Businesses are lately recognising the power of customer experience when it comes to growing loyalty, reducing operational costs, and securing long-term growth.
Following are some proven ways to improve customer experience-
- Empower your employees: There is a close connection between happy customers and empowered employees. Agents deal with most customers’ issues after they get approved by the managers. So if the managers start giving a little autonomy to deal with customers in the best way possible, that benefits the brands or companies.
- Value Employee Ideas: Employees who work at the front of your organisation hold an essential role. They are unique and pivotal to perceiving and communicating customer expectations, moods, and perceptions.When these employees suffer, the understanding of your customers suffers. Conversely, employees who are more valued are more engaged in work and are more willing to help the customers.
- Using technology to create breakthrough customer experiences: Technological advancement has been a boon to humanity in many ways. It has affected every aspect of our lives, and every sector reaps the benefits of technology. For example, customer service has become easier with AI and machine learning. One example can be the chatbots that are available 24/7 for the customers. The value of these technologies is reflected by an increasing number of big businesses using them.
- Embrace an omnichannel mindset: With more than 50% of the web traffic coming from mobile devices, multi-device digital journeys are the standard now. These days, customers use a variety of online and offline channels to connect with their brand and often switch multiple times.Embracing an omnichannel would be one of the most critical shifts in your business.
- Personalise: Personalised interactions with customers are the key to success these days. Most customers need personalised attention and want the brand to understand them better.Following are some ways through which you can get through:
- Use data to personalise survey questions
- Offering recommendations based on past purchases
- Personally following up with survey responses
- Adopt a top-bottom approach: Customer-centric organisations mostly start at the top. Therefore, company leaders should focus on customer-centricity and set an example that the employees can follow.
- Use customer journey mapping: It visually illustrates the customer’s processes, needs, and perceptions throughout their relationship with your brand.By cross-checking journey maps with core metrics, you will better understand your customer experience.
- Include open feedback in surveys: Customer experiences are more powerful, primarily when expressed in their own words. You can understand their sentiments and thoughts behind their actions through open-text responses by hearing directly from customers.
- Improve your customer service: Customer service is the backbone of any business and is one of the most critical factors for guaranteeing customer satisfaction. People buy from a particular brand not just because they like their product, but they also expect to get support when they need it.Delivering excellent customer service, however, depends on many factors. The priority being the employees need to be trained, coached, and supported to grow customer service skills. Therefore, offering multiple channels for support also comes in handy.
- Implement the voice of Customer programs: Voice of the customer (VoC) is feedback about customers’ experiences and expectations from your products and services. It focuses on the customer’s needs and understanding. Creating a program for capturing those insights will help you understand your customer’s needs and retain them.