“Word Nerd Wednesday” is a weekly series that uses language to help us think differently and solve old problems in new ways.
You know platitudes when you hear them, even if you have never heard the word until now:
The customer is always right.
Leadership starts at the top.
Customer expectations are changing.
Customers are our most important asset.
Customer experience is everyone’s job.
I learned “platitude” from my old editor. He would chastise me (rightfully!) any time I let one slip into a report or presentation.
Platitudes are a problem for two reasons. First, they are stale. We’ve heard them so often they are devoid of real meaning. Second, they encourage mental laziness. Repeating platitudes is a way to avoid thinking critically about the nuances of a complex topic.
Platitudes are, in my opinion, one of the biggest challenges facing the CX community. They perpetuate the “this is just common sense” myth that stops executives & employees from engaging in serious discussion. They also make the tech landscape extremely confusing. Clients tell me all the time…”every vendor says they do the same thing. It’s hard to tell who’s who & what’s what.”
So my questions for you…
1. What is your least favorite CX platitude?
2. What should we say instead?
