Getting the Basics Right Isn’t Boring—It’s Brave

You’d think a luxury watch store selling CHF 10,000 timepieces would obsess over the grand gestures. But no—they obsess over the basics: being greeted, not being rushed, feeling understood.

Maybe the real problem in customer experience isn’t doing the basics. It’s knowing what they are.

Why I Made This Tool (and Why I’m Sharing It)

Over the last two and a half years, I’ve been working (alongside some brilliant friends and collaborators) on a practical tool to help teams better understand how they show up for their customers. Not just in theory—but in real, tangible, and sometimes overlooked ways. We call it the CX Enabler Card Deck, and it’s part of the broader CX Fundamentals Toolkit.

From Fancy Ideas to Foundational Moves

We all love the shiny stuff—surprise-and-delight moments, personalised journeys, CX innovation. But leaders (rightly) keep reminding us to “get the basics right.” The problem is, we don’t always agree on what those basics are.

That’s where this card deck comes in. It’s not designed to give you answers—it’s designed to help your team agree on the questions.

How It Works

There are 32 cards. On the front of each is a short customer experience statement—things like:

• “Guide with simplicity: make every step a breeze.”
• “Put customers first: let them steer the experience.”
• “Use professional language to build trust and clarity.”

The process is simple: lay the cards out, read each one, and have a conversation. Is it something your team is already doing well? Is it a priority right now? Or is it not relevant at all?

You can sort them visually (low to high priority, for instance) to build alignment around what good looks like in your context.

And Then Comes the Reveal

Once you’ve sorted your cards, flip them over.

Some cards are green: these represent core CX basics—the things that build trust, reduce friction, and meet fundamental expectations.

Others are orange: these are distractions. They sound like good ideas on the surface, but might actually derail your efforts or obscure what customers really need.

Each orange card is paired with a green one—think of it as a nudge. For example:

• Orange: “Use professional language.”
• Green: “Keep it clear. Let your words build trust.”

This shift might seem small, but it can reframe an entire interaction—from being technically correct to being genuinely helpful.

Built-In Structure Without the Buzzwords

Each card also maps to one of 16 CX pillars—themes like:

• Simplicity and consistency in messaging
• Technology made simple
• Empowerment and customer control
• Feedback that fuels innovation

These aren’t just categories. They’re conversation starters that help you move from individual tactics to strategic focus areas.

If You Want to Explore It Yourself…

We’ve built a free tool that lets you test-drive these ideas online.

Just go to the link and select the eight statements that resonate most with you. From there, the tool will help you prioritise, reflect on customer journey impact, and generate a snapshot of where your focus might lie.

All free. No catch. Use it solo or with your team.

What’s Next?

There’s a second part to this toolkit—the Challenge Deck—which dives into practical, tactical “How might we…” statements that align with the enablers you prioritise. I’ll cover that in an upcoming video and blog.

And if you’d like to get your hands on the physical card deck, we’re finalising the packaging now. Subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on LinkedIn to be the first to know when it’s available.

Getting the basics right isn’t boring.
It’s brave.

From Distractions to Essentials: Rethinking Customer Experience Priorities