Top 3 Keys for an Awesome Customer Experience

The way businesses interact with customers has been changing. Companies can no longer use a “build it and they will come” mentality—because customers no longer make purchases based solely on the quality of a product or service. While quality is, of course, still very important, the driving differentiator is now the customer experience.

What is customer experience (CX)? It’s more than customer service, though that is a component. CX starts at a higher level, affecting the way company leaders think and conduct business. It goes beyond operations, revenue goals, processes, marketing or technology—though it pervades all of those. Forrester Research defines CX as how customers perceive their interactions with your company—and if they deliver value, are easy to use or engage and are enjoyable.

Based on those perceptions, your customers determine if they will stay customers, if they will recommend your business to others, if they will be loyal—or not. 81% of consumers find it frustrating to deal with a company that does not make it easy to do business with them, and once a provider loses a customer, 68% of consumers will not go back, per Accenture. That’s why, according to the same report, $1.6 trillion is lost by U.S. companies alone each year due to poor customer service. And most of those negative customer experiences get shared, and re-shared, online.

On the flip side, one happy customer can equal as many as 9 referrals for your business, according to Omnicore. In another recent American Express survey, it noted that 74% of consumers will spend more with companies because of a positive customer experience and the loyalty it breeds. Even better news is that almost half (45%) of consumers will pay a higher price for goods and services if it ensures a better level of service, per Accenture.

Customer experience is the new competitive battlefield, per Gartner. It is also the premier driver of technology adoption, which means your company’s technology should be both useful and easy to use so that your customers will keep coming back.

To set your company apart from the competition, here are three keys to improve your customer experience:

1. Understand your customer

Develop in-depth personas of your customers. This is more than a marketing tactic. These personas should be discussed within your entire company, so everyone understands what your customers are looking for, what their pain points are and how to best help them. Learn how your customers make decisions and what they value. Listen to your customers when they call, even when it’s to complain, and engage with them on a personal, individual level. 

When you know your customers, you can better define what customer experience you want them to have and outline your strategy to get there. Plus, you can use the descriptions and knowledge to “see around the bend” and discover potential future issues that you could offset right now.

2. Be consistent

This starts internally. Outline your company’s core purpose and values, and make sure your team members know how to live them out. Discuss them regularly and give examples of people who have excelled in exemplifying them. That will help ensure that all employees know your company’s vision and how to work together to succeed.

Then, determine what your company’s brand is and make sure everything has a cohesive look and tone. You want your customers to know what to expect from your communications, which means establishing standards for the language and visuals you use on your phone calls, social media, blogs, advertisements, emails, videos, website and more.

Consistency also affects the technology you use. If your company is using various platforms, make sure they are integrated well so your customer isn’t confused by suddenly seeing another logo or being forced to go to another platform. Look for user-friendly technology that can be white-labeled when integrated, which allows you to keep your company’s fonts and colors and guarantees a seamless experience for your customer. Set up a checklist for your technology partners to ensure you are on the same page relative to what their experience should be like.

Remember that word of mouth is powerful. If your customers enjoy their experience, they will tell others. (And give them an easy way to leave comments and ratings.) On the other hand, if they don’t enjoy their experience, people will hear that too. So, the bottom line for consistency is this: Deliver on your promises. Do what you say you will do.

3. Evaluate and modify

Once you have your customer experience strategy up and running, constantly monitor it. Ask for specific feedback and learn if you are communicating effectively, giving prompt and personal attention, fulfilling promises, providing value and encouraging loyalty. Find out if a customer would recommend your product or service—and why or why not. Build a community of your customers, and make belonging to it matter—and use it as a way to gain new insights.

As you evaluate what you are hearing from your customers, act on it. Fast. Adapt your processes, technology, communication style and offerings as needed to better give your customers what they want the way they want it. Your customers will forgive any perceived mistakes if they see that you are being responsive and quick to change. This will not only help you gain customers, but it will help you retain the ones you have. 

So what’s the bottom line to a good customer experience? Human interaction. While most people these days are used to internet research, digital shopping carts and Instagram posts, that doesn’t mean people think digitally. Customers want an engaging, personal experience—even when working with technology. It also means being proactive in all aspects, going that extra step beyond what’s expected. Think about what you would want as a customer and do at least that. That will ensure your customers get an awesome experience every time.