Natalie Ruiz, CEO of AnswerConnect, leads with a human-centered approach, blending tech with real connections to help businesses grow 24/7.
How you treat your customers is a hugely important part of your business. In fact, it could be the single most significant factor in determining your success. Research from PwC has shown that 73% of customers believe that customer experience (CX) is an important factor when purchasing from a company. The experience you provide can sell your products and services to customers, your organization to potential talent and your business to investors—and most companies are determined to get it right.
Research from Gartner, Inc. (registration required) found that 80% of organizations expect to compete with others in their industry through customer experience. With an overwhelming majority looking to become the “best at customer-obsessed,” what will set you apart? There are three elements I believe companies should focus on to create a great customer experience for the modern consumer: people, partnership and personalization.
How To Provide Proactive, People-Partnered Personalization
According to McKinsey & Company, the fastest-growing businesses drive 40% more of their revenue from personalization than their slower-growing counterparts, so it pays to get to know your customers and empower your people to be proactive when it comes to personalization. Delivering personalized experiences at scale requires data and technology. But what your team does with the information makes a customer service experience truly memorable. Here are three areas where you can start:
Let your customer decide between self-serve and associate-guided action.
For many interactions, customers want the power to take action themselves—booking, canceling or changing appointments, for example. However, your customers might want a reassuring voice for more complex or sensitive matters and that voice must be human. A recent OnePoll survey found that 79% of respondents would rather speak to a person than AI when contacting a business. If your customers take action to contact you by phone, they likely want to talk to a person about their problem. Give people the option of efficient self-service, but when it comes to complex interactions, ensure you have a real person ready to help.
When customers give you data, use it.
According to Gartner Inc., 86% of customers expect companies to be well-informed about their personal information during service interactions. One way to ensure this is by capturing and utilizing customer data and information in customer relationship management (CRM) software. From tailoring your email campaigns to certain customer segments to writing down the little details about a customer transaction, your CRM can be a hub for building personalized customer experiences.
Treat every snippet of customer information as an opportunity to impress. You can train your sales and customer service teams to listen for key pieces of information and capture it in your CRM to use in the future. Using previous customer data is particularly important when a customer has had a problem because the last thing a disappointed customer needs is to start from scratch every time they call or use live chat.
You can also glean important feedback by following up with customers after a problem has been solved. For example, you could send a personalized message, such as “I see you had a problem at your last appointment. Was everything OK the next time you visited?” This shows you know the customer and that you care about them.
Encourage magic-making.
Machines can’t create magic. But people can. It is one of our many advantages over AI—the power to break the rules to create magical, memorable experiences.
In Will Guidara’s book Unreasonable Hospitality, he gave examples of incredible service and shared an anecdote involving Eleven Madison Park. The New York City restaurant created the position of Dreamweaver, a person responsible for discovering opportunities to surprise and delight guests. A couple who missed their tropical vacation decided to treat themselves to dinner instead. After hearing about their misfortune, the restaurant staff quickly created a private escape just for them by filling one of their dining rooms with sand—a customer service experience that the couple will surely never forget.
Not every magical moment has to be so elaborate, but your customers still want to feel special. According to research by Merkle, 61% of U.S. adults surveyed said that surprising them with offers or gifts was one of the top three ways a brand could interact with them. This could mean bigger discounts, better services, upgrades and other perks. The key is to make your above-and-beyond gesture personal and meaningful. Although you might not need a full-time Dreamweaver, inspiring and empowering people in your team to find opportunities to delight could be game-changing for your customer satisfaction.
In closing, customer experience is becoming the ultimate differentiator and to adapt to rising customer expectations, you need to care to stand out. While technology plays a crucial role in gathering the necessary data for personalized interactions, the human touch is still irreplaceable when creating memorable connections.
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