Improving the Customer
Experience
The phrase: “the
customer Is always right” is a contentious one. In fact, there is an abundance
of proof to the contrary. A company has limited resources to create its
product, which means that it cannot cater to the demands of every single
individual consumer. The average customer is also by no means the expert in the
field that a company occupies. Certain customers are even undesirable to
companies that either don’t fit their target market or cause unneeded stress and
conflict within the company.
Despite all this,
customers are key to keeping a company afloat. Sometimes, bending the knee to
pushy or demanding customers may lead to a long-lasting relationship and
consumer advocacy. Rhett Power of Inc-ASEAN.com shares with us four ways in
which the provision of quality customer service can sometimes help bring in
strong consumer advocates that would otherwise sit on the fence or pursue
competitor brands.
In today’s globalised
and interconnected world, world of mouth is paramount. If a customer has had a
good experience with your product, they will keep buying and they will let
others know. Contrarily, customers will without a doubt let others know if they
had a bad experience and often, they will be even louder doing so.
The first tip that
Power provides is that companies should frame their customer experience. This
means that interactions with between customers and employees should go beyond
providing the minimum service. Power uses McDonalds as an example. McDonalds customer
service vision statement explains how the company is more than just a provider
of quick and quality food. It also strives to be a clean, safe and welcoming
environment for its customers and they ensure this added-value service is a
core part of their employee training.
Power’s second point is
to utilise technology to streamline communication. Communication software is
constantly evolving, becoming easier to use and more efficient. Companies
should take advantage of these advances to facilitate better interactions
between agents and customers. Customising the customer service experience is
highly advised as a personalised customer experience will promote a sense of
comfort and trust.
Another useful tip is
to use videos to address common customer concerns. Having a face and voice
regard the customer as they inquire about their product is far superior than
having the customer drudge through paragraph after paragraph of written
explanation. Videos serve as a way of putting a face on your brand as well as
providing a more personal interaction between the company and the customer.
The final point that
Power mentions is to enable ongoing customer feedback. Sometimes, customers
just want to let you know their experiences, be they good or bad. All feedback is
valuable. As such, companies should keep as many feedback channels open as
possible. This will ensure that every customer has the right to provide
constructive criticism. This also provides a quick medium for directly
addressing any concerns a customer may have.
These four points are not
the only points that a company needs to take into consideration regarding
customer service. There are many other ways that companies can positively
affect the customer service experience. The key point is that companies should
strive to have more than just a buyer-seller relationship with customers.
Instead, the goal should be to turn buyers into advocates; and in this
endeavour, quality customer service is supreme.
You can check out
Power’s full-detailed article below.
Picture Credit: www.salesforce.com
4 Ways to Turn Hesitant
Customers Into Influential Advocates
In the age of social media, word-of-mouth marketing is
critical. Exceptional customer experience will set the stage for a loyal — and
vocal — fan base.
You need to best the
competition, but how? You might seek to add a million new features to your
product or develop an innovative ad campaign. In many cases, however, the trick
to setting your brand apart is providing a quality customer experience.
The Art
of Customer Experience
Quality customer
service has always been important, but in today's connected climate,
word-of-mouth marketing means everything. If customers have a good service
experience with your brand, they'll keep buying. If they don't, they'll let you
and their friends know. With the click of a button, anyone with a phone can
declare to thousands of followers that the experience your company provided was
laudable or laughable.
Through praise or criticism,
any customer can become an influential advocate for your product or a repellent
against new business. Providing the best customer experience takes planning and
efficient execution, but it's well worth the effort. By taking the right steps,
you can create a positive experience for each of your consumers and increase
your brand's reach through their advocacy.
1. Frame your customer experience vision.
The phrase
"customer service" might conjure an image of the McDonald's
drive-thru window, a uniform-clad teenager holding out a bag of steaming hot
french fries with a smile on her face. While that's certainly a part of quality
customer service in that scenario, the customer experience encompasses much
more than timely and accurate order delivery. A brand distinguishes itself by
going beyond the minimum service expectations because every competitor is
already doing the minimum.
Consider the McDonald's
customer experience vision statement: "Our customers are the reason for
our existence. We demonstrate our appreciation by providing them with
high-quality food and superior service in a clean, welcoming environment, at a
great value. Our goal is quality, service, cleanliness, and value for each and
every customer, each and every time." The company's service goals extend
far beyond supplying fast food to addressing the motivation that should
underpin each customer interaction: to show appreciation.
2. Use technology to streamline communication.
A strong vision
statement merits the technological wherewithal to realize that vision. Outdated
software can mean missed connections and unmet customer expectations. The good
news is today's technology is so advanced that you can create an appropriate
communication solution to improve customer engagement at every point of contact.
Application programming
interfaces enable customization of contact center software to facilitate
interactions between agents and customers that are productive, scalable, and
cost-conscious. APIs let you get creative about the best ways to reach your
customers and build the right implementation solution. Twilio, a leading cloud communications
platform, suggests adopting API-based, multichannel contact centers to
"use what you know about your customers, from all of your data sources, to
create an experience that anticipates their needs and provides the right
service."
Whether messaging,
voice, or video is best for your consumers, you can streamline your
communication channels and provide a more personal customer experience.
3. Use video to address common customer concerns.
Personalizing
connections with your customers doesn't mean you have to write paragraphs
answering each of their questions individually. For general issues or questions
frequently asked by customers, consider engaging with everyone at once through
video.
Hope Horner, CEO of
Lemonlight Media, recommends implementing customer service videos as a
"personal and authentic way to tackle customer pain points collectively
and continuously." Eyewear designer Warby Parker created a YouTube channel
for this very reason. Some of its most-viewed videos are simple comparisons of
different frames, which the brand correctly anticipated would be its customers'
most likely need during the online shopping process.
And videos aren't just
a convenient way to answer questions. They provide a face for your brand and a
personal interaction that will help you connect with your customers and remind
them that you value their experience.
4. Enable ongoing customer feedback.
Just as there are
innovative ways to answer customers' questions, there are myriad options for
soliciting feedback. Maybe some of your customers want to reply to an email
survey, while others would rather submit a form on your website. Some will call
you, and others will prefer to tweet at you. You might even follow Slack's
approach and forward tweets about your product into your own messaging system,
so you'll know your customers' concerns the minute they arise.
"You have to have
access on a constant basis to your customer and understand what their needs are
and what their challenges are -- and what they're trying to achieve," says
Kelly Watkins, Slack's global vice president of marketing.
Tapping into a variety
of feedback channels ensures that every customer is able to give you
constructive criticism. What's more, inviting direct comments and addressing
them quickly can reduce the social visibility of negative criticism.
Crafting a compelling
customer experience isn't easy. It requires a deep knowledge of your consumers
and a long-term commitment to meeting their unique needs. If you pull it off,
your customers will sing your praises, and their promotion will make the
difference between becoming a McDonald's or a Burger Chef. (Ever heard of it?
Didn't think so.)
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