Whether you know it or not, a battle rages in the universe between companies with incredible customer experiences and everyone else. Furthermore, so many companies are paying lip service to great customer experience but not walking the walk. You are looking to hire one Avenger from the Marvel Cinematic Universe who will build the best CX program in all of the universe. Which Avenger would you hire and why?
We posed this question to the CX Accelerator extended community and got some interesting answers. Let’s see which Avengers rose to the top.
Vision
Vision is focused, all wise, and doesn't let passion hamper his ability to get the job done. Plus, he's literally made of the MIND Stone, so he holds all knowledge. ~Matt Cromwell
Spider-Man
How can you not hire a guy who refers to himself as "your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man." He's all about the customer! ~Shep Hyken
Shuri (Black Panther’s Sister)
She's fierce, she's lovely, a genius inventor and innovator, she leverages technology smartly, and she's always anticipating future needs! ~Becky Roemen
Groot
I am Groot. ~I am Groot
Gamora
The greatest "Avenger of CX" is without a doubt, Gamora. Just look at her complicated interactions with her sister, Nebula. Gamora takes a broken relationship out of the ashes...and creates one of the strongest bonds we find in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. She single-handedly keeps the guardians focused on their mission to save the galaxy, versus short term financial gain. Thanos's love for her is his only true weakness. This is whom I'd like serving my customers...a heroine who can take a hit, but remains one step ahead and leaves loyalty in her wake. ~Nate Brown
Falcon
Falcon came to the Avengers through a desire to help. He did what he could during his first appearance to support Captain America, and eventually the rest of the team, always working from the second line instead of the front. Once his position was secured on the team, and after Endgame settled down, he stepped up to take the shield of Captain America without thinking of it as a burden. This is something we hope to get out of our teams: someone who learns the role they were hired for but steps into the breach when it's time to move on to something new and challenging. ~Al Hopper
Captain Marvel
I haven’t fully figured out the extent of Captain Marvel’s powers, but I can assure you that there’s no way the IT department will tell her something isn’t technically feasible. And there’s no chance a top executive will get away with telling her she’s not qualified to lead a CX effort. Go ahead and try to push Carol Danvers down or tell her she can’t do something. She’ll get back up and prove you wrong every time. Are there silos in your organization? It’s time to start collaborating before she busts those silos down. Furthermore, just like she did for the Skrull people who were marginalized and ignored, Captain Marvel has a huge heart for customers and will make sure their voice is heard and represented across the universe. ~Jeremy Watkin
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange has universal awareness as one of his superpowers and that is a crucial talent to bring to CX. In this role, he’s aware of customer and employee experience feedback and what it is telling us. He then has the ability to span the other Avengers in the company, applying all of their super powers to heal and prevent further damage to the customer, the brand, the employees, and the business. ~Jeff Sheehan
Clint Barton/Hawkeye
Hawkeye is the most humble of the Avengers. He doesn't try to take credit for everything; he's never cocky. He just shows up and does his job. His powers aren't flashy, but he's an expert at what he does. That's who we need saving the CX of the galaxy. ~Yael McCue
Black Panther
Black Panther is the ideal candidate to lead the greatest CX program in the universe, because he:
Draws upon the knowledge, strength, and experience of every CX Black Panther before him.
Taps into superhuman CX listening to fully understand his kingdom.
Hires smart, capable people to help lead and make decisions.
Is a warrior and doesn’t send his people to battle alone but rolls up his sleeves and leads the charge.
Believes in accountability, and instead of making excuses, takes responsibility.
Uses outside-in thinking to share valuable resources with the rest of the world.
"Wakanda Forever!” ~Debbie Szumylo
Iron Man
Every CX agent of change needs tenacity, a sense of humor, and lots of technological gadgets to get the job done. Maybe Robert Downey Jr. has another career ahead of him after he retires from acting? ~ Dan Gingiss
It's gotta be Iron Man. He's the perfect blend of human and AI. He's got the strength to push through obstacles, and the charisma to win others onto his side to join the CX movement. ~Lyndon File
Captain America
Gotta be "Cap" (Steve Rogers/Captain America). He steps up to serve and is equal to the task. While he may be insubordinate, he is fiercely loyal to his ideals and to those who share them. ~Mark Bernhardt
Captain America is one who doesn't scare easily at any challenge and takes it on wholeheartedly! Looking at his history, he overcame challenges by being courageous and volunteering, allowing him to help better the world. This has allowed him to be an outside-of-the-box thinker and he’s great at showing he really cares about people. The best part is, he's able to rally his team behind his ideas which makes implementation a lot quicker and easier; and he'll always fight for what he believes in! ~Jacob Shields
Cap is polite, dedicated, and generous. He doesn't take things personally, and he never gives up. When he found himself in the future, he didn't complain - he worked to educate himself - a growth mindset. And when the job was done, he stayed in the past for some well-deserved self-care, and did a warm hand-off of his shield to prevent service interruptions ;) ~Dave Dyson
And the job goes to...
The people have spoken and the Avenger to build the greatest CX program in the entire universe is Captain America, with an honorable mention to Iron Man. But who ever said this was a one Avenger operation? The last time I checked, Cap didn’t defeat Thanos on his own. What he did so well was to bring the team together, recognize their unique abilities, and with intense focus, work toward common goal. And don’t forget that he was worthy to hold Thor’s hammer.
Great choice, team! Now for those of you reading, do you agree with our choice? If you’re building a CX team in your organization, which Avengers will you choose for the job? Leave us a comment or join CX Accelerator to keep this discussion going.
Jeremy Watkin is a CX leader, contact center veteran, mega Marvel fan, and Product Marketing Manager at 8X8. He is an avid learner, and is constantly giving back to the CX and Customer Service community through his writings. You can see his work featured on Customer Think, Customer Service Life, and now CX Accelerator!