Introduction: The Changing Landscape of CX Education

Customer experience (CX) education has long relied on a model built around a set of  5-6 pillars. These pillars include customer journey mapping, feedback mechanisms, employee experience, customer experience culture and strategy, with some variations such as McKinsey’s operational efficiency model. While these were once essential for building a basic understanding of CX, they no longer offer the flexibility needed to handle the complexities and continuous evolution of modern businesses and customer expectations. Every company faces unique challenges, and the needs of customers are constantly evolving, making a standardized approach inadequate. What about flexibility?

The growing dependence on certifications in CX education further complicates the situation. Certifications are effective for establishing a foundation, but they don’t go far enough in teaching critical thinking, problem-solving, transformation, change management, or practical application. As a result, CX professionals are often left unprepared to address the specific needs of their organizations. This article will analyse whether the traditional pillars of CX education remain relevant, explore new learning methods, and explain why personalized, tool-driven learning is the future of CX education.

1. The Traditional Pillar Model: Is It Still Relevant?
   

   The traditional 5-6 pillar model of CX education was created to give professionals a structured approach to understanding customer experience. These pillars include the basics: customer journey mapping, touchpoint analysis, feedback loops, and internal operational alignment. While these are foundational, the model is overly simplistic in today’s diverse and dynamic business environments. The static nature of the pillars does not account for the different challenges companies face in various industries and regions. For example, customer expectations in retail differ vastly from those in the healthcare or tech industries. The same applies to B2B and B2C. Sticking to this model can result in professionals applying outdated or irrelevant strategies, which is why we must question whether these pillars still serve modern CX needs.

2. Certification Programs: A Minimalist Approach to Learning
   

   Certification programs have become the default for CX education, promising learners a comprehensive understanding of the field. However, they often focus on teaching basic concepts rather than developing the skills needed to diagnose and solve complex CX challenges. Learners gain foundational knowledge but are often left without practical tools to apply that knowledge in their unique contexts. Certifications provide a minimalist approach to a complex discipline. Many professionals find themselves unable to move beyond the basics of customer journey mapping and feedback collection, which limits their ability to create tailored strategies for their specific industries. This highlights the need for a more dynamic, tool-based approach to CX education.

3. The One-Size-Fits-All Problem in CX Education
   

   CX education has typically been delivered as a one-size-fits-all solution. Many programs teach the same basic methods to professionals across different industries, assuming these frameworks will be equally applicable. This approach is flawed because each company faces different customer challenges based on its industry, market, and operational structure. A universal approach doesn’t work because customer behaviour, expectations, business models, and local cultural nuances vary widely across sectors. For example, the customer expectations for a B2B tech company will differ significantly from those for a consumer-facing retail brand. The failure of one-size-fits-all education to adapt to these differences limits the impact professionals can have in their organizations.

4. Lack of Hands-on Learning: The Gap in Practical Application
   

   One of the greatest flaws in current CX education is the lack of practical, hands-on experience. Certifications and traditional academic programs often emphasize theoretical knowledge while neglecting the importance of real-world application. Internships, practical stages, and real business case studies offer learners the opportunity to apply their knowledge and develop solutions in a live environment, but these experiences are rare in current programs. Without hands-on learning, CX professionals leave education programs with limited abilities to solve actual business problems. Theories and frameworks are important, but real-world problem-solving skills can only be developed through practice.

5. AI and Personalized Learning: The Future of CX Education
   

   Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform how we teach and learn CX. AI-powered learning tools can offer personalized learning paths that adapt to a learner’s specific needs, progress, knowledge gaps, and strengths. Instead of following a standard curriculum, AI can tailor content and exercises to fit the learner’s needs, allowing for more effective and personalized education. Why is it not happening yet? The investment needed is relatively high. Through AI-driven simulations and real-time feedback, professionals can practice customer interactions, test strategies, and improve their problem-solving abilities, similar to simulations with real cases. Personalized learning ensures that each professional receives the specific training needed to succeed in their unique business environment.

6. Developing Problem-Solving Skills: Moving Beyond Frameworks
   

   Current CX education focuses heavily on established frameworks but doesn’t do enough to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Teaching professionals to apply frameworks is not the same as teaching them how to diagnose problems and create solutions. CX professionals must learn to think independently, analyse customer data, and tailor strategies to their specific business needs. Rather than following pre-set models, learners should be taught how to critically assess customer issues and develop flexible strategies based on the unique circumstances of their company. The future of CX education should emphasize tools and techniques for diagnosing issues and building tailored solutions.

7. Why Business Cases Alone Can’t Foster Innovation
   

   Business case studies are often used in CX education to teach professionals how companies solved specific challenges. However, while these case studies can provide useful insights, they are often too narrow in focus. They highlight what worked for one company at one time, but they do not offer much guidance on how to approach different problems in new contexts. Case studies should be supplemented with diagnostic tools and practical exercises that allow learners to experiment with strategies and adapt them to their own business environments. Without these additional tools, learners may struggle to apply the lessons of a specific case to the diverse challenges they will face in the real world.

8. The Role of Personalized Learning in CX Education
   

   Personalized learning offers a way to overcome the shortcomings of traditional, standardized CX education. Each learner has different strengths, weaknesses, and goals, and personalized learning platforms powered by AI can adapt to these individual needs. This ensures that professionals not only learn the basics but also develop the specific skills required to thrive in their roles. By tailoring content and exercises to individual learners, personalized learning can help CX professionals build skills in areas where they are weakest, while reinforcing strengths. This individualized approach helps learners engage more deeply and apply what they’ve learned to real-world problems.

9. The Business of Education: Why Institutions Stick to Basics
   

   One reason many CX education programs remain tied to outdated pillars is that certification providers and institutions have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. Offering foundational certifications is a profitable model, and expanding into more complex, tailored education might disrupt that profitability. This results in a cycle where learners are taught just enough to obtain a certification but are not given the technical or mental tools they need to thrive in real-world scenarios. The goal of education should be to empower learners to innovate, overcome challenges, and adapt, but current programs often focus more on maintaining their market position than on offering cutting-edge learning solutions.

10. Challenges Facing Today’s CX Learners
    

    Today’s CX learners face several challenges. First, there’s an overemphasis on standardized models and certifications that don’t teach practical skills. Second, learners often lack access to hands-on experiences that can help them develop problem-solving abilities. Third, the rise of AI and technology has outpaced the development of new educational tools, leaving many learners without access to the personalized learning methods that could benefit them the most. The current CX education system doesn’t adequately prepare professionals for the complexity of today’s business world. Learners need adaptable, tool-driven education that helps them think critically and develop custom strategies for their organizations.

Current Education Institutions

We can categorize CX education providers into two levels: those primarily focused on ensuring you obtain their certification as a long-term business strategy, and those genuinely aiming to add value to the market, offering meaningful education to CX professionals.

1. Companies Focused on Certification for Profit
   

   These organizations are primarily focused on maintaining their “bread and butter” by ensuring you earn their certification. They often attempt to impose their models across all facets of CX. We must be discerning enough not to fall into this trap:

• Medallia Institute
  https://www.medallia.com/institute
  Medallia offers a range of customer experience (CX) certification programs focused on CX leadership, data-driven decision-making, and using customer feedback to improve experience outcomes.
• Bain & Company
  https://www.bain.com
  Bain, creators of the Net Promoter Score (NPS) framework, continues to push this model despite its increasingly exposed limitations and frustrated results. Bain offers CX consulting and training services heavily centered on NPS and customer feedback systems.
• Qualtrics XM Institute
  https://www.qualtrics.com/xm-institute
  Qualtrics provides certifications focused on experience management across various domains, including customer, employee, and brand experience. Their programs emphasize data analytics and feedback management, leveraging their own software.
• Forrester
  https://go.forrester.com/cx-certification
  Forrester offers CX Certification designed for professionals looking to advance in customer experience strategy, metrics, and management, based on Forrester’s renowned research-based approach.

2. Organizations Focused on Adding Real Value to the CX Field
   

   These organizations aim to provide real educational value to the CX market, helping professionals grow through meaningful learning experiences:

• Clear Action
  https://clearaction.com
  Clear Action offers courses and certifications focused on customer-centric business growth. Their programs emphasize leadership alignment, operational efficiency, and proactive CX strategies that integrate marketing, sales, and service.
  My Take: I have long admired Lynn Hunsaker, Clear Action’s CEO, for her ability to generate true value. Her work is filled with practical insights and well-reasoned solutions to CX challenges. While her approach aligns somewhat with CXPA (which she helped found), her independent work stands out as some of the best in the field. Lynn’s analytical and straightforward personality shines through in her work, adding exceptional value.
• CX University
  https://cxuniversity.com
  CX University prepares students for the Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) exam, covering six key competencies in CX management. They offer both foundational and advanced courses for CX professionals.
  My Take: While their certifications are partly based on CXPA’s framework, CX University’s independent certifications are well-planned and developed by a strong team of practical experts. Their courses are well-structured and offer value.
• Customer Experience American Professionals Association (CXPA)
  https://www.cxpa.org
  CXPA offers the recognized Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCAXP), focusing on the basic competencies in CX, including strategy, culture, and metrics.
  My Take: The CXPA, founded by thought leaders in the USA, has attempted to provide a standardized certification for the American needs. Although the idea behind it originated from a very kind individual in England, the CXPA’s model has room for improvement. Their six basic pillars form the bare minimum required to create the basic foundations of knowledge about CX and a certification, but their lack of innovation and inability to evolve over time has been disappointing. They have largely grown due to a lack of significant alternatives, and their management has been repetitive, often adopting others’ ideas without credit. As the market matures, I believe better, more accurate alternatives will emerge in Europe and APAC.
• ECXO (European Customer Experience Organization)
  https://www.ecxo.org
  ECXO is a growing business network of CX professionals, corporates, and leaders offering practical material, innovative ideas, and thought leadership. Their focus is on driving CX maturity across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and APAC, with plans to expand globally. ECXO promotes collaboration, innovative learning methods, and is preparing to launch its beta certification program in 2025-2026, which will be distinct from existing models by incorporating evolving aspects of CX.
  My Take: ECXO’s approach is innovative and practical, led by people who actively help B2B and B2C companies. Their model is evolving with CX, making them a notable player to watch.
• The CX Academy
  https://thecxacademy.org
  The CX Academy, based in Ireland, offers qualifications such as the Professional Diploma in Customer Experience. Their programs focus on best practices and use videos and interactive content to teach their unique perspective on CX.
  My Take: Their teaching model, which differs from the more American approach, is refreshing. It focuses on different aspects of CX that enrich the niche, making their offerings a valuable addition to the market.
• The Academy of Customer Experience (ACX)
  https://www.bpgroup.org
  ACX offers comprehensive CX certifications tailored to both professionals and managers.
  My Take: Led by Steve Towers, a veteran in the CX space, ACX takes a unique approach to CX, which I appreciate. His model diverges from traditional basics and is worth exploring, as it challenges some of the “established” norms.

 The Innovation and Keeping Up with the Fast CX Evolution Challenge

Currently, from Sweden, Switzerland, South Korea, China, Germany, and Israel to the United States, several universities are beginning to focus on Customer Experience (CX) and related subjects. Some are even offering new undergraduate and graduate programs specifically tailored to CX. However, the challenge lies in the approach many educators are adopting. While they aim to learn and research CX, their efforts often result in a simple certification model that lacks true practicality and innovation.

Many of these educators rely heavily on existing resources—such as books, blogs, reports, and familiar frameworks—without pushing the boundaries of the field through hands-on practice. Instead of generating new, valuable ideas that could advance the CX industry or challenge the status quo, they tend to recycle what is already embedded in current curricula. This approach falls short of delivering the depth and originality needed to make a meaningful impact on the market.

In some cases, particularly in the U.S., educators have even started publishing books in an effort to position themselves as CX experts. Unfortunately, this often results in a superficial understanding of the discipline, contributing little to its evolution. Given the potential for innovation in CX, this stagnation is disappointing and hinders the development of new thought leadership in the field.

 Conclusion: Redefining CX Education for the Future

Customer Experience education must evolve to meet the needs of today’s fast-paced and ever-changing business landscape. The traditional 5-6 pillar model served its purpose but is now outdated and inadequate for preparing professionals to tackle modern challenges. Certifications alone are no longer enough to develop the critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills that CX professionals need to succeed.

The future of CX education should be driven by personalized learning, AI-powered tools, hands-on experience, and adaptive strategies that allow professionals to develop custom solutions for their businesses. By moving beyond static models and embracing dynamic, practical learning methods, we can equip the next generation of CX professionals with the skills they need to drive real change in their organizations.

I would be interested to hear your thoughts, and if you’d like to connect, feel free to do so here on LinkedIn. Thanks so much, for your feedback, Ricardo

Previous articles:

• Beyond the Ask: A Practical Guide to Deciding Which Customer Feedback to Act On – https://www.eglobalis.com/beyond-the-ask-a-practical-guide-to-deciding-which-customer-feedback-to-act-on/

• Why Silos in 2020’s CX Aren’t Your Real Problem—And What You Should Focus on Instead – https://www.eglobalis.com/why-silos-in-2020s-cx-arent-your-real-problem-and-what-you-should-focus-on-instead/