Customer Experience or CX is no longer just a buzzword that is taking over the marketing world.
CX in the modern digital era is constantly evolving and companies have to make an effort to keep up with the changing trends for improved customer satisfaction. Transform your customer experience strategy and incorporate these top five CX trends for a competitive edge.
1. Spotlight on Customer Experience
An organisation that has a customer-focused culture is more likely to succeed. According to Accenture, 87% of organisations agree that traditional experiences no longer satisfy customers. This calls for the need to make some long-term drastic changes and promote an organisational culture that puts customer experience in the spotlight.
To devise a customer experience strategy, the chief marketing officer (CMO) needs to improve internal customer services. The business processes would require a redesign to have a customer-centric approach. Establish a strong connection between the brand promise and delivery as it’s directly linked to better sales and improved customer experience.
CMOs should create an empathetic relationship with customers by gathering insights about the product/service. More importantly, take a look at the data related to after-sales or complaints. Explore how the employees handled the request, the tools/resources spent, and the time it took to resolve a complaint.
All these factors play a vital role in building a strong relationship between customers and businesses. Getting customer feedback and using it to offer better CX is an important aspect of the customer experience strategy.
2. A More Conversational World
Customers communicate with businesses through different mediums. When it comes to customer conversations, it should be concise, clear, and use an omnichannel customer communication strategy.
Omnichannel communication is all about customer interaction on multiple channels. According to a study, 83% of customers feel loyal to brands that promptly respond and resolve their complaints. This highlights the emphasis on customer experience for any business.
Some of the channels that customers use to communicate with businesses could be the official website of the business, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, or some could contact them via a phone.
With multiple channels of communication at their disposal, businesses have to establish the means to reach out to them on each channel to ensure that customer experience strategy is successfully implemented. Experience-driven businesses that invest in omnichannel communication can witness substantial growth than any other business in the same industry.
3. Emphasis on Agility
According to Accenture, 75% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a company that knows their name, their purchase history, and/or recommends items based on their purchase history. This is only possible if the company’s operations evolve with the ever-changing markets and customers.
This emphasises agility and how the corporate attitude about customer experience priorities changes over time. Companies are investing in employees and customers with the goal to use innovative CX strategies with the latest technology. Offering multiple communication channels is critical to the success of high-performing companies by giving them a competitive advantage.
The use of AI chatbots together with a human touch can go a long way for any business. Chatbots are one of the most underutilised tools. It’s essential to incorporate AI chatbots in the customer experience process. Real-time communication with brands will become a chance for organisations to prove themselves in the face of adversity.
4. The Future of Work is Now
The COVID-19 pandemic has probably changed the workforce for the future. With lockdowns forcing entire non-essential workers to set up remote offices at home around the globe. According to a Zendesk report, 49% of European workforces have gone fully remote and 61% of support agents have disclosed that they feel overwhelmed.
We’ve seen that hybrid work arrangements are becoming the new norm. Businesses have to rethink how their employees work and invest in adequate toolsets to support agents working from home.
The silver lining is the government-enforced work-from-home trend that has led to major alterations in SOPs and work policies. Most employees are now working from home with flexible timings. Moreover, companies are looking to invest in new approaches to employee engagement to ensure their workforce remains productive even if the novelty of a remote workforce wears off.
5. The Digital Tipping Point
Digital transformation projects take a painstakingly long time. By the time it is complete, many of the technologies introduced become outdated. The year 2020 has shown how important agility and speed to change are for businesses.
Focus on artificial intelligence (AI) is another crucial factor that could make or break a company. The hype around using AI chatbots and AI-based algorithms is still going strong and companies have shown significant interest in investing in AI-based tools as a major part of customer experience strategy. It is one of the most disruptive technologies, forcing businesses to invest in AI.
The majority of business leaders in Europe and other parts of the world recognise the shift and are more interested to invest to avoid being left behind. However, speed is also a necessary factor for companies today, and those already investing to improve customer experience output are much more likely to succeed. Digital investment is essential to be on top of your game in today’s highly competitive corporate world.
Final Thoughts
Customer experience is constantly evolving and it’s showing no signs of slowing down in the near future. With trends fading quickly in the current fast-paced business world, companies need to work on improving customer experience strategy to stay on top. Take a look at your changing customers to realise how easy it has become to be left behind.
Helphouse has tools and customer experience experts that will transform your traditional business into a customer-driven entity. Training employees and offering the latest technology will help your business grow.
Contact us to learn how your services can help your business gain a competitive advantage with the latest in customer experience trends.