Customer experience, when delivered effectively, always pays off. The brands that are not making an impact, losing customers and seeing their market shares dwindling, are the ones that aren’t listening to what their customers want. But it’s not all doom and gloom. It’s possible to leverage your brand, even when you’ve fallen behind. The secret lies in adapting to the ever-changing preferences of the customer and putting them first.
Back in the day, customers accepted whatever was positioned in front of them. This was due to the lack of variety as well as a lack of awareness that they had the power to choose. As technology has evolved, customers have become privy to the idea that they actually have options. These options come with a certain power that they now wield over businesses, knowing that if one business doesn’t match their requirements or satisfaction, they can simply go somewhere else. As this perception has evolved, businesses have quickly realised that if they don’t evolve and align with customer expectations, they will lose market share.
The bottom line:
Focusing on customer experience and executing it properly, will never fail you, and there is no better time to start developing a customer experience strategy than right now.
Create A Sense Of Trust
Start by developing a sense of trust between you and your customer. Humans naturally feel attracted to the circumstances that they trust, and if this is offered to them in a way that poses no obstacles or issues… this is the path they will take. That of least resistance. Creating a sense of trust is often spoken about, but what does this actually involve?
It requires that you actually listen to your customer, even if they’re not physically speaking to you. They speak without words in the way they navigate your website, or click through your app. When they reach out to you, how do you solve their problems? Even when they don’t reach out to you… how do you interpret that they have a problem, have encountered a blockage or they need your help? Being there for them when they need you is going to solidify that trust. Being there for them when they don’t realise they need you will do so even more.
Personalise Where You Can
Remembering the theme song from the old sitcom, “Cheers” – where everybody knows your name – makes you think about how warm and inviting a familiar place feels. Truth be told, addressing customers by name in the digital space is incredibly easy, and it’s a winning approach that is always well-received.
Using customer insights, past-purchase history and other personal customer data, you can tailor experiences to suit the individual. Anything from personalised shopping vouchers to a special deal sent straight to their phone. Creativity pays off here, as does the attention to detail.
The key is to do it in a way that’s slick, simple and doesn’t seem like you’re trying too hard. Brands who are a little too “extra” can sometimes come across as annoying. It’s a fine line to tread, but it marks the difference between the good and bad of customer experience.
This is what we do. We are customer experience specialists, and we can advise on the best routes for you to take, or we can map it all out for you. Get in touch today and we’ll get the ball rolling.