Consumers are savvier than ever and expect outstanding service regardless of whether they interact with an organisation online, over the phone or in person. The proliferation of channels, including direct and indirect, makes it hard for businesses to stay across the service their customers are experiencing, especially when customers can be using anywhere up to a dozen channels to interact with organisations.* Staying across these channels and understanding customer preferences is absolutely critical for businesses looking to compete successfully.
NICE has conducted research that showed customers were looking for some key elements that, to them, constituted a great experience. These included: immediate problem resolution; knowing what the customer needed and providing it; being aware of what the customer has done in a self-service channel; sharing information between departments; and proactively meeting routine needs.
Additionally, in a survey** conducted by Forrester, nearly 80 per cent of consumers said that valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do to provide them with good customer service.
We have identified four concepts businesses should embrace so they can provide a consistent customer experience across all channels, and get customer feedback along the way to ensure they can maintain customer loyalty:
1. The customer journey is a macro/micro concept
The customer journey unfolds every minute of every day, every time a customer interacts with a company, across any channel and at any point along the customer lifecycle. Although the customer journey may have some common components, it can be as singular as the individual traveling it. Businesses must be able to take both the macro and micro view of the journey, understanding what happens at the mass level and how the journey plays out at a personal level depending on the individual’s needs and context.
2. A map is important for any journey
Customer experience mapping helps to create a macro template of how interactions should unfold. Even though each journey is different, having an overarching view of your customer helps businesses see what’s working and what’s not. This will in turn mean the company can modify touchpoints and processes to improve the customer experience.
3. Listening to the voice of the customer
Organisations must listen to the voice of the customer, and take action based on that to shape the customer experience. Listening to the voice of the customer goes beyond formal surveys. Organisations need to monitor what customers are saying across a range of channels including social media and online channels. Ideally, the organisation should also be able to monitor what customers are doing online and gain insights based on their digital behaviour. Gathering data about online buying behaviour or simply what customers do on the company website will help paint a more complete picture.
4. Keep it easy and consistent
When it comes to delivering the perfect customer experience, it’s important to keep things simple and consistent. Customers expect a seamless experience, no matter what channel they use to interact with a company, so businesses must deliver in a flexible way.
Organisations must have the right technology in place to support the customer on their journey. They need to be able to immediately identify issues and opportunities, and act on them appropriately to deliver an exceptional and individualised experience. Great customer service is no longer enough to delight customers; it’s a basic expectation. To compete effectively, businesses need to find ways to stand out from their competitors. Understanding and improving the customer experience can significantly improve the business’s chances of success.
* https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/customer-communication-by-channel
** Demand For Effortless Service Must Influence Your Customer Strategy,” Forrester Research, Inc., 10 June 2014
Gerry Tucker, Managing Director – ANZ, NICE
