did we identify these CX pioneers?

Following in the footsteps of the Michelin Guide, our program does not allow companies to pay to participate in the program or to acquire a CX Star recognition. Instead, companies can nominate themselves or be nominated by customers, partners, or Twimbit analysts who study the CX industry closely. We were happy to include companies and research their CX practices and outcomes to benchmark them on our Exceptional CX Mastery Scale.

The analyst team at Twimbit devised a multifaceted approach:

1. Mystery shoppers: Adopting this role allowed us to gain firsthand experiences as customers without being subjected to any potential biases. These may include using their digital platforms/apps, calling their contact centers, or visiting their branches.  

2. Secondary research: Conducting extensive research such as analysing their annual reports, data from crowdsourced reviews and other communications shared in the public domain ensured a more thorough assessment of the company’s recognitions and capabilities. This decision significantly helped progress our shortlist process.

3. Analyst calls: Engaging with the selected companies via video chat gave us a more in-depth perspective of their organisational cultures and best practices.

4. Comprehensive evaluation: Evaluating these companies on our meticulously crafted ‘Exceptional CX Mastery Scale’ to uncover where they lie in the world of CX.

This 5-star CX mastery system was essential in our process. It enabled us to reflect on the nominees’ CX maturity while serving as a critical measuring instrument for our esteemed judging panel to reflect upon, validate and certify these candidates.  

After screening over 400 companies, we conducted a detailed assessment of approximately 100 organisations across South East Asia and India, and we were thrilled to announce the CX Stars at the Gala Dinner in Bangkok on the 11^th of October 2023.  

Here, we recognised 4 companies that achieved the coveted ‘Exceptional CX’ mastery status (5 CX stars). These companies were indeed the trailblazers of the CX realm, resembling the best-in-class in CX at its finest.  

Following this was the ‘Advanced CX’ mastery status (4 CX stars), whereby 7 companies were recognised for their continued focus to go beyond the conventional customer satisfaction metrics. Their ability to employ innovative technologies and unique practices quickly and efficiently makes them noteworthy examples in today’s era of customer-centric growth.  

We also recognised over 10 companies in the ‘Proficient CX’ mastery status (3 CX stars), as these companies developed solid CX practices to deliver good and consistent customer experience. Delivering CX is hard, and these companies have invested in building a CX foundation in terms of technology, processes, and people initiatives that ensure their customers are given the right experience.  

Overall, these companies had achieved great CX across various areas, from:

• Orchestrating digital ecosystems for hyper-personalised experiences
• Empowering agents to go the extra mile in providing assistance

• Prioritising exceptional experiences at the forefront of every customer interaction
• Embedding a customer-centric mindset that resonates and functions effectively throughout each pillar of the organisation

Our journey with CX Stars has only just begun, and we eagerly anticipate where it will lead us next. The Twimbit CX Stars program goes beyond the Gala night, and it is an ongoing exercise that will recognise top companies in the CX realm. Our commitment remains unwavering: to shine a spotlight on those dedicated to raising the bar in the realm of CX and to ignite a continuous pursuit of CX excellence.  

We also want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you – the nominees, judges, partners, and fellow analysts - for joining us on this incredible adventure. Stay tuned for more stories of inspiration and innovation as we continue to recognise and celebrate the true CX Stars!

Visit our website for the complete list of Twimbit’s 2023 CX Stars Winners.