About XCX Consulting
XCX Consulting was borne out of the idea that great customer experiences are relevant for every business in every sector, but most consultancies and practitioners focus on large, enterprise-level CX strategies and programs.
At XCX we focus exclusively on SMBs, typically 25-250 employees, and especially those that lack in-house CX expertise. We work fractionally, meaning that every engagement is done on a part-time basis with flexible hours and no fixed pattern.
XCX is run by Mark Berry, an expert in all things customer-related, with over 20 years experience spanning customer experience, customer success, customer support, sales and professional services in technology-focused B2B environments.
Meet Mark
Hi!
Thanks for checking out XCX Consulting.
I have been working in customer services of some form for over 20 years. My first ever job was on the shop floor of a menswear store, where I quickly learned about the importance of customer service – nobody cared that I was a shy 16-year-old on a temporary Christmas job!
For the last 15 years or so I have been running customer success, service, support and professional service teams for technology companies in the UK and supporting customers around the world. My clients have ranged from high street pharmacies and coffee chains to the biggest financial companies on the planet.
Throughout this time I’ve been largely or solely responsible for the customer experience strategy and delivering exceptional CX, no matter who the customer was. From building customer journeys, answering support tickets, managing formal complaints and renewing customer contracts I’ve always instilled a strong CX-centric culture in my teams. A few examples of my experience:
Led the customer experience team (customer success and support) for a global technology company across EMEA, responsible for over $100m in ARR and over 3,000 clients. 95%+ retention and several million dollars of leads generated.
Defined and built the CX team at a tech startup, supporting their growth from sub-$10m ARR to over $20m ARR, with a NRR of 150%, gross churn <5% and NPS increase over 50%.
Built customer journeys at multiple startups and B2B companies, collaborating with marketing, sales, product and others to map a consistently excellent CX from start-to-finish.
Hired and managed dozens of CX practitioners, from graduates to VPs across the globe, building top-class customer-facing teams across various domains and businesses.
Right now I run the customer department at a technology startup in the telco space as part of the leadership team and am responsible for the customer journey, delivering projects and ensuring our customers receive world-class experiences with us.
Outside of work I love to spend time with my family, work out, cook, snowboard and grow the occasional veggie on our allotment. You will find us in Bushey, Hertfordshire.
Working With XCX Consulting
Our Values and Service Principles
The Personal Touch
I cannot stress this enough - eXceptional CX is not complicated!
A lot of companies and CX specialists create intricate models or convoluted strategies for optimizing CX based on 'flywheels' or some other trademarked design. In large organizations these (sometimes) work, but in the SMB world we need simple, rapid solutions that are easy to implement and demonstrate quick ROI.
I am direct and to-the-point. If something doesn't work or is not good enough I will show you how to change it.
Value and Outcome-Based Delivery
My focus is on ensuring you achieve the outcome you want from our engagement.
This means that when we work together you are paying me to deliver an outcome. I do not clock-watch, count minutes and hours or restrict when or how many times you can contact me to achieve that outcome. Ultimately, my success is predicated upon your success.
If I don't believe I am the right person to help you achieve your goal, I won't take on the engagement.
Simple Transparency
There is no corporation or enterprise involved in XCX. It's just me.
You will have my direct phone number and email and deal only with me. Our engagement is personal and matters to me and my success and satisfaction with a project is directly correlated with your success.
My work at XCX is done alongside and in addition to my full-time job, in my own personal time, and so I am highly selective about which engagements I take on so that I can guarantee you'll get the outcome you are searching for.
Our Fees
Typically, our fees are project-based and determined by the scale, length and complexity of our engagement.
Since my customers are small-to-medium sized businesses I focus on affordable fees with a tangible and identifiable outcome and relatively quick success.
There are no hidden fees, no hourly charges and no clock-watching. Aside from the project fee the only potential charges are project expenses, which will be discussed up front before they are incurred.
I strive to offer 2-3 options per engagement so that you can select what works best for you. Below is an example of a typical customer journey map engagement fee proposal.
BRONZE OPTION
Deliver a standardized customer journey map outlining all customer touchpoints and highlighting areas for potential improvement.
Typical cost: £500 - £1,500
SILVER OPTION
Deliver a custom branded journey map plus a written report containing specific recommendations to improve the overall journey, and support with the implementation of recommendations.
Typical cost: £1,500 - £3,500
GOLD OPTION
Silver option plus follow-up research to measure the impact of improved processes, staff coaching on how to continually optimize the journey at key points and a retainer to review the journey again in 3-6 months.
Typical cost: £4,000 - £5,000