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The customer experience (CX) is becoming a critical point of difference for brands everywhere. That shouldn’t be a surprise. With an abundance of choices and a tough economy, consumers are demanding an experience that’s worth their investment. Here are six strategies for creating a great customer experience in any industry.
Understand the Customers
The first step in creating a quality CX is knowing the needs and desires of customers. That takes research. Your research might be quantitative, looking at statistics and demographics. It can also have a qualitative focus, reaching out to consumers via focus groups and informal surveys. Using both strategies to form a comprehensive view is always the best practice. Don’t be afraid to look at your social media comments even if they’re critical. The more data points you have, the more intuitive it will be to deliver for your customers.
Deliver Quality Offerings
Product quality means something different in every industry. Whether your focus is on having top-notch service or using high-end ingredients, it’s time to get serious about quality. A study commissioned by tech company First Insight showed that consumers consider quality over price when making a purchasing decision by a 53% to 38% margin. Whatever your customers conceive quality to be, it’s vital that your offerings exemplify that ideal.
Show Authenticity
One quality distinctive that every business can craft is a sense of authenticity. Authentic companies are honest, above-board, and transparent. They are consistent. Authentic companies are aware of the culture of the specific niche that they serve. Above all, an authentic brand is about something more than making money, caring about higher ideals like sustainability and responsibility. In an age of so much shallow chatter, keeping it real is becoming the most distinctive.
Have Great Customer Service
One facet of CX that can make or break a business is customer service. Great customer service is all about convenience. Research shows that the human touch is overwhelmingly preferred. Talking to a live, knowledgeable phone operator tops the list with live chat and email following close behind. People want personalized service, a trend made evident by the fact that long waits on the phone regularly generated the most consumer complaints.
Chatbots can be effective if you’re dealing with high call volume for this very reason. Some research showed a 67% increase in sales for companies using them. Customer relationship management software can help as well in terms of monitoring engagement. Even so, having the option of knowledgeable human aid available for customers is always the best policy.
Cultivate Positive Employee Attitudes
A study released by a hospitality company in 2020 found that employee attitudes were (and still are) an accurate predictor of customer satisfaction. Employee morale is a product of many factors, but shared vision and planning are the two standout contributors. If employees don’t feel energized by their company’s mission, they’ll never put their best effort forward. If management doesn’t care about their future, they won’t care about the collective good of the company. Firing people until the “right person” comes along isn’t the answer. Putting people in positions that match their strengths and training them to be their best is the solution.
Create an Omnichannel Experience
The channels you use to communicate to customers speak volumes about your brand. Matching the method of outreach with the image you intend to convey is therefore critical. Multichannel marketing is as simple as putting a promo on a relevant blog post. Omnichannel marketing goes much farther. An omnichannel approach engages users by tailoring the message to the medium and then cross-promoting. This method resonates with consumers because it reaches them through channels they themselves prefer. Different niches have channels they favor, for example, young influencers prefer TikTok, and artists often like Ello. Synchronizing the experience to the audience makes doing business far more organic.
Conclusion
Having a great product isn’t enough. Customers will judge a brand by the experience they have on every level. Give your customers the best experience and you’ll earn their loyalty.
