One of the latest factors determining the success of a company is Customer experience or CX. In the past, it was all about the product, but lately, things have shifted, and according to Salesforce, 80% of customers value their experience with a company more than the quality of a product or service the company provides. Since this is fairly new territory for many, we have decided to provide you with a simple guide that will help you deliver a great customer experience.
1. Listen to your Customers
Users’ feedback is one of the most useful tools any company has at its disposal. It is also one of the cheaper ones, as opposed to expensive studies and market research. After all, what better way to improve your product or service than to ask people who use them what they think? Feedback is only on one side of the coin. Your customers will appreciate your efforts, as people like to share their opinions, especially when someone asks them what it is they want. So, not only will feedback potentially improve your business, it will improve the customer experience for your users.
2. Build Trust
Customers have to be able to trust your company. The best way of obtaining and retaining their trust is through transparency and by being honest even on topics that may hurt your business. If your customers trust you, they will be more willing to forgive some mistakes, as long as they have faith that you won’t repeat them. A good example of a trusted company is the online casino review site AskGamblers.
For years they have supplied objective and unbiased reviews, based on transparent parameters, and today they are the industry leaders. Quality service, coupled with an open and fair approach, is what helped them get to where they are. Any aspiring entrepreneur can learn a lot from studying their example.
3. Engage your Customers
When thinking of how to engage your customers, don’t limit yourself to just surveys and newsletters. Try to think outside the box. Even a simple thing, like a personalized thank you card or pre-ink stamp, can go a long way toward establishing a better relationship with your customers. The more engaged they are, the more loyal to your brand they will be, and highly engaged customers are some of the best brand advocates you can get, according to Gallup. They are also more likely to recommend your brand to their friends and word of mouth is still the most effective marketing technique. To increase your online presence, get expert help for SEO Services in Brisbane
4. Stop Harassing Users
Direct emailing is one of the most effective weapons you have when targeting both new and existing users. However, it is a fine line between engaging your customers and badgering them. Spam folders around the world are filled with unwanted marketing letters and a huge chunk of those that made it past spam filters remain unread because people get sick of them and your customers being sick of you is not a good place to be.
Carefully timed emails that are driven by events like a sale or a new product are far more useful than the carpet-bombing campaign some marketers still insist on using and which generally have a counter-productive effect. Make sure that your emails are relevant to your users.
5. Get Inhouse Customer Experience Analytics
Not only can it be a cost-effective measure, but since companies that specialize in this charge an arm and a leg, it also feels more direct. It is also a great tool that can help you anticipate problems before they become a nuisance and prevent them from having a negative influence on your brand. It may take a while to get it up and running, but in the long run, it will pay itself off many times.
6. Facing Criticism
Even the best-designed products are faced with customers’ complaints now and then. It isn’t a question of if, but rather of when, so be prepared for it. Your reaction will be the difference between an angry customer thrashing you on Yelp or a satisfied one, telling everyone how great your customer support is. If the mistake is yours, don’t be afraid to acknowledge it and discuss what you can do to rectify it. Don’t ignore the problem, as often no response is worse than a bad one.
