In today’s hyper-competitive financial services landscape, customer experience (CX) is no longer a peripheral concern—it is the primary battleground for differentiation and growth. As digital-first fintechs and experience leaders from outside the sector continue to raise the bar, established banks and insurers are under mounting pressure to deliver seamless, memorable, and emotionally resonant experiences across every channel. Yet, despite significant investments, many financial institutions struggle to connect their CX initiatives to tangible business outcomes. Traditional metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS) offer a broad gauge of customer sentiment but fall short in guiding where and how to invest for maximum impact.
Recognizing this gap, Publicis Sapient has developed the Customer Experience Growth Index (CXGX)—a rigorous, data-driven framework designed to help financial services organizations measure CX at a granular level, link it directly to business growth, and prioritize investments that drive real value.
The shift toward experience-led competition is unmistakable. According to industry research, 89% of companies now compete primarily on customer experience, up from just 36% in 2010. In financial services, this transformation is accelerated by the mass migration to digital and mobile channels, changing consumer expectations, and the disruptive influence of digital-native entrants. Customers no longer compare their bank only to other banks—they benchmark every interaction against the best experiences they encounter anywhere, from e-commerce giants to ride-sharing apps.
Financial institutions have responded by allocating substantial budgets to CX. In fact, nearly half of banks and insurers now devote at least a quarter of their overall budget to customer experience, with a significant portion investing even more. However, as CX leaders within major banks have noted, metrics like NPS are too blunt to inform nuanced investment decisions. They may indicate whether customers are generally satisfied, but they do not reveal which specific touchpoints or experiences are driving loyalty, advocacy, or growth.
The CX Growth Index (CXGX) is Publicis Sapient’s answer to the industry’s need for a more actionable, predictive, and granular approach to CX measurement. Built on a foundation of behavioral science and customer psychology, CXGX moves beyond generic satisfaction scores to capture the true drivers of memorable experiences and business outcomes.
At the heart of CXGX is a simple yet powerful set of questions that probe each customer interaction through three critical lenses:
By applying these questions to every touchpoint—whether it’s a mobile app, live chat, branch visit, or call center—CXGX generates a channel-specific score that reflects not just what happened, but how it was perceived and remembered. This is crucial, as research shows that customers do not judge brands by the sum of all interactions, but by the most memorable (positive or negative) moments—the ones that shape their “remembered self.”
Most customer experiences fall into a forgettable middle ground—the "Valley of Meh." They meet expectations but fail to delight or disappoint. CXGX is designed to spotlight the outliers: the truly exceptional or problematic moments that drive customer advocacy or attrition. By quantifying these moments, financial institutions can identify which touchpoints are creating lasting positive (or negative) impressions and focus their investments accordingly.
CXGX is more than a measurement tool—it is a predictive engine for business growth. Analysis of leading UK retail banks using the CXGX framework reveals a strong correlation between a bank’s overall CXGX score and its future usage intention score (a measure of customers’ likelihood to deepen their relationship with the bank). Banks with higher CXGX scores consistently see greater net customer growth, while those with lower scores struggle to retain and attract customers.
For example, neobanks with top CXGX scores have experienced significant net gains in customer numbers, while traditional banks with lower scores have seen declines. This direct link between CX performance and business outcomes empowers leaders to make the case for targeted CX investments with confidence.
One of the most powerful applications of CXGX is its ability to guide investment decisions at the channel and touchpoint level. By combining CX scores for each touchpoint with data on customer usage, financial institutions can construct a "CX value chain" that reveals where the greatest opportunities for improvement—and return on investment—lie.
For instance, if a bank’s mobile app is its highest-performing touchpoint but is underutilized compared to the desktop website, migrating more customers to the app can lift the overall CXGX score and, by extension, drive growth. Similarly, live chat often outperforms call centers in both customer satisfaction and cost efficiency. Banks that invest in enhancing and promoting high-scoring channels like live chat can achieve both better experiences and operational savings.
The framework also highlights underperforming touchpoints that may be dragging down the overall experience. By focusing on improving these areas—whether through technology upgrades, process redesign, or employee training—banks can make targeted investments that yield measurable improvements in customer sentiment and business performance.
CXGX doesn’t just tell you which touchpoints are working; it reveals why. By analyzing the emotional responses associated with each channel, financial institutions can uncover the specific drivers of delight or frustration. For example, while both call centers and live chat can make customers feel "cared for," call centers are more likely to leave customers feeling angry or disappointed, whereas live chat may generate feelings of alienation or frustration if not executed well. These insights enable organizations to design interventions that address the root causes of negative experiences and amplify the factors that create positive, memorable moments.
The CXGX methodology is currently in beta, with ongoing pilots and data collection across leading financial services brands. As the dataset grows, the predictive power and benchmarking capabilities of the framework will only strengthen, enabling institutions to:
For too long, financial services organizations have been "flying blind" when it comes to CX investment—relying on intuition, generic metrics, or lagging indicators. The CX Growth Index offers a new path forward: a rigorous, actionable, and business-linked approach to customer experience that empowers leaders to prioritize, invest, and innovate with confidence.
As the industry continues to evolve, those who harness the power of CXGX will be best positioned to deliver the experiences customers remember—and reward—with their loyalty and business.
Ready to transform your approach to customer experience?
Publicis Sapient partners with financial services organizations to implement the CX Growth Index and unlock the full potential of their CX investments. To learn more about how CXGX can drive growth for your institution, visit publicissapient.com/fs.