Experiencing growth through customer experience is the natural evolution of what customer service used to be. Oftentimes when “customer service” is talked about today, it refers to online interactions consumers have with companies. It certainly is a far cry from what it was just some years ago. Before, it was rare for people to talk about their experiences with companies, good or bad. Nowadays, you can log on to any social media platform and see people are more than eager to share their experiences. Though they were mostly negative experiences at first, consumers nowadays are also eager to share their positive experiences.
A big reason for this is how companies choose to interact with new and long time customers online. In doing so, the branded customer experience allows them to stand out in a competitive, often crowded industry that more people will remember.
What Is The Customer Experience
Different companies means different experiences; consumers look for certain things in particular industries. What’s important is that they immediately recognize each unique experience. When they reach out online, companies want consumers online to know they are part of something that is distinctly theirs. To that end, the customer experience is the impression companies leave on people online. It is focused on functionality, while also tapping into the emotional side of things. The services offered define any business regardless of industry, as long as consumer expectations are met.
From this definition, adopting a branded customer experience can seem daunting. The truth is that yes, it will be a major undertaking for companies to make the most of it. However, it eventually becomes a change for the better. It makes businesses more competitive while also staying ahead of the curve in what they offer.
Business Growth Through Customer Experience
As we mentioned previously, developing the customer experience is vital to any business growth. Through the positive experiences they create, customer service teams can help develop brand loyalty among consumers. The old saying of “the customer is always right” can now also mean “the customer has the power” in the current interactive business environment.
The internet today allows people to share their interactions with brands on a real-time basis. It highlights what true growth through customer experience is. Here are three key reasons why it helps in business growth.
Peak Customer Satisfaction
Whether it’s the service or experience, the end goal has always been customer satisfaction. One of the factors to good customer experience is knowing consumer expectations and surpassing them. When companies make big guarantees in their service, they have to deliver on that same level. With a little extra care and support, you may end up surprising your customers.
Earlier we said that consumers today are now more likely to share their positive experiences with a company online. This can be achieved by knowing how to establish emotional connections with would-be consumers. With the ongoing global pandemic, consumers want to interact with companies that are empathetic and understanding.
Good customer experiences need to be consistent across the board. By amplifying the entire customer journey, it ensures more positive experiences while also potentially exceeding their standards.
Shaping and Developing Loyal Consumers
In a perfect world, companies would receive nothing but positive feedback from consumers. However, the reality is that receiving negative comments will happen as a business grows. That is why having well-trained customer service teams is a valuable asset for any business. They know the correct course of action to take when particular issues arise. Through this, they help establish a customer experience that is memorable and often impressive.
This should not come as a surprise. Because audiences have real-time access to companies, a customer service team often becomes their first point of contact. It then becomes their responsibility on how they respond to questions or concerns given to them. How these issues are resolved will determine what people will say about them afterwards, whether positively or negatively. Therefore, one could say that customer experience can make – or even break – a company’s online reputation.
Through their consistent, positive service, they build connections with consumers that shows how important they are to a business, thus creating loyalty.
Maintaining Competitiveness
It’s true that providing a strong, memorable customer experience is one of the ways businesses can stand out. However, being able to differentiate yourself from others who are producing similar content is getting much harder.
With more businesses growing globally, the challenge now lies in setting yourself apart from others. When consumers interact with companies today, they do not just compare products, services and pricing. They also consider their overall experience and the ease of communicating with brands. Customer feedback, therefore, has become an invaluable source for success that makes companies more competitive.
Providing the Best Experience With The Best Teams
Earlier, we mentioned people are now more likely to share more positive brand experiences online. What’s important to note here is a majority of customers also prefer to interact with an actual person. It’s true that there is a space for automation and chatbots in the customer experience, but quality customer service teams should not be ruled out.
The best customer experience means finding a middle ground for high-level teams and automation to coexist. Automation helps teams perform with more efficiency and productivity, while also not replacing them outright. Remember that the customer experience is all about authenticity. Consumers still want that authentic experience of interacting with others for any particular concerns. By doing this, they can make their interaction something that is significantly theirs through the customer experience. We’ve certainly seen the need for this in the last year and it is something companies should look into providing.
