6 Ways to Reimagine Customer Experience

Access to hi-speed internet and its penetration in big cities and small towns has provided companies opportunities to access to a broad customer base. With a more extensive potential customer base, a business must also cater to several different expectations. Competition is relentless, and the post-pandemic scramble to acquire and retain customers has reached a whole new level. Businesses that listen carefully to what their customers are saying enjoy a loyal following. Sometimes, a company may even need to gauge customer sentiment instead of focusing on launching new products and services.

54% of U.S. consumers said most companies need to improve their customer experiences. — PwC

Technology has also played a significant part in the game of customer experience. Customers expect quick resolution of queries, access to links to make quick purchase decisions, an elevated shopping experience, and seasonal and festive discounts and sales. Robotic process automation (RPA), augmented reality (AR), personalization, mobile experience, electronic signatures, quicker check-in options, and social commerce are some of the technologies bringing most clients closer to the experience they desire. Inevitably, companies have flocked to digital channels to harness their power and get closer to customers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the perspective of customer experience journeys. As a result, influencers, bloggers, and reviews enjoy higher trust levels. In some cases, even the big names are playing catch up with the ‘Gram’ to increase brand equity, changing how they operate to increase brand equity and connect with their customers.

Current Issues Plaguing Customer Experience

● Focus on Marketing — More and more businesses today are investing capital in marketing techniques to attract new customers, but in the process, are forgetting the loyal ones. This has led to a dip in brand loyalty and disgruntled consumers moving to lesser-known brands. This is indicated by a 19% drop in brand loyalty according to a report by Forrester.

● Lack of Omni channel Experience — Well-known brands engage with their customers on all platforms. Issues of concern or distress are handled by customer service managers at the earliest, earning trust. But the pandemic has increased expenses for all industries, with most brands unable to serve customers via all their channels.

61% of companies are increasing their investment in support, especially around omnichannel — CGSInc

● Limited Skillset of Leadership — Customer service managers must be proficient and confident while handling customers online or during calls. A lack of skills and knowledge can limit the vision of most managers when serving customers. This can culminate in the low engagement of customers on websites and a slide in conversion numbers.

● Lack of Resolution — While this may seem like a trivial issue, many complaints raised by customers never reach a resolution. This can veer customers off the brand and into the hands of competitors.

As of today, only 3% of U.S. companies are customer obsessed.

An enjoyable customer experience contains brand engagement with customers across all platforms. This includes faster checkout times, support for maximum debit and credit cards, low loading times of webpages, and customer support. With a significant number of choices among brands and an apparent disparity in customer experience, simple solutions will win the customer’s loyalty.

6 Ways to Improve Customer Experience

● Build Customer Centric Culture — Making customers the center of your strategy will be pivotal in leading the markets. Brands should align their strategy to cater to customers’ needs and provide them value.

● Self-service Options — Advanced digital solutions, for ex: an AI chatbot, are vital in solving customer queries rapidly. Simple responses to basic questions can keep customers engaged and satisfy their curiosity about the website.

● Electronic Signatures — The use of eSignatures in your daily workflows, for ex: secure online signing of documents such as NDAs, Offer Letters, Contracts, Sales Agreements, etc., can give customers and internal stakeholders a seamless, paperless experience while doing business with you. DrySign, an easy-to-use, affordable eSignature platform, ticks all the right boxes for companies looking to digitize their physical workflows and elevate the customer experience.

Also Read: 10 Frequently Asked Questions about the use of ESignature

● Train Customer Service Teams Effectively — Customer service teams need to be trained properly in terms of tone and language to serve customers. Investing in RPA and AI can free teams to focus on providing value. This ultimately culminates in cross-selling of products and services and brings in additional revenue.

● Implement Customer Loyalty Programs — Customer loyalty programs can entice customers to keep in touch with the brand. Deals, discounts, offers, and new launches are ways of maintaining the brand consistently in the direct line of sight of established as well as future customers.

● Utilize Customer Analytics — Data is highly relevant to companies looking to outshine their competition. Customer analytics can aid in segmenting customers and targeting them as per their likes and preferences.

● Simplify Customer Experience — Make the online customer journey simple to navigate. One way to simplify user journeys is to reduce friction by making simple designs and adopting digital solutions that require less effort, time, and cost.

The Current Customer Demographic

The current crop of customers are mobile-savvy and expect convenience at their fingertips. With access to smartphones, high-speed internet, and an affinity for wanting the best, most also get their information from trusted websites. In addition, customers like to be appreciated and would most likely endorse brands that speak their language. Therefore, brands must appeal to Generation Z, which is a large part of the current customer demographic. The aim is to get more and more consumers to make repeat purchases while lowering customer acquisition costs and keeping profits high.

A good customer experience can affect the customer’s purchase decision. A positive experience will highly influence the customers. Such customers are willing to spend that little extra for added convenience. Digital and physical channels need to be unified to provide superior service. Investments in digital platforms and easy migration to other platforms can pave the way for brands.

Customer service teams need to be trained to handle the large call volumes. This can be achieved by creating an organizational culture and nurturing valuable employees. Digitization of handling repetitive queries and tasks with bots and AI can give your workforce the freedom from monotonous tasks and use the time and talent in value-added activities. In addition, the move from repetitive calls to rewarding ones can boost their morale leading to efficiency, personalization, faster service, and most of all, satisfied customers.

Leveraging Feedback

Customer feedback is essential in understanding customer experience. A balanced mix of digital solutions and human presence can be the perfect combination to understand customer sentiment. Proper feedback, be it opinions or comments, can create the right and ideal perception of your brand. Implementation of customer feedback can enhance customer experience levels. This also generates social proof, which is highly valuable in attracting new clients.

Data analysis will be crucial in churning out the right strategies with customer behavior becoming unpredictable. Customer journeys will be the deciding factor for providing personalized experiences. By including minor tweaks in your workflows and operations when interacting with your client, your business can successfully enhance a customer’s journey, eventually creating more sales.

Exela’s DrySign offers a simple solution to all your manual and paper-dependent workflows. DrySign is so easy to use and convenient that it can instantly put customers from any demographic at ease and guide them through a paperless process efficiently. The platform also gives your Manufacturing, Sales, HR, and other teams the freedom from repetitive processes and empowers them to do more. In addition, DrySign provides flexibility on all devices and streamlines the document flow.

Upgrade your customer experience today with DrySign.

Sources: pwc.com | mycustomer.com | cgsinc.com

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