Customer Experience Strategies- Why They Matter and What to Do

Customer Experience Strategy April 29, 2022

Mary Kate Morrow

Writer

Introduction

81% of companies report they will be competing mostly or completely with other companies based on customer service (cx) in 2019. Developing a superior customer experience strategy is crucial to long term business success and bottom line profitability.

What is a Customer Experience Strategy?

A customer experience strategy is an actionable method used to provide positive customer interactions at all points in the customer service journey. An effective customer experience strategy factors in all employee roles, not customer facing roles solely. Create an experience vision for your customers and provide that vision to everyone in your business in order to create a united front that is dedicated to providing the best customer experience possible.

Best practices to focus on when developing your customer experience strategy include-

1. Accessibility- Communication is crucial to customer experience. Successful businesses deliver superior customer service that-

Requests customer feedback consistently
Increases customer loyalty
Seeks to understand customer needs
Provides opportunities for real time customer insights
Boosts customer engagement levels
Exceeds customer expectations
Maintains and improves customer relationship
Strives to create a better customer experience

Creating and maintaining a long term customer relationship requires consistent communication. Especially when customers reach out to your business, they should be prioritized and feel valued by your team.

Evaluate touch points and establish communication channels that are accessible to your customers. This could include live chat and social media direct messaging for digital customer convenience.

It is helpful to use communication channels that your customers are already familiar with and engaged in. The more comfortable that your customers feel with your communication channels, the more likely they will be to reach out and engage. Reachability is an invaluable competitive advantage if used correctly.

2. Personalization- A better customer experience is one that makes the customer feel prioritized and catered to. Through collecting data about your customers and understanding your customer demographic, you can better execute both digital marketing campaigns and increase marketing sales long term.

When executed correctly, personalization increases customer loyalty and can even create customer brand ambassadors. When you understand customer desires and request customer feedback consistently, you will be better able to deliver great customer experiences. A customer journey map can also be helpful in creating the most personalized experience possible.

3. Convenience- Customers crave convenience and are willing to pay more for it. As technology advances, customers are more in charge of the information they can obtain and they demand more service and purchase convenience.

Prioritize online support for digital customers including a real time live chat and phone accessibility options. Additionally, a help section can allow for customers to find their own solutions without even needing to contact your team.

An effective customer experience should focus on user experience and developing long term customer loyalty. Simply stated, you don't want to make it difficult for customers to buy your products or services.

Why Customer Experience Strategies Are Important

Case studies show that 60% of customers would actually pay more for better customer experience. While 80% of companies report they deliver great customer experience, only 8% of customers agree.

A customer experience strategy that focuses on customer loyalty and exceeding customer expectations is crucial to developing superior customer experience. Not only does your support team and contact center need to create an outstanding customer service strategy, but all departments must be on board with transforming your customer experience.

It is not enough to include all of your employees in developing your strategy, you must always include your customers. Customer insights and customer feedback are invaluable to developing your customer experience strategy.

The most successful companies are customer centric with a clear cx vision that allows them to develop their cx strategies in accordance with customer experience best practices. Improving the customer experience will result in a higher net promoter score which has the potential to boost your company reputation.

Research your competition, especially those with a high net promoter score. There is a lot to be learned from companies that have a superior customer experience strategy in place. Investigate their customer service options, including customer support and the unique user experience they offer.

When you understand your competition, you are better equipped to challenge them by exceeding their strategies. You want to not only keep every customer happy but also to provide a memorable experience that promotes long term customer loyalty and customer engagement.

Competition does not need to be feared, as it inspires us to do our best. Instead of being intimidated while creating your customer experience strategy, look at it as an opportunity for your entire company to grow. When your entire staff focuses on improving customer experiences, they are working together to create the best future for your company and customers.