How To Reinvent Your Customer Experience

If you want to keep your customers coming back, it's important to stay on top of the latest trends in customer experience. For example, a recent study by Google found that 88% of consumers would spend more with a company if they had a great customer service experience. We'll cover some simple ways you can make sure your customer service is as good as possible and give your business an edge over the competition.

Customer service is a complex topic, as many factors come into play. Certain elements can be improved upon by any company; independent of the size or industry they're in. Things like response times and quality control will help improve your customer experience. The more complicated issues surrounding customer service come down to human nature and specific industry-related factors.

Customer service should be a key element of your business and it can make all the difference between getting more customers and seeing your revenue grows, and losing customers and having to cut costs because you're not making as much money as you'd like. Regardless, there are some simple things that any business owner or customer service representative can do to improve the overall experience for their customers. Here are some tips on how to reinvent your customer experience:

1. Listen More, Talk Less

Of all the things you can do when it comes to improving your customer experience, this one is by far the most important. Everyone likes getting their opinion heard, and businesses should be open to that to get a better understanding of what their customers want. However, a good business knows that they're the experts when it comes to their industry and all of the services they offer. The customer is not an expert in what you do, so they shouldn't be expected to know everything about your processes or your pricing.

A lot of businesses make the mistake of thinking that customers want to hear from them when it's just the opposite. Who wouldn't want a consultation from a dermatologist on how to properly treat their acne or some free advice on new running shoes from an experienced marathoner? It seems like common sense that people would love this service, but the truth is no one wants to be taken advantage of. What they do want, however, is to feel as though you care about their problems and they want to know that someone is there with the information they need.

2. Get In Front of Them

Today, people are more in tune with companies' social media pages than ever before. They want to know what is going on with the company and they want to be able to voice their opinions when things seem amiss. If a customer has a complaint, they will most likely look to the company's Facebook page, Twitter page, or website to voice their opinion. Companies need to be ready for this and prepare a policy ahead of time that will let the customer know they are being heard.

3. Give Them Options

One thing that can drive a customer crazy is if they feel like there are no options. This doesn't just apply to large-scale companies, but even small family-owned businesses can improve their customer service by offering multiple solutions and different types of payment plans. Offering different options for the same product or service will give customers something to compare and send a message that they are being heard.

4. Make it Personal

In this day and age, customers want to feel like they can connect with a company on a personal level. While social media tools make this easier than ever before, there are still other ways companies can use their customer service policy to give customers what they want. Making sure all customer service emails are answered on time is just one example of what it takes to give customers the feeling that someone out there cares about their concerns.

5. Analyze and Act with Data

The key to improving customer service is to make data-driven decisions when it comes to policies, products, or anything else having to do with a company's business. Using data to analyze customer demographics and behaviors can help companies better understand their customers' needs, which in turn will provide the basis for establishing policies that best benefit them.

6. Make It about the Customer

When considering how well they are providing customer service, companies need to ask themselves if any modifications should be made to their policies, products, and practices. Customer focus should take precedence over company-driven concerns and customers must be recognized as the primary proprietors of a business if they are going to feel appreciated and respected.

7. Be Transparent

One of the best ways to retain customers is to not keep them in the dark about what is going on with their accounts. Being transparent with customers will make them more likely to trust a company and not leave because they feel as though they are being deceived.

8. Beware of Competitors

Competitors can be an excellent way to improve customer loyalty, especially if the competitor is seen as an actual threat. Customer fear of leaving for another company should encourage companies to provide superior customer service. If customers notice that businesses are trying harder than their competitors because they are afraid of losing them, then those customers will feel better about the company they are currently working with.

9. Follow up

When customers leave, regardless of the reason, companies should follow up with those who have left. How that is done depends on the company and their needs as well as what will make customers feel like they matter and aren't just a number to the company. Whether it's an email or phone call, keeping in touch can go a long way, even if it's just to say "thank you" or inquire about the reason for leaving. Once again, time is of the essence since customers are more likely to come back if they feel like the company cares about them.

10. Think Outside the Box

One of the great things about customer service is that it allows you to provide an intimate, one-on-one experience with your customers. You can use this opportunity to think outside the box and craft a customized experience for each person who comes through your door. For example, if a customer is buying flowers, you could use this as an opportunity to ask the customer if there is any special occasion they are celebrating or someone they want to send flowers to. You could also use this time to find out more about the customer's preferences and offer them different suggestions for their purchase.

Conclusion

The customer experience is the product. It starts with a clean, simple interface that's intuitive to use, and then it continues through every touchpoint your customers have with you. Your company culture should be one of listening, collaboration, empathy, and innovation - all things consistent with how we work at Customer Experience Architects (CXA). We can help you create or reinvent your customer experience so people want to do business with you again. Contact us today for more information!