Susanna Baqué, PhD, customer experience leader at SCIEX
CREDIT: Susanna Baqué, PhD
Susanna Baqué, PhD, began her career as a researcher and professor at the University of Barcelona. With over two decades of experience in the life sciences industry, Susanna brings deep expertise and passion to everything she does, from leading sales and support teams to shaping global strategy. Since starting as a CX leader at SCIEX in 2014, she has helped redefine how SCIEX supports scientists by building customer-centric teams. Susanna is the winner of the 2025 Inspiring Women in CX Award in the “Culture” category and a multiple finalist for the “CX Leader of the Year” award.
Celebrated annually in October, Customer Experience (CX) Day highlights the importance of customer-centric business practices. As part of CX Day 2025, Lab Manager spoke with Susanna Baqué.
Q: What defines a great customer experience, and why is this important in today’s lab environment?
A: A great customer experience is seamless, personalized, and empowering, built on a deep understanding of each customer’s unique needs. Scientists face increasing demands around speed, accuracy, and compliance. They don’t just need reliable products; they need responsive partners who provide value at every touchpoint. That’s why, to me, a great customer experience begins with listening: proactively gathering feedback and using those insights to continuously improve.
Transparency and ethical practices are also essential. Lab managers expect providers to operate responsibly, sustainably, and with integrity. Being open about our processes and commitment to ethical operations helps foster trust. As technology continues to evolve, it’s also critical to maintain a human element. The moments that matter most to customers are those that demonstrate empathy and evoke positive emotions.
In essence, a great customer experience enables scientists to focus on what matters most to them, which is their science.
Q: In recent years, how have the needs and expectations of analytical labs evolved?
A: Lab needs have evolved due to increasingly complex workflows, accelerated timelines, and growing regulatory demands. Labs are expected to deliver more data, with greater accuracy, in less time. This is driving demand for a more connected, automated, and data-driven environment. Customers now expect more than high-performing instruments. They want end-to-end solutions that integrate smoothly, minimize downtime, and simplify data management.
Beyond technology, lab managers expect more collaborative and personalized relationships. They’re choosing partners who not only provide advanced technology but also demonstrate transparency, accountability, and a commitment to delivering an exceptional customer experience.
Q: How does SCIEX gather and implement customer feedback to improve services or develop new tools?
A: For us at SCIEX, customer feedback is the foundation of how we innovate and deliver value. We’ve implemented a comprehensive feedback loop that supports improvements to our products as well as the quality of our services and support.
We take a holistic approach to gathering feedback, capturing it from a variety of channels, including customer surveys, advisory boards, interviews, and focus groups. Gathering feedback is not a one-time action; it’s a continuous cycle of listening, learning, improving, and then communicating with customers. It not only ensures that we remain agile, relevant, and responsive but also builds trust when customers see their feedback in action.
The most important thing is not only to gather the feedback but to review it regularly and use it to make actionable improvements. One example of this is our SCIEX Now portal, which was initiated in direct response to customer feedback and has since evolved to include a range of tools that support and empower our customers.
Q: As a leader in customer experience, what has been your most memorable achievement so far?
A: One of the most memorable achievements was the launch and continuous evolution of our customer portal, SCIEX Now. We introduced it about 10 years ago in response to customer feedback seeking a centralized, user-friendly digital experience for managing interactions with us. Rather than building a one-time solution, we took a customer-centric approach, designing the portal around user needs and embedding tools to gather ongoing feedback.
Since then, SCIEX Now has evolved into a robust platform, offering case management, instrument and software management tools, as well as a learning hub featuring a wide range of courses and structured learning paths.
What makes this meaningful to me is how it has evolved in response to user input. It’s a living example of how customer experience is a mindset and how it can drive long-term value and trust.
Q: What’s one thing you wish more lab managers knew about getting the most out of their service experience?
A: I wish more lab managers recognized the value of proactively engaging with the whole ecosystem of support and learning tools available to them, not just when something goes wrong. Service is no longer just fixing issues; it’s about preventing them, optimizing system performance, and empowering teams with the knowledge and tools they need to work more effectively.
This proactive approach helps avoid downtime, improves compliance readiness, and increases the overall return on investment. Viewing service as an ongoing partnership, rather than a one-time transaction, leads to better collaboration, which is a win-win situation for lab managers and their teams.
Q: Looking ahead, where do you see customer experience headed, and how can lab managers prepare?
A: Customer experience is becoming more predictive, personalized, and integrated. Advances in technology are allowing us to move from a reactive to a proactive model.
But the future isn’t just tech-enabled, it’s also human-centered. Lab managers still rely on human expertise and value the empathy and relationship-building that come from these interactions. The best experiences will merge digital and human experiences. Another key trend is the growing importance of shared values, like sustainability, data security, and ethical practices. Lab managers are increasingly choosing partners who align with their values and operate with transparency.
To prepare, lab managers should leverage digital platforms more strategically—not just when something goes wrong, but also for planning, performance tracking, and upskilling their staff. Staying curious about new service models and technologies will be key in this rapidly evolving landscape.
For me, customer experience has become a strategic differentiator. Those who embrace it, whether lab managers or solution providers, will be better positioned for long-term success.
Q: What inspired SCIEX to participate in CX Day, and how are you marking the occasion this year?
A: We see customer experience as something that should be at the heart of everything we do, and that the whole company is accountable for providing the best possible experience. We started celebrating CX Day in recent years to honor the people and the partnerships that make our outstanding customer experiences possible.
This year, we’re planning activities to thank both our customers and the employees who support them. We’ll host internal celebrations at our main office sites, creating those moments of recognition and appreciation. We’re also engaging our global network of CX ambassadors to help communicate—both internally and externally—why customer experience matters and how it’s brought to life across our organization.
CX Day is not only a celebration but also an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to a customer-first mindset. By celebrating our progress and recognizing those who make it possible, we build and foster a culture that drives both customer loyalty and employee pride.
Click here to learn more about CX Day.
