Let’s get straight to the point; are you doing all you can to make your customer service experience unforgettable?
A brand is defined by the customer experience.
In today’s competitive economy, customer experience has emerged as the one factor that contributes the most to the success of a business. Don’t believe it? Well, here are some numbers that will help you understand it better.
According to a Walker Study, customer experience will be the key brand differentiator by 2020, leaving pricing and product behind.
The same study quotes that buyers will be ready to pay more for a better customer experience.
So, it is quite evident that outstanding customer experience is going to be the next battlefield for businesses, as quoted by many industry experts.
Now, the question that arises is how a business can make the most of this opportunity? If you are also thinking in the same light, like countless other marketers out there then we have got the best advice for you.
Here is a step-by-step guide to help you adopt that piece of advice with regards to creating an amazing customer experience:
Step #1: It all begins with easy website navigation
The first place to begin with customer experience optimization is your website. Take a look at your top menu.
Is the navigation simple? Even if it is, could you think of a way to make it more intuitive? The point is to make sure that the customer does not feel lost while browsing your website.
So, take a closer look at the structure of the website and sit with the designer to see what can be done to make the navigation simpler than what it is right now.
Step #2: Multiple support options
The second important factor that plays role in optimizing customer experience is your customer support.
Your customer support can be the key differentiator between success and failure. But, it’s not just about having a support team.
You must offer the customer multiple support options.
For instance, instant chat, twitter support, email support and availability over the phone. These are some of the most common options you ought to give the customer.
Step #3: Your customer support team
Is your customer support team motivated enough to offer the customers a great service experience?
This is literally a million dollar question.
Remember, when it comes to customer service people prefer having an interaction with a real person rather than those automated IVRs.
On the other hand, a customer support team member who is not motivated enough is not going to sound much different than that IVR machine.
So before looking for external factors and streamlining them to build better customer experience, make it a point to motivate your employees to deal with customers as real humans. You will get to see an instant impact on customer feedback.
Step #4: A lightning-quick website
Your website’s page loading time is directly proportional to the experience the customer is going to have with your business.
Make it a point to bring down the loading time to the lowest.
Get to know about the elements that are making the website take long to load.
Figure out the challenges, and then come up with a solution to make it quick like breeze.
People are too impatient to wait for the website to load, and hence leave it in a matter of seconds.
In order to ensure that every single visitor that reaches the website gets a great experience, focus on bringing the loading time down.
And, it’s not just the home page that we are talking about. This rule applies to all the pages on your website.
Step #5: Build better user experience across all channels
Is your website mobile friendly? Do you have a mobile app? When was the last time you actually interacted with your customers on social media?
These are some of the common factors that differentiate a smart business in today’s time from a regular; not so smart one.
You need to find out ways to help and be available wherever the customer is. This is what the true meaning of customer service experience is.
Invest in efforts that can ensure the customer always gets to hear from you, no matter where he or she is, especially when they are facing any problem.
This single trick could make a world of difference.
Step #6: Offer something of value, apart from product/service
Another major trick that always works when we talk about optimizing customer service experience is offering the customer some rewards.
It is a fact that the term discount is always able to lure the customer towards a brand. But, this discount does not mean you have the leverage to compromise on quality.
It is these small factors that play a massive role in building a great business, which offers its customer true value.
Rather than giving something just for the sake of it, try to find out a smart offering that can entice the customers towards your brand, and then build a great customer experience from there!
The missing ingredient: It’s all about connecting with the customer
On a concluding note, all we have to say is that – the journey towards a great customer experience begins with the first step of understanding the customer needs. This lays down the foundation of what you have to deliver.
After all, you are in the business industry to offer customers something and sell.
And, you cannot expect to achieve this unless you are able to connect with the customer. This is where customer support comes into the picture.
The harsh truth is that the majority of businesses don’t pay attention to building a powerful support team. All they believe in is sales.
However, with the current economy, this philosophy will always fail. You need to have an adept sales team and an equally adept customer support team if you want your business to thrive.
Businesses that have accepted this fact have been able to make a great impact, and reap great rewards out of it!
On the flip side, those who fail to understand this are still struggling to find their feet.
Now that you know about the factors that contribute towards building a great customer experience, you can simply go ahead and begin implementing them in your business.
If you found this article helpful, please feel free to share it with a friend who might be interested in the topic of optimizing their customer service experience.