RyanAir, Europe’s largest airline, in my view are the epitome of a poor Customer Experience. Over the last few days, they have proven this yet again as the airline has begun cancelling hundreds of flights. Hapless travelers are stranded in far-flung cities or stuck at home when they expected to be on holiday.

Ryanair announced last Friday that it would cancel 40-50 flights per day for the next six weeks. Why? Apparently they miscalculated pilots and had to clear a backlog of staff leave by the end of the year.  They also stated they were trying to address the “unacceptable” concern that its punctuality had fallen below 80% in the first half of this month.

Asking strategic questions helps you understand your Customer Experience (CX), determine a focus for your efforts, and deliver a successful CX outcome. However, one question is the most vital to success with your CX strategy, and it isn’t about them; it’s about you. Forget to ask it, and you can forget about delivering on your CX objectives.

The question is this: How much do you embrace customer irrationality?

When you are making decisions, you carefully consider all the facts and factors that present in a logical and orderly process, right? Not so fast. You rarely make decisions this way—and neither do your customers.

The truth is that psychological principles often influence the decision-making process; you might even say take over. But don’t feel bad that you didn’t know. They happen without your conscious awareness of them.

Effective communication is the lifeblood of any relationship, whether it’s between individuals, informal groups, within companies, between leaders and the people they govern, and, of course, between companies and their customers. We’ve all seen what can go wrong when communication breaks down – anything from divorce to declarations of war; but in a business context, what does it mean?

When you are improving your Customer Experience (CX), measuring your progress is crucial.  Measurement tells you what you are doing right and, perhaps more importantly, what you are doing wrong. The analysis also helps you determine goals for your team and where to focus your efforts. It also helps you allocate proper resources. Fail to measure correctly, and you will have a tougher road to success—or miss the road altogether.

Walmart is debuting a towering new kiosk that makes it easier to pick up online orders in your local Walmart store.

Early reviews of Walmart’s “pickup tower” give it a thumbs up. In about 20 Walmart stores, you can scan a barcode on your phone at the bright red 16-foot-tall tower in the front of the store. A door opens, your item appears, and you’re done. The whole process takes less than a minute.