What does it mean to deliver a personalised customer experience (CX)? Is it to be able to talk with a human agent? Is it to have an automated system offer customers products and services they may like? Whether it’s either or both, this approach has been the winning formula for many brands over the years.
It’s difficult to argue against recent numbers. In a survey of 1,000 adult consumers, eight out of 10 are more likely to do business with companies that offer a personalised CX. Additionally, in another study, eight out of 10 customers are more likely to trust brands with such a service with their personal information.
However, the number of businesses with personalised CX has yet to catch up with demand. For those hoping to jump on this bandwagon, consider the following tips a step in the right direction.
- Embrace Digital Transformation
Once just an insight into the future, digital transformation has grown into an undeniable reality. Any business caught without the right tools and mindset to allow technology to play a greater role in its growth wouldn’t last long among the competition.
The reason for this is that data—a resource as vital as crude oil—drives growth. It’s easy for entrepreneurs to think they know what their customers want, but the numbers can easily prove them wrong. Without data to justify business decisions, the business can alienate its customer base and eventually lose them to competitors.
This disconnect should be a warning for brands to embrace digital transformation, starting with a suitable choice of solutions. While quite the investment, examples like contact centre as a service mean the business doesn’t have to set up and manage its own infrastructure (e.g., data centre). In most cases, the end-user will be operating suites linked to the service provider’s infrastructure.
- Make Things Easier for Customers
In CX, convenience is king. The fewer hoops that customers have to go through to get some service, whether in sales or post-sales support, the more likely they’ll return. After all, no one wants to fill up forms or state contact information over the phone multiple times.
The first step in any concerted effort to improve is finding out the areas that need improvement. In this case, a business must determine its customer effort score (CES), widely considered as a critical metric for measuring customer loyalty. The formula for CES can vary by company, but it’s basically comparing the numbers of customers that answered positively and negatively.
A low CES suggests some flaws in the business’s customer service, meaning it hasn’t been easy for customers. Delivering a personalised CX warrants resolving these issues as soon as possible, be it improving first contact resolution or offering to fix minor issues (e.g., converting media uploaded in an incorrect format).
- Avoid Taking It Too Far
For tailoring experiences based on customer preferences, a personalised CX knows where to draw the line. Knowing the kind of product or service a customer might want is great and all, but calling the customer’s name akin to a close friend will raise some eyebrows. Taking it too far can turn any comfortable experience uncomfortable in seconds.
While some might think that it’ll make businesses closer to consumers, it puts a customer’s private information at risk. As mentioned previously, many people entrust their personal details to brands that deliver a personalised CX. Such informal communication can put that trust—and the brand’s reputation—in doubt.
Experts advise striking a balance between personalisation and privacy. Businesses must commit to offering a more convenient experience to customers while leaving personal matters personal.
- Always Deliver
So far, these tips have mainly tackled the functional aspects of delivering a personalised CX. But even with the right tools and mindset won’t matter if the business doesn’t consistently deliver. If it always falls short, even only does the bare minimum, it won’t look good to customers.
Sometimes, a business’s commitment outside the buyer-seller transaction can also influence its CX. For instance, restaurants that give back to charity exemplify being responsible and ethical, which many customers desire in a brand. The feeling of supporting businesses while also helping good causes can’t get any more personal.
Conclusion
It goes without saying: personalisation is now the name of the game. Various brands will have their own manner of delivering a personalised CX, but the foundation of such an approach will hinge on these four essential tips. The advantages it offers, from increased customer loyalty to ease of doing business, are too valuable to pass up.