As an entrepreneur, you know that customer service is pivotal to a company’s success. In a world where the marketplace is overly saturated, client satisfaction may be the only thing that can make or break your brand’s engagement.
Modern consumers crave nothing but a journey that makes them feel valued, and this is where the big question arises—how do you create a better customer experience?
Another pressing consideration is how or where technology comes into play when reshaping the way you do business with consumers. These days, providing customers with seamless experiences is expected, and technology plays a crucial role in making that happen.
However, this has to be implemented with care as poorly executed technology or technology that asks too much of the customer can drastically ruin the experience.
Redefining Customer Experience Through Technology
In 2021, 20% of businesses failed in their first year, 50% failed within five years, and 65% after another five years. These numbers indicate that you need to discover a strategy to set yourself apart from your rivals because customer experience is becoming a more critical emphasis for businesses.
More importantly, you should constantly consider fresh approaches to create the most distinctive consumer experience imaginable.
In addition, the right technology may be a priceless asset in enhancing your organization’s customer experience (CX), as with many other facets of today’s business environment. That said, here are some hints and tips on how to use technology and its benefits to create a better customer experience:
Personalize Their Journey
Customers are always looking forward to a journey like no other. From making the first contact to after-sales services, the journey makes the experience. Customer experience is enhanced by personalization, which also boosts sales and fosters customer loyalty.
An Accenture survey revealed that consumers are willing to disclose their data 83% of the time to improve personalization. This indicates that no matter your business size, you can leverage many ways to personalize customer journeys.
You can map out your consumers’ journeys by identifying the steps they need to take to make a purchase or avail of your services. Which areas need improvement? Can you utilize tools such as an estimate template to send quotes faster? Is there a feature you can add so they can easily see your business calendar? These are just some of the starting points you can try to pinpoint how personalization can help enhance customer experience efficiently.
For example, property managers can start by using efficient tools, and software like Jobber to ensure their team stays on top of their jobs, schedules, and tasks. Invoicing can be customized, and payments are easier to make when using software that takes care of everything.
Make Use Of Conversational Bots
Chatbots are another product of technology that you can leverage to offer better customer service. Building and maintaining strong customer connections are the foundation of business, and communicating effectively right away is crucial to this process.
Hence, you can go the extra mile by offering 24/7 conversational chat support that can assist your customers round the clock.
Office hours are no longer applicable nowadays, especially when the internet is open 24/7. Besides, the common channels used for customer service are emails and live chats, with a percentage of 62% and 47%, respectively. Thus, to satisfy these needs, you can utilize artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and secure messaging.
Leverage Data Gathering And Analytics
It’s no longer enough to listen to your customers to find out what can make them stay happy and loyal. Looking at the data at hand can help bridge the gap so you can accurately analyze consumer behavior. One effective strategy to gather data is through surveys, online questionnaires, and customer feedback forms.
On the other hand, data analytics provide a quantitative snapshot of clients’ experiences. For example, low sales could signify that customers aren’t getting the most excellent goods or services, but there are other things to consider. After receiving some quantitative input, you might investigate the qualitative side to get a more comprehensive perspective.
Automate Where You Can
Finding functional areas of your company where efficiency gains may be possible is the first step in automating and optimizing business operations. This could apply to the sales force, the accounts payable department, customer support, inventory control, and other processes. Moreover, identify which parts or roles of your workflow seem repetitive, which means those areas need improvement and automation.
In a survey, 28% of consumers will pay for their goods through an e-wallet. Hence, your payments can be automated by allowing clients to use a saved credit number on file to make automated credit card payments. As a result, customers save time, and your team can have more time to address complex problems.
To add, automated notifications can alert you when it’s appropriate to get in touch with a customer, allowing you to conduct targeted outreach for better outcomes. Automated customer satisfaction surveys can also notify you when a customer requires immediate attention so you can attend to their concerns right away.
You can also use social media scheduling tools to create valuable content ahead of time and schedule them automatically to post on your main channels and social media platforms. Such an automation strategy can help you expand your reach, humanize your brand voice, and build a strong online presence.
Get Ready To Go Mobile
Mobile’s continued growth offers vast opportunities for businesses and marketers to expand their client bases. With millions of people accessing the internet on their smartphones, you can imagine how digital technology reshapes consumer behavior and expectations.
Going mobile is the only way to remain afloat in such a cutthroat marketplace. Even small businesses can do this by thinking of ways to be mobile-friendly. Additionally, you can start by building a responsive website optimized for mobile. Ensure it loads quickly, and turn to website designs that are easy to use.
Besides that, enlarge your buttons so visitors won’t have difficulty pressing them on tablets and cellphones. Another thing you shouldn’t forget is to optimize your emails to be mobile-friendly. Email remains an effective method for connecting with clients. So, if you’re still using an old email template or the font is too small, perhaps it’s time to upgrade.
Final Words
Customer experience isn’t something you should take lightly as a business. Remember that the consumers make it possible for your company to thrive. Thankfully, technology continues to pave the way for you to enhance the customer experience in more ways than one.
Start by personalizing your customers’ journey. Identify which areas need improvement and seek ways to upgrade those components. Make use of 24/7 conversational bots, data gathering, and analytics. Be mobile-friendly, and automate where you can.
