Customer Experience – how to improve the CX quality

Customer Experience – what it has in common with business goals?

Customers define business goals in different ways. However, usually, the goals are associated with an increase in revenue and reduction of costs. How to achieve these goals? There is no one right answer to such a question. Everything depends on the individual situation of a customer. Sometimes optimization is needed, sometimes – tightening processes; or even both. Some other time – transparent reporting that improves making decisions.

All efforts always have a common thread – a product or service recipient. For such recipients, it does not matter what is going on inside the company, what processes were implemented or improved, if any. A product/service recipient wants to literally feel the results of these efforts, wants to be important and appreciated, treated uniquely as well as individually. Based on contacts with a brand, customers build their experience, which is Customer Experience (CX).

Research indicates how essential for customers are their impressions of cooperation with a provider/brand or those coming from using the product/service. Up to 86 percent of customers would be willing to pay more for the product/service gladly if, together with the higher price, they received a better shopping experience. A confirmation for this research might be the success of such brands as Apple or Tesla. Up to 84 percent of customers claim that Customer Experience provided by the company is as crucial as its products/services.

Customer Experience – let us start with the basics

That is a base. Literally. The answer to the question, “What does a company need to win over customers and boost their positive experience?” is “The base.” Of course, it is about the database of customers – an essential tool without which it is difficult to carry out efficient operations in the area of Customer Experience.

It is equally challenging to overestimate benefits resulting from such a database, both for the company and the customer. An employee receives access to comprehensive and consistent knowledge about the customer that is gathered in one place – meaning a 360-degree view. This view is a full history of customer contact with the company, from the very first activity (for example, visiting a website under the influence of the advertising action) through the first purchase to complaints service, another purchase, and the use of additional services.

On one side of the screen or phone’s handset, there is a satisfied employee who, having customer history literally at fingertips, can smoothly, without wasting time, solve each request. And on the other side, we have a satisfied customer – who saves time too, without having to discuss their history of purchase or complaint. Each quickly handled case is another bonus point on the Customer Experience scale.

Customer Experience in the life of a customer

How to create such a database? With the use of the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems. However, CRM is much more than just a database to gather and store information about customers. It is also a tool that supports carrying out personalized communication with a customer, including in particular marketing automation campaigns.

Communication may lead customers directly to purchasing or social platforms by which they purchase a product or service.

Purchasing is just one phase of the customer lifecycle. Following this phase, there are other – whenever the customer returns to us with questions about products’ operation, provided service as well as, as it usually is, complaints or warranty repairs. The 360-degree customers view is a powerful weapon in the hands of the customer service representatives who take care of the customer’s impression related to the brand during the after-purchase phase. In what promotion did the customer participate? What, when, and how did they buy? Was the customer satisfied with the purchase/service? Did they make a complaint? Thanks to such detailed knowledge, we can adjust the following actions to the previous customer’s interactions with our brand.

With the above elements under control because of the tools working in full synergy and a unified database that enables the mentioned 360-degree view of a customer, we are, colloquially speaking, at home.

Customer Experience in practice – customer opinions

Enough theory. What does it look like in practice? The meaning of building a positive experience of a customer is confirmed by research and market statistics. Only 63 percent of consumers claim that companies, indeed, transparently use their data.

Polish customers complain about the lack of sense of security and assistance while filing a complaint about products/services. When it comes to the customers’ satisfaction with the service provider’s help in the case of solving issues, there is much to catch up on. According to the “Polish CX Drivers” report:

• The highest rating regarding submitting comments applies to apps of retail chains – on average, 4.04 on the five-point-rating scale.
• The lowest customer satisfaction at the phase of submitting comments is observed in the insurance industry – average rating: 3.27.
• The average value of customer satisfaction at the phase of submitting comments among respondents equaled 3.7.

The negative evaluation of services is associated with the response time, insufficient contact facilitation in case of reporting comments, and lack of the pro-customer approach – meaning all aspects which were defined as crucial by customers.

On September 10, at the National Stadium, we will participate in the eTrade Show, during which we will tell how to build a high-quality Customer Experience. We will focus on presenting four key steps that can be implemented in every e-commerce.