As times change and societal shifts occur, customer expectations evolve. Innovations such as e-commerce and online reviews give consumers more power, and technological advances help businesses provide higher service levels. In particular, the last few years have created shoppers with more discerning expectations - including heightened service levels.
To stay competitive, businesses must respond to changing industry dynamics and escalating customer expectations. An integrated, omnichannel customer service strategy might be the only way to deliver a trulyDelightful customer experience(CX). We will explore what a great CX looks like today. We'll also touch upon what customers expect from the companies they do business with.
Did you know?An excellent CX can bring enormous dividends for businesses. According to research fromMarigold, 53 percent of consumers say excellent customer service and support is more important than price.
What is CX?
CX is an overarching term that describes the sum total of a customer's response to all interactions with a business. It can range from amazing to horrible and everything in between.
Every touchpoint along theCustomer Journeyaffects CX. This includes the first instance of brand awareness, becoming a customer, interacting with customer support and even the end of a customer relationship. Over time, numerous subjective experiences add up to a general feeling about your company.
Elements of CX include the following:
- Advertising design, relevance and product claims
- Social media posts and interactions
- Customer service interactions (speed, satisfactory resolution, empathy and politeness)
- Policies regarding returns, warranties, sustainability, and shipping
- Website designPage load speedand e-commerce checkout
- Sales interactions (asking questions, getting help, waiting in line to pay)
- Billing interactions (ease of billing, accuracy of billing, helpfulness of billing staff when contacted)
- Pricing and value
- Public comments and company executive attitudes
- Reviews, reputation, and word-of-mouth recommendations or criticisms (and the business's responses)
- Product usage experiences
CX vs. Customer Service
CX and customer service are related but distinct. Customer service is just one element of CX, albeit a critical one.
A good customer service interaction can help your business turn a potentially negative CX (product flaw, billing issue, etc.) into a positive one. For example, say a customer purchases your product, but it breaks due to a defect. The customer contacts a customer service rep who expresses empathy, apologizes and overnights a replacement at no charge. This customer's experience has gone from shaky to great.
However, say the customer threw away the broken product in frustration. They didn't contact customer support and vowed never to buy from your business again. In this case, the CX remains terrible and reflects poorly on your company.
AnExcellent customer serviceplan can help keep the CX positive — and even rescue it. Implement multiple ways for customers to contact support (email, phone, social media, etc.) and a highly trained service team. Then, you can turn challenging customer interactions into positive outcomes. Thus, ultimately enhancing the overall CX.
CX vs. User Experience
Like customer service, the user experience (UX) is part of the overall CX. The UX refers to how a customer uses a product once it's been purchased.
UX problems that adversely affect the CX include the following:
- Shipping problems (slow, expensive, delayed)
- Delivery issues
- Difficult-to-open packaging
- Missing parts
- Broken items
- Item problems (wrong color or size, not as described, etc.)
- Poor (or no) instructions
- Confusing product design
Digital products can also present a poor UX if the following problems occur:
- Downloading difficulties
- Incompatibility issues (with platforms, other software, etc.)
- Frequent crashes
- Excessive bandwidth requirements
Isolated UX problems can often be solved via customer service. However, persistent UX problems may necessitate refunds, a product redesign and other measures.
How to provide great CX today
According to aKustomersurvey, customers today - particularly younger ones - are setting a high bar for their expected CX. They're willing to reward companies that meet their expectations withCustomer loyaltyand increased sales.
Here are some crucial ways to meet today's expectations and provide a standout CX.
1. Demonstrate value to provide a great CX.
Customers want to feel that your product or service is a good value - both overall and in relation to price. This expectation does not mean you must charge excessively low prices. Value includes additional factors likeProduct quality, customer support, relevant content,Loyalty programsand community-building.
When customers feel they have received a good value, they are more willing to share data and engage with your company.
2. Create fast customer service interactions to satisfy customers.
Speed is a key factor in providingEfficient customer service— a crucial element of a positive CX. The good news is that customers are happy to have their problems resolved by a well-executed chatbot. This can save you money and allow your customer service reps to handle thornier issues.
3. Personalize communications to appeal to customers.
TheForbes 2024 State of Customer Service and CX Studyfound that 81 percent of customers prefer companies that provide personalized interactions. They want businesses to employ apersonal touchand send only relevant communications. For example, if a customer bought a sweater, they don't want to receive an email promoting the same sweater. But, they'd likely welcome an email promoting pants that would look good with it.
To effectively personalize your communications, gather data on customers, including:
- Purchase history
- Stated preferences
- Browsing history on your website
Thebest CRM softwarecan streamline personalized customer communications by storing data automatically and making it easy to access. Consider usingEmail personalizationTo send highly tailored recommendations. Also, consider implementing dynamic pages on your website that display items they recently viewed and complementary or similar products.
Personalization should also flow into your customer loyalty program. Then, once a certain amount of money is spent, you can offer customers a discount on products they are more likely to buy.
4. Communicate with empathy to support customers.
When a customer has a problem or complaint, the company's representatives must empathize with the predicament. It's essential toemotionally connect with customers, especially if they are upset.
Create processes to separate calls from upset customers and move them to the front of the line. Or, funnel them to dedicated reps trained in calming customers and resolving high-priority issues.
Tip:One way to prevent customer service issues is to proactively follow up after a purchase toRequest customer feedbackabout their experience.
5. Provide the convenience of omnichannel customer service.
Today's customers quickly switch from websites to social media to email and phone calls. They expect companies to provide seamless service on all these channels. Many customers expect to useX (formerly Twitter) for customer service, along with email and live chat options.
All your customer service channels should be integrated so customers can track their issues regardless of channel or device.
Omnichannel customer service eliminates several common customer frustration points, including:
- Being transferred to another department when contacting customer service
- Having to repeat information multiple times to different reps
- Getting contradictory or incorrect information
In addition to providing omnichannel customer service, offer customers various purchasing options. This should come as an addition tobuying online or buying in-personConsider offering buy-online-pick-up-in-store (BOPIS) options, delivery for in-store purchases and curbside pickup to maximize customer convenience.
FYI:Popup opt-ins can helpkeep customers on your website and boost sales. Use them to ask visitors to subscribe to your email list.
How the CX and expectations have changed
Customer attitudes have shifted in recent years. Consider the following expectations against which CX is now measured.
1. Customers expect real-time data about product availability and shipping.
The pandemic caused product availability problems due to disruptions insupply chain distribution. As a result, customers now expect more transparency about the availability and arrival of items they have purchased. To meet this expectation, consider the following:
- Provide real-time inventory information.Consumers want to know upfront if your store currently has their items in stock. Connecting your store's inventory software to product pages may require back-end changes, but it will help you bring customers real-time information. It will also avoid wasting shoppers' time and earn and keep their trust.
- Be upfront about shipping.Shoppers expect fast shipping. Current shipping speed information should be on every page of your online store, so customers are not surprised at checkout. This transparent information will helpstop shopping cart abandonment.
- Enable purchase tracking.Customers want to track their purchases from the warehouse to the doorstep. Offer this capability through your carriers or a third-party package-tracking service. Real-time tracking is essential to show where packages are and help prevent package theft, which is increasing.
2. Customers expect clear, positive messaging and support.
Customers want to be treated with appreciation and compassion. If your company doesn't provide that, they'll likely turn to a competitor. Positive, caring messaging and actions can be a natural extension of your company'sMission statement, purpose and values.
Consider how your business can help customers deal with current and ongoing issues, both personal and product-related. For example, if a customer calls to purchase a health care product for someone who needs it immediately, consider waiving the additional charge for expedited shipping. Acts of goodwill reveal the inherent kindness of your business and can strengthen brand loyalty.
Ask the following questions when determining how to best support your customers:
- What will your buyers value?
- Will you offer a free upgrade on shipping speed for in-demand items?
- Can you bundle and discount items often bought together?
- If your site doesn't already have a customer service chat tool, can you add one to help shoppers get their questions answered quickly?
- Is a disaster or economic downturn affecting your customers? If so, what supportive outreach efforts can you implement?
Look for gaps in your CX, examine the hardships your customers are facing and determine how you can improve things.
3. Customers expect low-friction checkout and authentication.
The purchasing experience directly affects the overall CX. In particular, the online checkout process should be easy and seamless. Customers don't want to jump through hoops to give you their money. Plus, they won't tolerate a clunky checkout and authentication process.
Examine your current online checkout process:
- Checkout:Are there too many fields for customers to fill out or steps to complete during the online checkout process? If they feel they have to fight to make a purchase, you risk them abandoning their shopping cart. Additionally, can customers pay with their preferred payment methods and store information for later purchases? These elements increase convenience and positively impact the CX.
- Authentication:During the authentication process, the customer's identity is confirmed. This step is necessary to prevent fraud but can introduce friction if implemented clumsily. For example, multi-factor authentication (MFA) or security checks can slow down the process if not optimized; this might frustrate customers.
For an easy, frictionless checkout process, use the following features:
- Social media sign-in
- Price matching
- Clear refund policy
- Nonautomatic online coupons
- Easily navigable map
- Real-time inventory updates
- Progress bar
- Trustmarks
- Streamlined MFA
- Secure account data storage
Did you know?Live chat support,Customer service text message, and toll-free phone numbers can help youImprove e-commerce customer serviceand create a better CX.
4. Customers expect AI-assisted customer service and an AI-enhanced CX.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is disrupting nearly every aspect of business; customers are taking notice. Notably, AI usage in customer service appeals to consumers because of the speed, accuracy and convenience it brings to problem-solving. In fact, according to theZendesk CX Trends 2024 report,70 percent of consumers believe AI has become a vital part of customer service.
Consider adding AI customer service chatbots that can answer frequently asked questions and general inquiries. As technology advances, these chatbots will be able to handle increasingly complex questions and interactions. For example, they will be able to analyze customer photos and videos to identify problems.
Additionally, AI can provide businesses with insights to help them better personalize customer messages. Such insights can also continue conversations across platforms and eliminate errors that prompt customer service calls.
Know and meet your customers' current needs
Creating a great CX is possible, even as expectations and needs evolve. Know and meet your customers' needs,lead with transparencyAbout product availability and shipping, and communicate with empathy. These actions will help you stand out in an increasingly crowded and competitive business landscape.
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