Enhancing Your Own Customer Experience… the Right Way

Gone are the days when a unique CX (customer experience) was considered “bells and whistles”. A decade ago, pleasant encounters with a product, service, or a business’ customer care were simply added features to attract more buyers.

But today’s competitive environment leaves no room for “add-ons”. A great and exceptional customer experience is a non-negotiable for sustainable success and customer loyalty.

A small improvement in customer experience leads to
an average revenue gain of $823 million over three years
for a firm with $1 billion in annual sales.

Here’s how to do CX right

1. Empower your frontliners. Give your team the right authority.

This may sound counterintuitive, but organizations that have their CX down pat begin by investing in their people.
There’s a strong link between empowered personnel and satisfied consumers.

Consider this: you’ve been conversing with a customer care person for 10 minutes and you want a discount. The agent is eager to handle your problem, but they must first get approval from their boss. You’re already exhausted and want to end the chat. It would be much simpler if the agent could use their discretion, authorize the discount (or take other necessary action), and resolve your problem on the spot.

2. Value employee ideas and input.

Employees on the front lines, engaging with clients, are in a unique position. They are THE link when it comes to delivering on your brand’s promises. Their role also becomes critical for understanding and conveying consumer expectations, emotions, and perceptions.

When that critical link fails, so does your knowledge of your consumers and their view of you. Employees who feel appreciated are more engaged at work and eager to assist clients. Workers are twice as likely to disengage if they believe management ignores them, so it’s critical to show them they’re appreciated by listening to their thoughts and ideas.

3. Use technology! Create groundbreaking consumer experiences.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is specifically designed for CX. From automated chats, and chatbots available 24/7 to natural language processing (that helps you to comprehend what people mean in free-form text messages) — the newest digital technology has grown exponentially specifically to enable new levels of customization and service that are both scalable and cost-effective. Take, for instance, Dominos and eBay. The pizza chain allows consumers to purchase pizza using Domino’s Facebook Messenger chatbot, while eBay allows users to browse the whole eBay marketplace for the greatest prices available, exactly like a personal shopper. Use AI to your advantage. Make it help you by making consumers’ lives simpler.

4. Fully embrace omnichannels.

It is no longer necessary to connect with a brand by sitting at a desktop computer. Multi-device digital journeys have become the norm, with mobile devices accounting for more than half of all online traffic. Do note that it is never about a uniform experience across several devices. Today’s CX leaders realize that consumers interact via a variety of physical and online channels, frequently switching numerous times and that every step of the journey, no matter how meandering or unexpected, must be seamlessly integrated and consistent. Embracing omnichannel options is one of the most essential changes you’ll make in your company strategy, and it goes hand in hand with emphasizing CX.

5. Implement a top-down strategy.

The most effective customer-centric firms begin at the top. CX and corporate leaders should demonstrate the value of customer-centricity and provide a positive example for workers to follow. For example, Walt Disney used to roam about Disneyland Park, watching and fine-tuning the experience by imagining himself as a consumer. Today, the Disney brand is customer-focused because its executives demonstrate it.

Leadership plays an important role in creating a customer-focused culture. Starting at the top, values and behaviors must be continuously accepted and implemented at all levels of the business, from the C-suite to the shop floor.

6. Personalize whenever possible!

Customers increasingly want individualized encounters. Personalization, which modifies the experience depending on what you know about the consumer, improves customer journeys and deepens the brand-customer relationship. If you’ve ever gotten a marketing email with suggestions and coupons based on your purchase history, or been able to choose which material you view on a website using your user profile, you’ve seen the potential of customization. Use data to tailor survey questions.
Utilize geolocation technologies to customize depending on location.
Provide suggestions based on prior purchases. Personally follow up on survey results. Adapt your website to provide dynamic content depending on users’ choices.

7. Use open-text feedback in questionnaires.

Customer experiences are most compelling when communicated in their language. By hearing directly from clients, such as via open-text replies on surveys, you may get insight into the ideas and feelings driving their behaviors and make better-informed CX choices as a consequence. Ideally, you’d want to have a one-on-one interaction with each consumer, but asking everyone what they think of your business and listening to their responses would take forever. Until recently, organizations had a limited ability to absorb and utilize natural language input.

Fortunately, technology has made it possible to collect and analyze open-text feedback from consumer surveys on a large scale, allowing you to significantly expand your ability to listen.

8. Use customer journey mapping.

Customer journey mapping clearly depicts consumers’ processes, demands, and perceptions throughout their encounters with your business. Cross-referencing path maps with key KPIs may help you better understand your CX and identify challenges and opportunities. Journey maps may be used to enhance current customer experiences, imagine future customer experiences, and drive organizational transformation.

Last but not least…

9. Improve your customer service.

Customer service is the foundation of a positive customer experience and may be a significant distinction in the eyes of your consumers. People do not purchase from you just because your product fits their demands. They buy because they are assured of assistance when they need it. The numbers consistently reveal that consumers who get excellent service spend more and remain loyal to firms far longer. American Express, for example, discovered that consumers were prepared to spend 17% extra for a firm that provided excellent customer service.

Providing excellent customer service depends on a variety of factors. Your staff should be recruited, trained, coached, and supported to improve their customer service abilities and habits. Your company culture should also encourage quality and efficiency rather than speed alone. Furthermore, the infrastructure that supports your company, such as CRM tools and an experience management platform, must be adaptable, scalable, and simple to use.

Investing in CX helps lower operational expenses. Unsatisfied consumers are costly, after all.

Get your CX right.