Elevating Customer Experience: A Conversation with Nasir Shaikh on Leadership, Hospitality, and Transformation
At CXQuest.com, we are always eager to speak with leaders who are redefining customer experience (CX) across industries. Today, we are honored to have Nasir Shaikh, an award-winning hotelier, business leader, and entrepreneur, join us. Nasir has over 25 years of experience spanning hospitality, education, and leadership consulting. Nasir has a deep understanding of what it takes to create memorable customer experiences.
As the Founder of Total Coaching and Mentoring Collective LLP, he empowers businesses and individuals through coaching solutions. His extensive background includes leadership roles at Marriott International and as the ex-Chairman of the Marriott India Business Council. There he played a pivotal role in shaping customer-centric strategies. Most recently, as Group CEO for The Lexicon Group, he spearheaded business expansion and led key transformations.
In this conversation, we will explore Nasir’s insights on customer experience, leadership, and the evolving landscape of hospitality and business transformation.
Nasir, it’s a pleasure to have you with us today. Your career journey is truly inspiring, spanning hospitality, education, and leadership consulting. Welcome to CXQuest.com!
The Evolution of CX in Hospitality & Beyond
Q1. Having spent a significant part of your career in hospitality, how have you seen customer experience evolve in this industry over the years?
NS: The hospitality industry has undergone a revolutionary change in customer experience (CX) throughout the past twenty-five years. My career started when customer experience (CX) relied on human contact for delivering consistent service and anticipating guest requirements through direct face-to-face interactions. The essential elements of excellent CX continue to be vital but the definition now encompasses major changes because of technological advancements and data analysis along with changing customer preferences.
Technology integration stands as the major transformation factor which enables unprecedented personalization levels. AI-powered booking systems and digital concierge tools and predictive analytics enable hotels to deliver customized guest experiences that maintain personal human interaction. The hospitality industry has evolved from basic guest service to individualized guest understanding and meaningful engagement for building enduring emotional bonds.
Seamless Service
The fundamental transformation in guest expectations represents a vital development. The modern travel population including digital-born consumers and younger guests places high importance on genuine experiences along with clear communication and rapid service delivery. Modern guests require instant seamless service while they pursue meaningful experiences that have a purpose. The industry now needs to transform its service approach and define its purpose of serving customers. This has forced the industry to rethink not just how we serve, but why we serve.
During my tenure with Marriott International as General Manager and later as the Group CEO of The Lexicon Group, and now through my work at Total Coaching and Mentoring Collective LLP, I’ve observed how the principles of CX from hospitality are now influencing sectors like education, healthcare, and MSMEs. It’s about creating human-centered, tech-enabled experiences… a balance that will define the next era of customer experience, not just in hospitality, but across industries.
Leadership & CX Strategy
Q2. You have held key leadership roles, including at Marriott International and The Lexicon Group. How do you see the role of leadership in shaping an organization’s customer experience strategy?
NS: Leadership stands as the essential element which determines how an organization develops its customer experience strategy according to my leadership experience. The customer experience represents both an organizational mindset and a business culture and operational approach. CX is not just a function or department… it’s a mindset, a culture, and a way of doing business. And culture always begins at the top.
At Marriott International, one of the greatest lessons I learned was that employee engagement is the foundation of guest satisfaction. Leaders who demonstrate genuine care for their teams create workplaces where staff members feel empowered and valued and inspired to deliver their best which naturally leads to better guest interactions and engagement. Happy associates lead to satisfied guests.
CX an Integral Part of DNA
I have carried this approach from my time at The Lexicon Group through Total Coaching and Mentoring Collectve LLP to education and the companies/individuals we work with today. Organizations must have leadership that makes CX an integral part of their DNA by embedding it into core values and hiring practices and training and recognition systems and innovation initiatives. Organizations need to base their decisions on customer perspectives while actively listening to feedback and championing ongoing improvement initiatives.
The focus of CX strategy has evolved from basic problem-solving to designing proactive experiences which create delight and surprise and establish trust. Leaders need to demonstrate customer-focused behavior while ensuring vision alignment across all levels and most importantly they must demonstrate what they preach because their people will only deliver what they see in their leaders.
Great leadership also ensures that CX isn’t just a department, it’s a decision-making lens. Every strategic choice, from technological investments to process design, must ask: How does this impact the customer? Only then can we deliver consistent, high-impact experiences.
And if I may sum it up in a line that I often share with my teams and clients:
“Customer experience is not a strategy you roll out, it’s a belief system you live by, and leadership is its loudest echo.”
The Role of Coaching & Mentorship in CX Excellence
Q3. As the founder of Total Coaching and Mentoring Collective LLP, you work with businesses and individuals to drive growth. How does coaching contribute to enhancing customer experience?
NS: The delivery of exceptional customer experience emerges from people who receive empowerment, and this is where coaching makes its transformative impact. Total Coaching and Mentoring Collectve LLP focuses on building individuals and leadership teams who master technical competencies alongside customer-focused principles.
The coaching process helps people develop self-awareness and emotional intelligence which enables them to understand how their actions and decisions affect others in their team and customer base. The shift towards relational engagement through coaching enables leaders to build trust and loyalty with their customers.
Leadership development through coaching ensures that CX strategies don’t stay on PowerPoint decks but become lived experiences. We help leaders translate vision into action, and more importantly, model the behaviors that foster a culture of empathy, accountability, and continuous improvement.
The current environment demands more than system and SOP training from/for employees. The combination of coaching enables owners’ thinking and intentional action with purposeful leadership through a protected environment for personal development and change. Employees who experience professional growth and recognition from their organization will generate meaningful experiences for their customers.
This holds true across all organizations including large hotel brands, educational institutions and startups because investing in people leads to better customer experience.
Remember: Invest in your people, and your customers will feel the difference.
And if I may leave you with a thought (inspired by Mr. Marriott) that drives everything I do:
“Customer experience is not just what you deliver, it’s what your people believe in. When you grow your people, your CX takes care of itself.”
Digital Transformation & the Future of CX
Q4. With digital transformation reshaping industries, how do you see technology influencing CX in hospitality and other sectors?
NS: Digital transformation creates a new definition of customer experience while simultaneously improving its quality. The hospitality industry along with others has moved from basic service reactions to predictive and highly personalized engagement through technological advancements. Businesses now use AI together with automation and data analytics to meet customer expectations and predict their needs in real-time.
AI-powered chatbots provide instant answers in hospitality while digital keys simplify check-ins, and smart rooms customize themselves to guest preferences. But this is just the surface. The actual value emerges through technology which enables micro-personalization by understanding individual guest behavior patterns and preferences and their intentions for personalized cross-channel interactions.
Every industry segment from education to retail to MSMEs implements the same fundamental principles. The brand experience now requires digital engagement to be an essential core component. The companies which succeed today leverage technology to boost human connections through operational streamlining that deepens their empathy and responsiveness.
Future of CX
The future of CX will combine physical and digital elements into a phygital approach. The most impactful experiences emerge when digital convenience merges with human warmth. Our role as consultants and coaches helps organizations achieve this equilibrium between technological growth and human value preservation.
Technology serves as an instrumental component. People’s feelings remain at the core of CX because algorithms cannot fully substitute for this essential human element.
To me, the future of CX is simple: “Technology may open the door, but it’s the human experience that invites you to stay.”
Challenges & Opportunities in CX Today
Q5. What are some of the biggest challenges businesses face today in delivering exceptional customer experiences? How can they overcome these challenges?
NS: The main difficulty today stems from the continuous growth of customer expectations that keeps escalating. During this time people judge their experiences against both direct industry competitors and leaders in every field. Hotel guests evaluate their hotel check-in process based on how simple e-commerce apps are to use and how personalized streaming platforms are. The practice of measuring against industry leaders has elevated performance standards for all businesses.
The delivery of an excellent experience only meets expectations when it is consistent since a single successful experience does not guarantee future satisfaction. Customers demand top-notch quality in every interaction at all touchpoints including online services and phone communications and face-to-face meetings. The achievement of this goal needs proper alignment between people and processes and technology systems.
Service industries face significant employee burnout and disengagement problems as their main obstacle. The people who deliver experiences face rising pressure that negatively impacts their work when they do not receive adequate support and value.
People-first Approach
A people-first approach combined with technological enablement represents the path forward. Organizations must dedicate funds to leadership development programs which teach customer-focused thinking throughout their entire workforce. Employees who receive empowerment are more prone to solve customer problems with empathy while also innovating.
Organizations should utilize data strategically for behavioral tracking and need prediction purposes. Organizations need to establish agile CX frameworks which enable fast adaptations without compromising their fundamental values.
The Total Coaching and Mentoring Collectve LLP team collaborates with organizations to build essential capabilities which link purpose to people and process for overcoming CX challenges while generating growth opportunities.
Because at the heart of it all, I believe:
“Customer experience isn’t a department, it’s a belief system. When leaders live it, teams deliver it, and customers feel it.”
That’s the kind of transformation we strive to create… across industries, one conversation at a time.
A Defining CX Moment
Q6. Could you share a memorable customer experience story—one that truly resonated with you and shaped your approach to CX?
NS: One moment that’s stayed with me throughout my career happened during my time with Marriott. We had a long-staying guest, a frequent business traveler who, over time, had become familiar to many of our associates. During one of his visits, he casually mentioned that it was his daughter’s birthday back home, and he was feeling a bit guilty about missing it yet again.
The short passing remark could have been completely ignored by the team, but it wasn’t. One of our associates picked up on it, and the team quietly came together to plan a surprise. The team organized a virtual birthday celebration through video call which included sending a custom cake to his residence and setting up a video call in our executive lounge and creating a handmade card with messages for his daughter. The feeling of gratitude and connection during that instant was impossible to put into words. I can clearly remember how he had tears of happiness in his eyes and was so full of gratitude for the team.
CX Requires Human Touch
The story has become my defining example because it demonstrates that CX requires human touch rather than grand gestures. The key to CX lies in listening with genuine attention and then responding with creative and empathetic actions.
What shaped my approach to CX from that point on was this: Processes can support service, but only people can create experiences that are remembered for a lifetime. And when you create a culture where associates feel empowered to care, magical moments follow… consistently and authentically. This was one of many magical moments we created, moments that went beyond service to touch the heart. And every time I look back, I’m reminded of a truth I often share: “Hoteliers aren’t just hoteliers, they’re magicians. They turn the ordinary into the unforgettable.”
Advice for Future CX Leaders
Q7. Finally, what advice would you give to emerging leaders looking to create impactful customer experiences in their industries?
NS: New CX leaders should follow this straightforward yet forceful principle: Start with people – always! Great experiences derive their foundation from empathy which applies to both customers and team members. Before implementing technology or designing processes you must understand the human element at the core of your operations.
Leadership in CX is not about having all the answers, it’s about being curious, staying humble, and constantly listening. The best ideas often come from the front lines, and the most powerful transformations begin with a mindset shift.
Also, don’t shy away from innovation, but don’t chase it blindly either. Let technology enhance your values, not replace them. The future of CX belongs to those who can blend digital excellence with emotional intelligence. As a leader you must remember that customer experience functions as a promise rather than a project. Every interaction along with every touchpoint and organizational decision serves to renew this promise.
And finally, remember: ‘Customer experience is not a project… it’s a promise. One that is renewed with every interaction, every touchpoint, and every decision you make as a leader.’
If you can lead with authenticity, care deeply about people, and stay anchored in purpose, the experiences you create won’t just be impactful, they’ll be unforgettable.
Closing
Nasir, this has been an insightful conversation! Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experiences. We appreciate your time and look forward to seeing how you continue to drive CX excellence across industries.
At CXQuest.com, we believe that exceptional customer experiences are the key to business success. Stay tuned for more insights from thought leaders like Nasir Shaikh as we continue to explore the future of CX.
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