What a Political Thriller Teaches Us About CX: Lessons from Black Sun Rising
Introduction
Otho Eskin’s upcoming novel Black Sun Rising is not a traditional business book. It’s a political thriller, brimming with danger, conspiracies, and high-stakes decisions. However, beneath the surface of its action-packed narrative lies a powerful metaphor for customer experience (CX). In a world teetering on collapse, driven by old secrets and emerging threats, Black Sun Rising surprisingly echoes the real-world challenges faced by brands, businesses, and CX leaders.
The Plot as a Metaphor
At its core, the story features a neo-Nazi organization plotting to overthrow the U.S. government. A long-hidden Nazi weapon emerges, threatening national stability. While the premise may seem distant from the boardrooms and customer surveys, it perfectly mirrors what happens when organizations ignore hidden pain points.
Dormant Threats in CX
Just as a buried weapon resurfaces in Eskin’s novel, unresolved customer issues often lie dormant in a company’s ecosystem. These might be in the form of outdated policies, poorly trained support teams, or a neglected digital interface. At first, these seem small. Yet over time, they build up pressure. Suddenly, one incident explodes into a full-blown crisis.
Consider a customer who has faced repeated billing errors. They may not complain initially. However, with each repetition, trust erodes. Eventually, they leave—and tell others. By then, the brand has already lost more than just one customer.
Ignoring Signals Leads to Collapse
In Black Sun Rising, the danger escalates because the signs were overlooked. Similarly, when companies dismiss early feedback or disregard low NPS scores, they take a gamble. Although the damage may not show up immediately, the impact accumulates. Customers, like citizens in Eskin’s book, notice inconsistencies. And when trust falters, recovery becomes difficult.
Trust is a Nation, and a Brand
Trust functions like infrastructure. It underpins everything—government systems, businesses, and customer relationships. In the novel, the government teeters because the public can no longer rely on those in charge. In CX, brands collapse for the same reason. Customers need to know you will listen, respond, and evolve.
Building trust starts with consistency. That includes honoring commitments, simplifying processes, and owning up to mistakes. Transparency strengthens confidence. Concealing problems might work short-term, but customers eventually uncover the truth.
Empowering the Right Individuals
One powerful element in Black Sun Rising is the protagonist’s determination to stop disaster. Often, it takes one determined person to make a difference. In CX, that hero is the empowered employee.
Companies that invest in training, clear communication, and autonomy for frontline staff create responsive experiences. Agents should not merely follow scripts. Instead, they should solve problems. They must empathize, decide, and follow through. Empowerment leads to resolution. And resolution leads to loyalty.
Emotional Connection Drives Engagement
Otho Eskin’s thriller succeeds because it grips readers emotionally. The sense of urgency, fear, and hope keeps the pages turning. CX works the same way. Customers remember how you made them feel more than what you sold them.
Designing emotionally intelligent journeys matters. Every touchpoint—from emails to invoices—should acknowledge the customer’s mood and context. Brands that empathize build strong, lasting bonds. Especially during crises, the ability to connect emotionally becomes the ultimate differentiator.
Saboteurs of Experience
The antagonists in Black Sun Rising represent more than just fictional villains. In CX, we encounter similar saboteurs—misinformation, silos, outdated technology, or rigid rules. These elements quietly sabotage even the best intentions.
To combat this, CX leaders must regularly audit systems and identify friction points. Cross-functional collaboration is vital. The experience must feel seamless, regardless of internal structure. If your customer faces a fragmented journey, the enemy has already won.
Data as Intelligence
In the novel, intelligence plays a crucial role. Characters must piece together information to reveal the threat. Likewise, data is the lifeblood of modern CX. But gathering it is not enough. Teams must interpret and act on it.
Feedback loops, behavior tracking, and sentiment analysis provide early warning signs. However, without context and strategy, insights become noise. Make data actionable. Use it to personalize, predict, and preempt. When data speaks, brands must listen.
Agility is Survival
Another lesson from Eskin’s thriller is the importance of speed and adaptability. The protagonist does not wait for perfect information. He acts with urgency. In CX, the same rule applies.
Brands must build agile feedback systems. Pilots, prototypes, and quick fixes help prevent escalation. Waiting for perfect conditions can mean missing the window to save the experience. Speed shows commitment. Rapid response builds goodwill.
Storytelling as Strategy
Black Sun Rising tells a compelling story. Readers care because the stakes are high and the characters are real. Brands should embrace storytelling too. Share customer success stories, service recoveries, and behind-the-scenes insights.
These stories humanize the brand. They demonstrate values in action. Moreover, they serve as internal morale boosters. When employees see how they impact customers, they feel more engaged.
Conclusion: Experience is the New Security
Eskin’s fictional world teeters because it forgets its values. It ignores signs. It underestimates the power of one person to change the course of history. CX is no different.
Neglected experiences create cracks. Broken journeys amplify discontent. But trusted brands, like stable governments, endure. They act swiftly, empower their people, and never stop listening.
So while Black Sun Rising may thrill readers with its suspense, its deeper lesson is clear: Customer experience is not just about satisfaction. It is about survival.
