the WOW factor
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IS TODAY’S
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
By Nick Glimsdahl, client enablement director, VDS,
[email protected]
I
n a world where products and services are abundant and
the customer can make his or her buying decision with a
click of a button, how do you plan to differentiate your com-
pany from the competition?
The answer is simple – customer experience.
Walker, a customer experience consulting firm, released Customers
2020: A Progress Report, which predicts that customer experience
will overtake “price” and “products” as key brand differentia-
tors among business-to-business operations by 2020. So, if you
haven’t considered this particular aspect and its impact on the
bottom line, now is the time.
WHAT IS CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Customer Experience (CX) is how customers perceive their
interactions with a company.
Inherently, all interactions either enhance or diminish a custom-
er’s perception of your business, but some interactions ultimately
have an even greater impact. You can determine how meaningful a
customer’s interactions are by determining how their interaction
correlates with the qualitative measurements answered by these
two questions:
• What do your customers think about the company?
• What do your customers do based on their perception of
the company?
WHAT’S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Well, in addition to switching to a competitor, an unhappy customer
can quickly share their experience with hundreds, if not thousands,
of people through social media – and their words can hurt your bot-
tom line. An unhappy customer’s negative review can potentially
color the experience of others even before they have a chance to
Calling a contact center, or a 1-800 or 1-888
number, can spike a person’s blood pressure
faster than a Red Bull with a shot of espresso.
walk through your door or check out your website. Moreover, online
reviews have an indefinite shelf life.
According to Cyara, a CX assurance platform provider, unsatisfied
customers negatively impact a company’s revenue by 45 percent
and decrease customer acquisition by 60 percent.
In fact, calling a contact center, or a 1-800 or 1-888 number, can
spike a person’s blood pressure faster than a Red Bull with a shot of
espresso. So it’s no wonder that Cyara’s report also found a direct
correlation between customer satisfaction scores and CX issues.
WHAT TO DO NOW?
Walker’s report states, “When making change, it doesn’t have to
be all or nothing. Prioritize initiatives and pick one or two to get
started. If there are breakdowns in ordering or support, create a
plan and tackle the biggest trouble spots first.”
Ask about your customers’ pain points and research what solu-
tions exist to alleviate those pain points. Consider the customers’
preferred channel of communication. When multiple channels exist
– which they often will – ensure your customers’ experience is effort-
less and seamless.
In the end, just remember that a true customer-centric experience,
fueled by a customer-centric strategy, will differentiate your company’s
brand and reduce the number of customers who click over to a
competitor’s site, which will ultimately have a positive impact to
your bottom line.
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