One poor interaction can be all it takes to lose a customer. Over 50% of customers say they would switch to a competitor after just one negative experience. That means even the most well designed engagement strategies can be undone by a poor experience.
While customer experience and customer engagement have distinct focal points, they are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they complement each other and work hand in hand to create a holistic and customer-centric approach.
Customer engagement is built on the foundation of a positive customer experience. A great CX creates trust and makes customers more likely to engage. In fact, 91% of marketing leaders say that personalized, cross-channel experiences are essential for improving customer retention, according to a recent Blueshift survey. On the other hand, strong engagement reinforces the experience by providing more value, deepening relationships, and fueling feedback loops that improve CX.
For example:
When brands unify both, they:
- Create high quality, memorable experiences that earn loyalty
- Use engagement data to refine CX
- Build a flywheel of trust, action, feedback, and optimization
Real-World Example: How LendingTree Unified CX and CE
LendingTree took a strategic leap by rethinking its engagement model using Blueshift’s lifecycle journey builder. Rather than rely on a series of disconnected campaigns, they built unified, customer-first journeys tailored to each segment’s unique path. This approach not only improved internal efficiency but also revealed critical behavioral insights that challenged their previous assumptions.
“Our new journey approach has brought us closer to our customers. We have truly learned a lot about our customer segments, which at times were counter to what our perception was. Only by watching their behavior throughout the journeys in Blueshift were we really able to see that.” — Joyce Poole, Senior Director of Marketing CRM, LendingTree
Results:
- +17% Monthly Active Users
- +48% Increase in Email Open Rates
By aligning journey orchestration with real customer behavior, LendingTree elevated both experience and engagement, proving that when CX and CE work in sync, the results are transformative.