Building Trust Through Data: How Quality Data Shapes Customer Experiences Across Industries

Trust is the cornerstone of every great customer experience – and trust starts with data. According to a recent Data Quality Trends Report, only 46% of organizations highly trust their data, and 70% of those struggling with trust blame poor data quality¹. Doubt in data integrity is an issue when every customer interaction depends on it. The good news is that the goal isn’t perfect data; it’s knowing which data you can trust and using it intentionally.

I’ve worked across many different industries, and I’ve noticed a clear truth emerge: when companies turn fragmented, unreliable data into clear, connected insights, they unlock experiences that drive loyalty and growth.

Below are examples from my experience over the years that illustrate how trusted data transforms customer experiences.

Technology Alone Doesn’t Create Loyalty, Understanding People Does

Years ago, I led technology for a boutique hotel chain that made a bold move: investing heavily in in-room internet – a radical idea at the time that earned the British Computer Society Award for Best Computer Project in 2004. But the real success wasn’t the technology, it was understanding how guests interacted with it. Using data to identify knowledge gaps, the hotel trained staff to help guests connect and browse, eliminating frustration and elevating the experience. By understanding customer behavior at a granular level, the hotel delivered not just innovation, but the hospitality guests expected.

Lesson: Technology matters but understanding people matters more.

Personalization Begins with Knowing Who Your Customer Is

At a corporate travel management company, we faced an identity crisis as online booking platforms like Expedia and Travelocity surged. Asking “Where do you want to go?” was no longer enough. The breakthrough came by flipping the question to “Who are you?” – a shift from transaction to personalization powered by data. By understanding traveler identity (their preferences, loyalty programs, and policies) we could automatically deliver personalized travel options that aligned with their needs.

Lesson: Ask “who are you?” before “where do you want to go?”

Context Turns Offers into Conversions

In the time-share industry, conversion rates are notoriously low. Data showed that interest wasn’t about the concept of time-share itself, it was about location and lifestyle fit. New York buyers weren’t motivated by the same factors as buyers in Orlando or Hawaii. By tailoring marketing to regional and personality-based insights, conversions doubled in three months.

Lesson: Data-driven personalization turns generic offers into meaningful experiences that drive conversions.

Turning Anonymous Audiences into Loyal Communities

At a sports and entertainment company that owned multiple franchises, we knew we had nearly 13 million fans, but we had little idea who they were. We focused our work on using technology to create meaningful relationships with people who supported the clubs and invite them to a one-to-one relationship with the teams. This included specific venue based technology that would provide additional experiential benefits.

Lesson: Data empowers you to deliver VIP-level experiences to every customer.

Seeing Customers as People, Not Policies

In insurance, we often think in terms of policies, not people. But in reality, a customer isn’t just a policyholder. They’re a network of relationships: drivers, claimants, households, and brokers.

When I was leading the data innovation team at a property and casualty insurer, we realized that treating each policy as a standalone entity limited our understanding of customer risk and loyalty. We unified fragmented data across households, policyholders, and claimants, and that single, trusted view revealed new insights into customer relationships, potential risks, and cross-sell potential.

Lesson: Data reveals big-picture relationships that drive growth.

Winning in the Age of AI

The future of customer experience isn’t about more technology, it’s about more trust. Trusted data is the foundation for personalization, insight, and innovation. It enables organizations to anticipate needs, strengthen relationships, and deliver experiences that feel human in a digital world. Companies that prioritize data integrity today will lead tomorrow.

¹Precisely, 2024 Data Quality Trends Report, 2024