Donna Drehmann, the Director of Customer Experience at Eargo, began her career in customer experience at the grassroots level—on the front lines, solving problems and directly engaging with customers. This hands-on experience gave her a deep understanding of customer needs and pain points, which became the foundation of her CX leadership. Over time, she transitioned from tactical problem-solving to setting strategic priorities, ultimately shaping the customer experience at Eargo, a company known for manufacturing and selling hearing aids.
What advice do you have for someone's first 100 days as head of CX?
For those stepping into a CX leadership role, Donna’s advice is clear: leverage the knowledge you have gained from previous experiences to guide your strategy. In her own experience at Eargo, she started by deep-diving into the company’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) and the feedback behind those scores. This initial focus on understanding customer sentiment set the stage for broader strategic initiatives.
Donna also highlights the importance of embracing the voice of the customer and sharing it throughout the organization. As a CX leader, she ensures that customer feedback is not siloed but is instead disseminated across various departments to drive continuous improvement.
What does your CX strategy focus on currently and in the future?
Currently, Donna’s CX strategy at Eargo revolves around two key pillars: amplifying the voice of the customer and driving process excellence. She believes in the importance of listening to customer feedback and turning that lens inward to identify and eliminate process inefficiencies that hinder a positive customer experience. This dual focus allows her to address external customer needs and internal operational challenges.
Looking to the future, Donna sees the evolution of CX as a balance between enhancing customer experiences and improving employee workflows. She recognizes that customers today are more impatient and expect swift, effective resolutions. As such, simplifying the tools and processes that frontline employees use to assist customers is crucial. Additionally, empowering customers with self-service options is a trend she believes will define the future of CX.
How Do You Measure Success With CX?
Donna’s approach to measuring success is multifaceted. At Eargo, success is gauged through repeat sales, customer satisfaction (CSAT), NPS, and service cost. These metrics provide a comprehensive view of how well the company meets customer expectations and where there are opportunities for improvement.
What pain points do you have leading a CX team?
Leading a CX team comes with unique challenges, particularly in an industry like hearing aids, where customers may be reluctant to engage with the product. Donna acknowledges that a significant pain point is the emotional aspect of the customer journey—many customers are initially resistant to using hearing aids. To address this, Eargo combines frontline support with expert audiologists who can offer personalized guidance, helping customers navigate their hearing journey with greater ease.
How do you establish partnerships and gain buy-in with the C-suite?
Gaining buy-in from the C-suite is crucial for the success of any CX initiative. Donna’s data-driven approach presents clear evidence of what customers want and where improvements can be made. She has found that sharing customer insights, particularly regarding product feedback, resonates well with Eargo’s R&D and manufacturing teams, facilitating a collaborative environment for CX enhancements.
Do you have an example of utilizing customer feedback to improve your company?
One notable example of Donna’s customer-centric approach is enhancing Eargo’s app based on user feedback. Customers expressed a desire for a visual indicator in the app to adjust the volume of their hearing aids. Donna’s team took this feedback to heart, involving customers in beta testing a new visual slider feature. This feature's positive reception and subsequent implementation illustrate the power of listening to and acting on customer feedback.
What is the future of CX?
Looking ahead, Donna envisions a future where streamlined processes for both customers and employees characterize customer experience. She believes that making it easier for frontline associates to resolve issues quickly and empowering customers with self-service tools will be key to meeting the demands of increasingly impatient consumers.
About Donna Drehmann
Outside of her professional life, Donna is the self-published author of two children’s books inspired by her beloved dog, Lady. These books, Things Lady Likes, allow her to connect with young readers and keep Lady's memory alive. It’s a side of Donna that not many know, but one that reflects her passion for storytelling and engagement.
The best way to stay updated on Donna’s journey in customer experience is to connect with her on LinkedIn. She is always open to networking with fellow CX professionals and sharing her knowledge accumulated over years of experience in the field.
About CX Chats
CX chats is an interview series with Ben Holland, where we talk to industry leaders in the field of customer experience and customer success. Each interview dives deep into the insights from each leader and highlights how they became successful, tips for aspiring CX professionals, and their thoughts on the future of CX.