Here’s a question for you. How satisfied are your customers?
If your answer is ‘very’, then that’s great. However, if your reply is something like ‘could be better’, then obviously you have work to do.
Whatever your current level of customer satisfaction, there is no denying that there is always room for improvement. And that is where customer experience comes in.
Customer experience (CX) isn’t just about the quality of the products or services you offer. It is also about how your customers are left feeling every time they interact with your business.
In other words, CX is an all-encompassing measure that takes into account every stage of the customer life-cycle – from the moment they notice your business for the first time to the last exchange they ever have with you.
There are many reasons why customer experience matters more now than ever before, and five of the main ones are outlined below.
Between them, they showcase why it’s so important to make sure your business has CX down to a fine tee. Because without it, you are seriously hamstringing your operation.
1. Customer expectations are higher than ever
Thanks to modern technological advances, business processes have become a lot more streamlined in the last decade – much to the benefit of the customer experience.
However, with these innovations has come a change in mindset to the point that customers now expect and won’t tolerate anything less than a seamless interaction.
In shops, for instance, customers have moved away from paying for goods or services by cash in favour of the convenience and speed offered by credit card readers. (If you are a retailer, you can learn more about a credit card reader with Smartpay here)
Congruently, they are expecting online orders to be delivered within a couple of days and full communication through all parts of the purchasing cycle.
If your business is not doing this, quite simply, you are not meeting customer demands.
2. Enhances Customer Satisfaction
If every customer now has heightened expectations, an excellent customer experience is vital in exceeding them.
Today, companies and brands must ensure they are reliable, accurate and do what they say they will – but most crucially – across all stages of the customer life-cycle.
This doesn’t just mean in the sales process or delivering orders but also in dealing with customer inconveniences, issues and complaints.
To do this, consistency is the key, as is the recognition that it is easier to keep a client through good customer service than it is to attract a new one.
3. Increases Word of Mouth
For decades, word of mouth has been seen as one of the most effective marketing tools you can have in your armoury. Not only does it engage existing customers and strengthen the perception of your brand, but it can also attract new sales thanks to referrals from what are essentially non-paid brand ambassadors.
The best way to get good word of mouth is to offer a level of customer experience that exceeds expectations.
However, in the modern age of social media and review sites such as Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor, this has increased even more in importance, because your customers have a direct platform to relate their experiences – whether they’ve been good or bad.
This has significantly raised the stakes for modern businesses, because if they have or have not met a particular customer’s expectations, more people are now going to be aware of it.
4. Gives you a competitive advantage
If you develop a reputation for offering an outstanding customer experience, then you are giving your business a real competitive edge. Many businesses are now promoting the fact they have ‘500 Five Star Reviews on Google’ as demonstration of their standing in the marketplace, which is a powerful influencer when it comes to making a purchasing decision.
However, a competitive edge like this is only as good as your last review, and if you let your standards slip to the point where customers are left disappointed, then you’ll risk undoing all your hard work.
That is why you’ve got to constantly strive to deliver extraordinary service that surpasses the expectations of even the most discernible client.
5. Creates trust and builds personal relationships
The better the experience your customers have, the more they will come to trust your brand and remain loyal to it.
For them to do this though, you’ll have to focus on delivering every stage of your transactional life-cycle like clockwork. But you will also have to maintain excellent lines of communication with them.
The best way to do this is through a mix of online communication and either in-person or voice correspondence.
Even though we are moving increasingly to a digital world, the human touch remains as important as ever.
Customers don’t want to deal with a faceless organisation. They want to be able to liaise with a person who can help them efficiently and effectively, especially when they have an issue that needs resolving.
Ultimately, that is why it is very important to build relationships with them.
