The most important job of 2017 is one you haven't heard of

In 2016, demand for User Experience (UX) experts grew exponentially. Brands and agencies sought digital experts who put the user experience at the forefront of every online experience. This was the first step towards brands making serious investment in digital talent infrastructure which put the online customer experience at the forefront.

In 2017, demand for Customer Experience Officers (CX) who put their feet in the shoes of their customers at every touch point of the brand is likely to soar.

Why the shift?

Brands are beginning to understand that every touch point is just as important as the product they’re selling and that building loyalty goes far beyond competitiveness.

UX, dedicated to the customer’s experience with a website, app or software, is just one very important aspect of a much bigger picture. CX encompasses every aspect of the customer’s experience, from the advertising to the interface, the sales process, product delivery, customer service and front line employees.

Consumers have access to seemingly endless amounts of information, which has ensured that consumer industries have become increasingly competitive. Customers can compare, shop around and read reviews at the touch of a button, and one unsatisfactory interaction at any point in the research or sales process can instantly see a consumer turn to a direct competitor.

Atlassian, The ICONIC and frank body are three Australian born businesses that understand the importance of CX — and have the bottom lines to prove it.

Award winning tech business Atlassian, twice named BRW’s best place to work and winner of the Australian HR Award, is frequently praised for its commitment to dedicating just as much to its customer service and philanthropy as it does investing in its staff.

The ICONIC, renowned for its legendary postal times has won legions of fans who select the fashion retailer over competitors thanks to its three hour delivery promise. frank body, a beauty business founded by a team of copywriters speak to its audiences the same way they would their friends, sharing photos of customers rocking their products, and it now sells in over 100 countries.

What do these brand leaders in CX have in common?

Crucially, they don’t wait for their customers to complain before they make improvements.

They’re constantly researching and adding new features to improve their customers’ experiences, often at a significant investment.

The ICONIC recently collaborated with Australia Post to innovate with delivery times to deliver the best possible experience to their customers. This took months and months of discussions and testing. As a result, the brand has been known for delivering outstanding customer experiences and promoting word of mouth referrals as a result.

Ultimately, regardless of industry, the questions any business should be asking itself regularly are: What have we done well recently? What could be improved? And crucially, whose help do we need to get there next year?

Only once a business is comfortable on the areas for improvement and committed to driving innovation, can a Customer Experience Officer create change. It takes countless individuals, all working towards a common goal to make their brand an outstanding experience, led by a team who values the team and the customer — not solely the bottom line.

As Warren Buffett famously said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently."

Experts who can execute big picture thinking, while considering the minutiae of the brands’ every touch point, and who consider employees as a crucial stepping stone to delivering an outstanding experience will be the ones that disrupt in 2017, and why UX’s stronghold in the digital space will have to make way for CX to take over.

This article is part of the LinkedIn Top Voices list, a collection of the must-read writers of the year. Check out more #BigIdeas2017 here.