Research and studies consistently prove the power of a positive customer experience. The best organizations know customer experience continues to be a prime differentiator. Research can be very revealing about the reasons for customer’s dissatisfaction, their needs and the reasons for their loyalty to brands. The key is looking at the statistics and applying it to your own organization.
The following statistics and questions can challenge you to take customer experience to a higher level to drive customer loyalty.
A study by Accenture found the 3 top reasons customers switch companies is: difficult to do business, promises not met and inconsistent experience from channel to channel.
Ask yourself and your customer:
1) Where are you making it difficult to do business? Check your phone menu, call center accessibility, hold times, website, and mobile apps.
2) What promises are being made but not being delivered on? Who is tracking this information? Do team members “own” the promise?
3) How consistent is the customer experience from channel to channel?
Customers want transparency, ease, and shared data. Ease and reliability rules.
Research from Aspect Software and The Center for Generational Kinetics, showed in the Customer Experience Index that 73% of customers want online resources to self-serve and resolve their own issues.
1) How useful are your online tools? Can the customer solve their problems on their own? It is time to “play” the customer and work to solve typical problems online.
Assess your success as well as the hassle factor.
A recent report, The Consumer Conversation, from IBM and Econsultancy states only 35% of those surveyed felt marketing messages from favorite brands are relevant. However 47% of companies believed they are delivering relevant communication.
1) Are you delivering what your customer perceives as relevant? Who is in charge of the message and are teams members across channels involved in the message?
Misreading the customer is a common fault of many organizations. In today’s marketplace, no one can afford to be so wrong.
Customer experience can be your competitive advantage. Believe the research. Ask how your organization compares and then make the right changes to improve the customer experience. Customer loyalty and profitability will follow.
Lisa Ford is a speaker with over 20 years of experience presenting to businesses, associations and government. She speaks throughout the United States and internationally on topics of customer service, leadership, team issues and change. Her recent book is Exceptional Customer Service – Exceed Customer Expectations to Build Loyalty and Boost Profits.
