Is PWC Redefining Customer Experience/CX ? We Hope So

Oct 22, 2025

The hosts dive into PwC's report on redefining customer experience, highlighting trust and the fragility of meaningful interactions. They unpack four key dimensions: coherence, personalization, engagement, and distinctiveness. Traditional measurement methods come under fire, advocating for meaningful experiences instead. The discussion emphasizes managing customer frustration to build deeper relationships. They also explore different customer journey modes and review industry case studies, urging retail and other sectors to adopt experiential strategies for growth.

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INSIGHT

CX As Meaningful Experience

PwC reframes CX from service delivery to meaningful experiences that drive growth through trust and feeling.
The report highlights coherence, personalization, engagement, and distinctiveness as core dimensions of exceptional experiences.

ANECDOTE

PwC Woke Up During COVID

Dave Norton notes PwC's work began around 2020 and emerged from pandemic-era shifts toward meaningful experiences.
He points out the hosts had been advocating similar ideas for years before PwC amplified them.

INSIGHT

Theme Makes Experiences Cohere

Joe Pine links PwC's four dimensions to experience-economy principles: distinctiveness, engagement, personalization, and coherence.
He argues a theme or organizing principle is essential to make experiences cohere and feel authentic.

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In this episode of the Experience Strategy Podcast, hosts Joe Pine, Dave Norton, and Aransas Savas discuss PwC's recent report on growth through experience. They explore the evolving definitions of customer experience, emphasizing the importance of trust and meaningful interactions. The conversation delves into PwC's four dimensions of exceptional experiences: coherence, personalization, engagement, and distinctiveness. The hosts critique traditional measurement methods in customer experience, advocating for a focus on meaningful experiences rather than mere service delivery. They also discuss the significance of managing moments of frustration and the concept of modes in customer journeys, concluding with insights from case studies in various industries.

Takeaways

Customer experience is fragile and requires trust.
Meaningful experiences drive customer loyalty.
Seamlessness is the baseline, not a value add.
Exceptional experiences are defined by PwC as coherence, personalization, engagement, and distinctiveness.
Measurement should focus on meaning, not just metrics.
Managing frustration can create deeper customer relationships.
Modes influence how customers interact with experiences.
Retail must embrace experiential strategies to thrive.
Trust is a predictor of growth in customer experience.
The shift towards experience as a business strategy is gaining traction.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Experience Strategy Podcast 02:17 Understanding Customer Experience and Trust 05:21 Defining Exceptional Experiences 09:41 The Importance of Measurement in Experience 12:10 Rethinking Value Creation and Trust 13:57 Managing Moments of Frustration 16:43 Modes and Their Impact on Experience 17:09 Case Studies in Exceptional Experiences 19:30 Conclusion and Future Insights

https://www.pwcresearch.com/uc/images/GrowthThroughExperience_2025.pdf

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