In the last decade, we have seen more transformations in the way we do business than ever before. We live in a world that is increasingly connected through globalisation, and customers and businesses have adapted to this new digital era. The world is radically different, and these changes have created a new group that is of incredible importance to any business: the empowered customer.
Why do these changes and this new customer matter? Because now, good customer experience (CX) is more important than ever. The way you think about customer experience has a profound impact on how you look at your business overall, and its success over time. In fact, Zendesk’s Customer Experience (CX) Trends Report 2021 found that 55% of Australian customers will spend more for a good online experience. This is just one reason why creating and obsessing over a great customer experience is so important.
Creating great customer experiences takes a proactive and company-wide approach, and so I’ve put together some learnings I’ve had over the years that have helped my businesses nail CX.
Respond with empathy
I'm not saying the customer is always right. We all know they’re not right all of the time, and as a customer I’ve been wrong plenty of times. But, that doesn't mean you can't be empathetic to their pain, as again, I’m sure you’ve been in their shoes before too. So before you respond to a customer who forgot to cancel their subscription and just sent an angry email saying they’ll give you a 1 star review in the Apple store... show some empathy. They’ve probably had a tough week with a sick toddler, and just got a whopping bill for electricity they weren't expecting. You’ll find starting any customer experience from a place of empathy will lead to a win for both parties.
Streamline processes where possible
Getting a lot of questions about the same thing? How can you bolster your responses to make the experience better for your customer and streamline workload for your CX team? Think about building FAQ sections, demo videos or downloadable templates or guides. Your customers and your CX team will thank you for it!
Make it seamless for the customer
If I’m making a customer service enquiry, I’m already feeling like I’m making the effort to come to you, the brand. So if you then direct me to a new platform/channel/process… I'm feeling twice as put out! Respond to the customer on the platform that they are on, that suits them, at a time and place that suits them. Don't have a generic auto response on your Instagram inbox that directs them to a generic email address. See point 1. Be empathetic. Make me feel like you care and meet me on my turf and on my terms. According to Zendesk’s report, businesses that interact with customers across these channels are more likely to provide better experiences, since customers expect fast, personalised support.
Integrate your support ecosystems
Given the multiple touch points I might have with your brand - social media, email, SMS, logged in to your platform, purchasing online, using your app - do your best to unite these ecosystems so I have the best CX possible. There’s nothing worse than spending 30 minutes on hold to find out the CX phone team doesn't have access to the most up-to-date information that has been sent to you via email, or can’t see the previous interaction you had with them via live chat. Customers don’t view sales, marketing, social and support as separate teams when they interact with your company, so neither should you. Invest in tools that put data in the hands of your teams so it’s easier to engage with customers and deliver a phenomenal experience.
Make it personal
With the tools available for personalisation these days, it adds so much value to my engagement with your brand if I feel like you’re really talking to ME. Use my name, provide me information that’s relevant to my use case or my location, get the timezone right when you call me and customise our interactions based on the data you have about me. It means you can give me a better experience, and will always leave me feeling like you really know me and care about my needs.
Embrace new tools
There are so many fantastic tools available to improve CX these days and help with the steps above. It doesn't have to mean building a huge call centre offshore anymore (in fact, it shouldn’t!). You can do product tours and demos using Loom, use artificial intelligence (AI) based live chat/ two-way responsive SMS tools like Livewire, or use tools like CallN’s cloud-based business intelligence application to distil call data into insights that will improve the experience you create. In fact, the data shows that high performing teams using Zendesk are twice as likely to use AI. So learn about the tools available and put them to your disposal to go from being a CX starter to CX champion.
Make 2021 the year you invest in really deeply getting to know your customers, and build a long term relationship with them - because we know improving the experience for your customers has been proven to increase retention, satisfaction and revenue.
