10 Steps You Can Take to Improve the Customer Experience

86% of companies today see improving the customer experience as a high priority. Where do you stand on the issue, and does your service measure up? If not, you could lose out to your competitors. In this post, we look at ten steps you can take today to improve the customer experience. 

Customer Experience or Customer Service? 

Many people use the terms interchangeably, but that isn’t correct. When looking at customer experience vs. customer service, there are slight but interesting differences. 

The customer experience relates to the overall interaction. So, that includes every step they took to get them to the buying point. This can be researching your blog, speaking to consultants, and making the final purchase. 

Customer service relates to the support the customer receives at a specific point in time. So, this would be when they speak to the consultant or make the sale. 

You need to make sure that the entire journey is smooth. Customer service is only one small aspect of this. Having an adept payment gateway is another. 

How to Ramp Up Your Customer Experience

• Understand Your Customers

You have to get to know your clients well to create a delightful experience. Do they like to be pampered and fussed over, or do they want you to leave them alone? If you adopt the wrong approach, you risk alienating your target audience. 

Therefore, it makes sense to collect and analyze data so that you understand your client’s pain points, preferences, and expectations. This knowledge gives you a foundation on which to build. 

• Personalization is Key

We might even go so far as to say that micro-personalization is critical. What do we mean by this? We’re way beyond the point where using the customer’s name makes them feel valued. 

Clients today want to know that businesses truly appreciate their customers and see them as more than an account number. Companies can demonstrate this by creating highly relevant personalized recommendations and targeted promotions. 

We have plenty of data sources we can draw on to get the insights we need. More importantly, AI gives us a way to get these results quickly and effectively. 

• Seamless Omnichannel Experience

Today’s digital natives are accustomed to moving from one channel to the next. They might be on Instagram and want to look up product information and then move to your main website. If they’ve got queries, they might then interact via instant chat or phone. 

You need to make the transition as seamless as possible so that they get a good impression of your brand. It’s pointless to have great service in the store if you don’t follow through when clients contact you digitally. 

What’s more, clients will see glaring differences as disconcerting. Say, for example, you have a fun and funky Instagram page but a conservative, traditional website. The disconnect is confusing, and people end up wondering what your brand message actually is. 

• Efficient Customer Service

You need to support your clients properly when they need help. Today, you need to be available across multiple communication channels, including social media. You also generally need to be available 24/7. 

In the past, this was extremely costly, but thanks to outsourcing and artificial intelligence, it’s now the norm. Outsourcing providers give you a way to amp up your customer service almost effortlessly. 

Chatbots give you the capacity to answer simple questions almost instantaneously. This capability satisfies the modern customer’s need for instant gratification. 

You can also consider extending your support to proactive service. In this case, you reach out to clients before they realize they have an issue. You could, for example, follow up with clients to see how they’re enjoying the product. 

If you have usage statistics, you can red-flag cases where they’re not using many of the features. The idea is to reach out and solve any issues before the customer feels frustrated. 

• Empower Your Team

You should give your employees the tools they need to deliver exceptional support. Hilton Hotels, for example, gives employees an allowance that they can use to make a client’s stay more pleasant. This can be something as simple as buying a new pillow. 

If an allowance system doesn’t work for your organization, find another way to allow employees to exercise their judgment. Can they, for example, give clients a discount or add extra value by adding extra products? 

The key is to make the employees feel trusted and valued, and this should improve their satisfaction. 

• Collect and Act on Feedback

You should ask your customers about how you’re doing regularly. Whether the comments are positive or negative, they’re a valuable learning experience. Keep in mind that your clients are experts on what makes them happy or upset. So, ask them instead of relying on assumptions. 

• Streamline the Buying Process

Amazon’s one-click purchase idea is hailed as one of the brilliant marketing strategies for good reason. It only saves seconds, but it makes the process so much easier for your consumer. 

If you can’t implement this particular trick, check the rest of your payment processing processes. Make sure it’s as simple as possible. 

• Reward Loyalty

What benefits do loyal customers receive from your company? A good loyalty program can include discounts, exclusive access, and personalized perks. This helps you to show your clients your appreciation. 

• Stay Innovative

You shouldn’t automatically adopt the latest trends, but you should keep up to date with them. Say, for example, your customers want to pay using Apple Pay. If you don’t offer them the opportunity, your company may not be seen as forward-thinking. 

• Cultivate a Positive Company Culture

You need to make sure that your employees are happy and want to deliver the best service. This means fostering a culture that rewards innovation and continuous improvement. You’ll want to be as supportive of your employees as your clients if you want to keep your agents happy. 

Conclusion

Improving the customer experience is an ongoing process. You’ll need to regularly review the customer journey to identify any potential sticking points. Now that you have somewhere to start, you can improve your processes and improve the overall customer experience.