Why A Great Customer Experience Management Strategy Matters

As marketers, we frequently find ourselves mired in the monotony of the day-to-day operations of marketing campaigns and promotional endeavours. However, as influencers for our respective brands, we are responsible for creating excellent content and providing outstanding service to our patrons. Customers have higher expectations of us than simply receiving a high-quality product or service. Instead, they want great levels of customer care and service quality. Failing to live up to this expectation by giving lacklustre client experiences can cost your firm a lot of money because people constantly talk about their negative experiences with your products or services. However, it can be avoided by providing memorable customer experiences. To ensure they continue patronising your business, you must have a daily strategy to provide an outstanding customer experience.

How To Choose The Best Customer Experience Management

It is common knowledge that a consumer’s interaction with a particular brand plays a significant role in determining the success or failure of a relationship between the two parties. For instance, in a survey conducted by American Express, one of every three respondents stated that they would never return to a company again after having a single negative experience there. Because of this, an increasing number of brands are turning to data to learn about their customers’ experiences and how they may improve. However, Managing all that data and figuring out its meaning may be difficult. The good news is that it is feasible to manage and comprehend the level of quality that your brand experience provides thanks to a customer experience management (CMX or CEM) platform that is simple to use. A solid platform for the customer experience will give you the ability to obtain insights into any customer-facing touchpoint that is important to you. Your customer experience management software should be able to assist you in organising, automating, and syncing data and insights so that you can provide efficient service to all of your existing clients, react rapidly to challenges, and use what you learn to retain current customers and earn new business.

The following are the seven most important questions to ask yourself:

What are you trying to accomplish by gathering feedback?

It is the question that needs to be answered. Your aims for implementing it will determine the features you’ll require for your customer experience programme.

Take, for instance:

Exists a global behaviour you cannot easily explain, such as a decrease in retained customers?
Is there a particular client pain point you have previously identified and would like further in-depth insight on finding a solution?
Do you require a tool to assist you in monitoring and enhancing the effectiveness of your team that provides customer service?
Are you looking for a method to increase customers using a newly released product feature?
Knowing what you are attempting to achieve will make the feature set more transparent. The following questions will assist you in working through the many possibilities.

How many survey types do you want?

Make sure that the client feedback questionnaires that are offered cover all of your bases when you are evaluating potential solutions. You can utilise either relational surveys or transactional surveys, depending on the kind of feedback you’re looking for relational feedback or transactional feedback. Transactional feedback surveys, such as Customer Satisfaction or Customer Effort Score surveys, focus on specific customer touchpoints, such as the quality of a customer service interaction, whereas relational feedback surveys, such as the Nett Promoter Score, measure how your customers feel about your brand as a whole. One example of a relational feedback survey is the Nett Promoter Score. You may get a full breakdown of use cases by reading our tutorial on relationship surveys instead of transactional surveys. The majority of firms will employ a variety of survey formats, including different kinds of scales like stars and smiling faces. A further advantage is the opportunity to tailor different questions to gain a more in-depth understanding of your consumer base. It would help if you searched for a customer experience platform that provides access to the customer experience surveys you believe you will require.

What channels will you use to send surveys to your customers?

It is more probable that clients will reply to your surveys if you communicate with them through the channels that they are accustomed to using. Therefore, considering how to collect feedback, consider the type of survey distribution you will use. Email, web or in-app surveys, and link surveys are common customer research methods since they are convenient for the customer and simple for the firm to implement. SMS surveys are another viable alternative for you to consider, assuming that you have permission to text your clients.

How easily can the system be set up?

Can you complete it rapidly without needing to go into the code? Do you have access to software developers and designers who can assist you in putting your survey programme into action? Your team may only be able to do the tasks they were employed for if the system is easy to install. When evaluating potential solutions, it is important to consider the internal resources already available to you. For instance, to get your programme off the ground, you could require a CMX solution that is simple and turnkey.

Do you want to integrate your feedback back into your existing toolset?

You should search for a CX platform that can trigger survey sends depending on customer behaviour if you are using Shopify or Zendesk. The feedback data should also automatically be exported and incorporated into the platform. In this approach, you may save effort by exchanging information in both directions, and your team won’t need to learn a new platform. Instead, they can adjust their day-to-day tools based on customer input.

How are you going to be analyzing the feedback?

Segmenting and analysing data in Excel is enjoyable. Some people, however, are not. The effort spent digging for insights can be reduced using CMX platforms with built-in analysis and reporting tools. On the other hand, if you already have a solid infrastructure, you only require your CMX platform to transmit all of the feedback data to your analytics platform.

What sort of service can you expect?

When you have a problem, the last thing you want to do is throw away valuable hours trying to figure it out independently. So instead, it would be best to search for a CX business that provides a “white-glove” service and is regarded as the best in its industry.

14 ways to create a great customer experience strategy

Understand your audience and create buyer personas

Gain an understanding of your patrons. Who are these people? Why do they behave the way they do? You can only acquire the necessary level of depth in your understanding if you can access extensive intelligence.

There are two different approaches to take:

Create a profile of the different types of consumers that your customer care team assists daily. It is an excellent method for comprehending the requirements of the client.
After gathering sufficient information, you should construct buyer personas. Representing actual people will increase your level of effectiveness. In addition, emotion is a key component of the human element of the consumer experience.
We may invent Jack, a man 32 years old who is putting money away for a car.

Buyer personas were utilised in this ad for Spotify. However, once again, having an understanding of the audience allowed for the creation of a feeling of familiarity through the use of personalised messages.

Analyze the business mission, vision and processes

Do you want to have a winning CX strategy? Then you need to comprehend the goals you have set for your company adequately. What exactly is the primary objective? Are you a new client? Are you going to enter a new market? Are you entering an existing market with new products? Examine the research of the brand, and determine the obstacles. The question, therefore, is: how can they be defeated? Establish objectives for the long term. How can your strategy for customer experience help you reach these goals? The next step is to develop a strategy for the customer experience while keeping customer satisfaction in mind. When clients are satisfied, a company is doing well.

Put the following enquiries to yourself:

Which technologies, people, or processes are essential to accomplish goals through a strategy centred on the customer experience?
What discrepancies exist between the customer’s expectations and their actual experiences?
What kind of support do the internal processes provide for the customers?
Which tools are available to improve the experience of the customer?

Reverse-engineer the experience you want to deliver

Steve Jobs, the former head of Apple’s marketing department, was a proponent of “beginning with the customer experience and working backwards to the technology.”

The following are some possible approaches to take:

Make a list of the different stages customers go through with your business. Where exactly might one find the possibilities to leave an impression? Then, make your unique selling proposition known. One example would be Amazon, which offers early delivery.
Concentrate on topics of practical concern, even the most insignificant ones. Forget about things that are just on the surface.
When filling out forms, utilise time-saving tools such as Fiverr autofill. These kinds of minute details can make a world of difference.

Hire team players and get them invested in the process

The employees are the most important factor in providing a satisfying experience for the customers. Employees at Logogenie are taught by Damien Peillon, who works for the company, to pay attention to the needs of the consumers. When a customer makes a reservation at a restaurant and mentions that they have a birthday, for instance, the manager will come over to the table to wish the person a happy birthday and good luck. What can we take away from this experience? It is important to pay attention to the specifics. When you are aware of your client’s likes and dislikes, you can customise their experience. However, it would help if you had the appropriate personnel to accomplish this.

Make use of these hints to locate the appropriate individuals:

Concentrate on the important skills. Interpersonal skills are essential.
Develop a set of guiding principles to ensure all customer interactions run well.

Eliminate bad design early in the game.

User experience, or UX for short, has been identified as a critical factor. Of course, the design of your website and apps are important, but your customer experience is much more important. Customers come in from every possible source and are all looking for something from your company. They could only need one negative encounter to decide they no longer want to be in your life. Ensure you consider every stage of the client experience, from the first discovery to the final advocacy. After that, you will have complete control over your customers’ experience. When the number of visitors to your website reaches between 500 and 2,000 per day, you can transform it into a reliable source of revenue by employing programmatic or contextual advertisements that enhance the user experience rather than disrupting it. You may read more about it here.

There are three key elements to consider when designing a positive experience for the customer:

Develop a consistent brand experience across all your online channels, including your website, apps, email, and social media. Draw creativity from Etsy’s signature orange and white colour scheme. Etsy, the cx
Remove any obstacles that aren’t essential, and work to simplify the buying process. For example, make it simple to locate the specific information or service one seeks.
Emotional component. The Wufoo app has a variety of emoji faces, ranging from extremely happy to extremely angry expressions. The clients were questioned about their feelings and asked to score them on this scale.

Attend to customer needs and use feedback loops

When we consider the findings of the study conducted by Bain & Company, we find that eighty per cent of businesses believe they offer excellent customer service. However, only eight per cent of consumers concur with this assessment.

Without directly asking them, how can you determine what their requirements are? How are you supposed to determine the value of a brand without asking? For this reason, the establishment of feedback loops is necessary. How to do it:

Make use of post-interaction surveys in addition to real-time feedback polls. Make sure to call back your customers and ask them for more information.
Respond appropriately to what people are saying about you on social media. Customers are likely to be their most truthful selves in this area.
If you maintain your ear to the ground, you can listen to your clients as they tell you exactly what they desire.

Research your competitors and create goals and objectives

Conduct research into your rivals’ activities and the market’s general direction. After then, make use of both the internal and external tools. When you know the areas that require improvement, you can use this information to bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to be by developing strategic goals and objectives that contribute to effectively implementing a customer experience strategy.

Build systems for quick and effective resolutions

After reviewing previous customers’ comments and questions, it is time to answer. Having a concealed support system for each stage of the client lifecycle is important. Put the control into the hands of the customers. Show them that the help is available and how to access it, but don’t try to impose it on them.

The following are some methods of providing help to customers:

Customers exploring your website will appreciate the convenience of live chat capabilities like the one Acquire provides. Even though it is concealed, it is easily accessible whenever required. In addition, a quicker response time can boost a prospect’s image of your brand, which may motivate the prospect to make a buy. If you add to this the possibility of providing support through video, your clients will have the impression that they are being truly cared for.
It is essential to have a support executive who is always active on social media platforms because an increasing number of customers are using these channels to air their frustrations and look for information about a product or service.
The use of more conventional feedback forms is partially obsolete. However, even the space provided on feedback forms can be put to clever and amusing use.

Incorporate a memorable brand personality

Even if many cell phones can compete with the iPhone, Apple is still the only smartphone manufacturer that makes a profit.

Why?

Being a part of the Apple family has its advantages. A one-of-a-kind brand personality has resulted in developing a sizable and devoted consumer base. The consumers believe this to be true.
Consider Charmin as well. Taco Bell. That Old Spice.
Consider the following. Who would your company be if it were a person, and what sort of person would it be?

Apply AI or machine learning to deliver a better experience

Regarding problem-solving, more than six out of ten customers in the United States would rather use a digital self-service tool (such as a website, mobile app, or online instructional) rather than make a phone call or participate in a video chat. The use of AI technology may improve the quality of this encounter.

The following are some advantages of AI:

The use of artificial intelligence enables auto-responses to common customer questions, thereby directing audiences with content that has been carefully vetted.
AI customer support interactions eliminate the requirement that your agents attend every chat with a customer, freeing them up to concentrate on more difficult problems.
Your user base can be segmented using AI, allowing for increased personalisation. For example, AI can automatically send personalised messages to subscribers and track their reactions, using records of subscribers’ email browsing data, web page visits, and previous interactions.
AI can draw on previous encounters, ensuring the client has the most meaningful experience possible.

Replace marketing with customer service

In marketing, education refers to informing clients about the positive aspects of a product or service to encourage them to make a purchase. How customers make their decisions has been profoundly affected by digitalisation. They put forth a lot of effort when it came to the study that they did. They are well aware of the benefits and drawbacks of your product or service. After that, providing superior service to customers becomes an essential distinction. It’s a priceless tool for reassuring clients that you care about more than just making a buck off of them. Let them know that you are there to assist them in any way that they may need it.

Understand your customer experience metrics

You need to measure your customer experience to have access to important data that could help improve your plan for providing excellent customer service. Remember that if something cannot be measured, it cannot be improved. For instance, a wealth of information is available, including the typical response and resolution times. However, the front line is not the only thing that matters. If we track and measure the performance of the staff interacting with customers, we will get the full picture. Remember that the teams working behind the scenes can have a significant influence on the experience that the customer has.

Put your attention on the quantitative insights:

The NPS, also known as the Nett Promoter Score, is a metric that determines what percentage of a company’s clientele would or would not suggest that business to their circle of friends, relatives, or coworkers.
A transactional statistic known as the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) measures how content a customer is with a recent encounter. Typically, this involves either a purchase or a call to customer service. However, it can be altered in various ways and is adaptable.
The consumer Effort Score (CES) quantifies the amount of work a consumer puts into completing a certain activity. For example, it might be getting a request for support handled or locating the product the customer sought.

Make use of the right technology and tools.

In 2008, only 12% of firms hosted customer service management tools in the cloud. The current percentage is 87 per cent. Businesses are chewing at the bit to implement the specialized technology that focuses on the client. So it should come as no surprise that these tools can cut an organization’s workload by as much as 67 per cent. It would be insane to turn a blind eye to an improvement of this magnitude regarding efficiency and dependability.

You can:

Engage with customers across various channels, all from one location.
Increasing customer engagement through the use of automated communications that are customized to the visitors’ or customers’ profiles.
Utilizing predictive analytics can help cut down on customer churn.
Quantify the success of your plan for improving the customer experience.

Optimize your customer experience strategy

A strategy for improving the customer experience is an ongoing activity. Utilise a strategy that emphasises ongoing improvement. Measure, optimise, repeat.

The following are some suggestions on how to do this:

Remember not to overlook the insignificant particulars.
Utilise customers as a resource to collect information about the brand’s experience, design, product consumption, and other areas.
Get to know your ideal customers.
Educate your personnel about your company’s products and how to respond appropriately to customer questions. Foster a customer-centric mindset.
Be ready to engage in ongoing self-improvement.
Recognise and commend staff members that go above and beyond to delight consumers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is customer experience management strategy?

A strategy for the customer experience comprises the strategies put into place to give pleasant experiences across each customer touchpoint, as well as the meaningful ways in which those experiences are measured. A strategy for the customer experience comprises the strategies put into place to give pleasant experiences across each customer touchpoint, as well as the meaningful ways in which those experiences are measured.

Why is CX important Forrester?

The methodology provided by Forrester’s CX Index enables customer experience leaders to grow revenue quickly, increase brand preference, and charge more for their products. The CX Index developed by Forrester helps companies determine which aspects of their customer experience are most important to focus their efforts.

Is CX part of marketing?

When it is done successfully, the customer experience presents some problems, one of which is how all-encompassing it is. Therefore, the marketing that your company engages in is, in fact, a component of the customer experience; however, it is not the only component. In addition, the actuality of your customer service will make it much simpler to sell your brand in proportion to how much better it is.