#34 | DCX - Perspectives and insights on digital customer experience
Uncover Actionable Insights with Customer Conversations; Elevating Expectations: A Look into the Future of Digital CX;Linkedin Poll Results on CX Leadership for 2023; DCX links and profile of the week
Uncover Actionable Insights with Customer Conversations
If you want to understand what's working and not working in your CX, your customers are the best source of feedback. While surveys and other methods of gathering feedback can be valuable, there is something truly special about directly talking with customers about their experiences.
When you take the time to engage with your customers, whether through chat, phone calls, or in-person conversations, you gain valuable insights into their thoughts, feelings, and needs. This type of feedback is incredibly rich and can provide a depth of understanding that can be difficult to attain through other methods.
Get the entire company talking to customers
It's crucial to not only gather feedback from customers but also to ensure that the entire company is aware of it and actively working to improve the customer experience. By getting the entire company talking to customers, everyone can gain a deeper understanding of their needs and desires and work together to make the necessary improvements.
To achieve this, it's essential to create a structure for customer engagement that is consistent and sustainable. This can be accomplished by developing a system for regularly reaching out to customers for feedback. Here are a few options for doing so:
Callbacks: Reach out to customers who have recently interacted with your company to check in and see if they have any additional feedback.
Focus groups: Gather a group of customers together to discuss their experiences and provide feedback in a group setting.
Customer panels: Form a panel of customers who are willing to provide ongoing feedback and be involved in the decision-making process.
One-on-one interviews: Meet with customers individually to gather their feedback and gain a deeper understanding of their experiences.
Invest in text aggregation and analysis
With the sheer volume of data generated from customer interactions across various channels, manual analysis can quickly become overwhelming. That's why it's important to invest in technology that can help you aggregate and analyze customer feedback at scale.
Text aggregation and analysis tools can help you:
Gather data from a variety of sources: Chat transcripts, call logs, social media comments, app store reviews, and forum discussions can all be consolidated into a single repository, making it easier to analyze and understand customer feedback.
Analyze customer feedback: Text aggregation and analysis tools use advanced algorithms to identify common themes and trends in customer feedback, helping you to quickly identify areas for improvement.
Monitor customer sentiment: These tools can also analyze customer feedback to determine the overall sentiment, helping you to understand how customers feel about your brand, products, and services.
Automate report generation: The results of the analysis can be automatically generated into reports, providing you with actionable insights into the customer experience.
By analyzing these various sources of feedback, you can get a complete picture of the customer experience and identify areas for improvement.
Use the feedback to drive change
Collecting customer feedback is only the first step. Once you have a clear understanding of what your customers need and want, you must use that information to inform your CX decisions and drive positive change across all facets of the business.
Channel optimization: Understanding which channels are most effective for communicating with customers can help you to focus your efforts and maximize your impact.
Product and service offerings: Determine which products and services are in high demand and which ones need to be improved. This can help you to prioritize your product development efforts and ensure that you are meeting the needs of your customers.
Communication strategy: Identify the most effective ways to communicate with your customers, including the tone, messaging, and frequency of communication.
Pricing strategy: Inform your pricing strategy and ensure that you are offering competitive prices that meet the needs of your customers.
Product development: Identify areas for improvement in your products and services and inform your product development strategy.
Marketing campaigns: Create targeted and effective marketing campaigns that resonate with your customers and drive results.
Build deeper relationships
Building deeper relationships with your customers is a key benefit of actively seeking and using their feedback. When you engage with your customers and show them that you value their input, you demonstrate that you care about their needs and experiences. This can help to build trust and strengthen the relationship between your business and your customers.
Here are a few ways that engaging with customers and using their feedback can build deeper relationships:
Increased customer satisfaction: By using customer feedback to improve the customer experience, you can increase customer satisfaction and create a more positive perception of your brand.
Improved loyalty: When customers feel heard and valued, they are more likely to remain loyal to your brand. This can result in repeat business and reduced customer churn.
Increased advocacy: Happy customers are more likely to recommend your brand to others, which can drive new business and increase brand awareness.
Better customer understanding: Engaging with customers and using their feedback can help you to better understand their needs and preferences. This can inform your business decisions and help you to create a more customer-centric approach.
Don't underestimate the value of directly talking with your customers and analyzing their feedback from various sources. Your customers are your best source of feedback, and by tapping into this valuable resource, you can improve the customer experience, build trust, and drive business growth.
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Elevating Expectations: A Look into the Future of Digital CX
The rise of digital technology has completely transformed the way customers interact with businesses. Gone are the days of waiting in long lines, dealing with slow-moving bureaucracy, and putting up with poor customer service. Today's consumers expect more from their digital experiences with businesses.
First, let's consider the changing expectations of customers. The younger generation of consumers, known as Generation Z, have grown up with technology at their fingertips, and as a result, they have very high expectations when it comes to digital experiences. They expect instant gratification, personalized experiences, and seamless integration across multiple devices. As they become a bigger part of the economy, businesses will have to adapt to their demands.
To meet these expectations, businesses will need to make significant investments in digital technology and training and development of employees to ensure they are equipped to effectively use these tools. Companies that don't make these investments risk falling behind the competition and losing market share to more innovative businesses.
But how can businesses ensure that these investments in digital technology deliver value for their customers? The answer lies in a well-defined value proposition. Companies will need to clearly articulate the value that their digital experiences offer customers, such as increased convenience, faster service, and personalized experiences. This will require a deep understanding of customer needs and behaviors, as well as the ability to effectively communicate this value to customers.
Here are a few ideas to help companies stay ahead of the curve:
Personalization on steroids: Personalization has been the buzzword for a few years now. However, the definition of personalization is about to change with the introduction of artificial intelligence. AI-powered personalization takes the traditional approach of customizing experiences based on previous buyer behavior to a whole new level.
The integration of AI technology allows companies to provide truly unique and tailored experiences for each individual customer. This means considering their specific needs, preferences, and buying habits in real-time. Not only does this elevate the overall customer experience, it also has the potential to increase customer loyalty and drive significant revenue growth for businesses.
Embracing the power of conversational interfaces: The advent of conversational interfaces such as chatbots and voice assistants has revolutionized the way customers engage with businesses. These interfaces offer a more natural and intuitive way for customers to communicate with companies, and as a result, companies are adopting them to meet the demands of the modern consumer.
A recent survey found that 90% of consumers prefer an omnichannel experience, with seamless service across all communication methods. This highlights the need for companies to embrace conversational interfaces and provide a consistent, unified experience for their customers. By doing so, businesses can reap the rewards in the form of increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Also, conversational interfaces offer several advantages over traditional customer service channels. They are available 24/7, can handle multiple queries simultaneously, and provide fast and accurate responses. They also offer a more personal and interactive experience for customers, making it easier for them to resolve their issues and get the information they need.
Delivering an experience, not just a product: In today's marketplace, customers are seeking more than just a product. They desire a comprehensive and memorable experience that is tied to the product they purchase. Delivering an experience, not just a product, is crucial for companies looking to meet the evolving needs and expectations of customers.
By investing in creating an experience around their products, companies have the opportunity to distinguish themselves from their competitors. A unique and well-crafted experience can set a company apart, making it easier for them to stand out in a crowded marketplace and attract new customers.
A well-designed experience can improve customer engagement and help to establish a deeper connection with customers. An effective experience not only adds value to the product but also leaves a lasting impression on the customer, contributing to customer loyalty and repeat business.
Leveraging the power of post-sale engagement: Companies typically focus a significant amount of resources and attention on the pre-sale stage, but post-sale engagement is equally crucial. Maintaining a connection with customers and keeping the conversation going after the sale can have a significant impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty.
By following up with customers post-sale, businesses communicate that their customers matter and that their satisfaction is a top priority. This type of engagement can help to establish trust and build strong, long-lasting relationships with customers.
Keeping the conversation going after the sale can help to identify any potential issues or poor customer experiences. By addressing these issues in a timely and effective manner, businesses can improve customer satisfaction and increase customer loyalty.
The future of digital customer experience is on the cusp of a major transformation, driven by rapidly changing customer expectations and a shift in the way businesses invest in digital technology. In the coming years, businesses will need to go beyond simply providing a functional website or app and instead create a truly integrated and seamless digital experience that meets the evolving needs of their customers.
Linkedin in DCX Poll
This poll had over 400 responses from around the world!
Based on the responses, Strong relationship building and Empathy for customers are the most important soft skills for driving outstanding customer experiences. Both of these skills are crucial for creating meaningful connections with customers and delivering personalized experiences that meet their needs and exceed their expectations.
Etc.
Links to Industry news, ideas, insights, and the DCX Thought Leader Linkedin Profile of the week
How a major New Zealand retailer reinvented itself around customer satisfaction | McKinsey
Sir Stephen Tindall founded The Warehouse (‘TWG’) in 1982. TWG partnered with McKinsey to launch 250 new initiatives, aiming to simplify everything from pricing and store operations to supplier negotiations. A central transformation office met every month to monitor progress and results. This initial transformation helped TWG achieve its highest annual profit in a decade, doubled its stock price and lifted its Organizational Health Index score.
Forever 21’s CMO on the brand’s one-click strategy (retailbrew.com)
Forever21 is embracing a new online checkout technology through a partnership with fintech company Bolt. The key piece of the tech is a one-click checkout solution that allows its online customers to skip certain steps and check out with, well…one click. The retailer will likely continue to integrate newer tech to be more “omni-focused,” connecting the “the online to the offline.
Five exercises to help you build more empathy | (ted.com)
Empathy is one of the most important and most trying parts of being social creatures. What exactly is empathy? And crucially, can we have more? Stanford psychology professor Jamil Zaki PhD studies these very questions. In a TEDxMarin talk, he says empathy is actually a skill that can be developed rather than a fixed trait.
This week’s DCX Newsletter is supported by:
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DCX Thought Leader Linkedin Profile of the week
Every week, I share a person's profile from Linkedin that I think will benefit your life and career.
Say hello to Jeanne Bliss, a well-known customer experience (CX) expert and a leader in the field. She is the founder and CEO of Customer Bliss and co-founder of the Customer Experience Professionals Association. Bliss has revolutionized the business world by advocating for customer-driven growth, which is the focus of her speaking engagements, books, and podcast.
Bliss hosts the "Chief Customer Officer Human Duct Tape Show" podcast, where she features executives and thought leaders from across the C-Suite, who share their insights and experiences on delivering exceptional customer experience. She has hosted over 200 episodes of the podcast and shared her insights on the future of customer experience in a blog post "5 Lessons from the 2022 CX Global Gurus on Future-Facing Customer Experience."
Bliss is also known for her unique approach to customer journey mapping, where she advocates for "goal mapping" instead. This approach helps companies to achieve business growth through leadership bravery and elevated business practices. With her vast knowledge and experience, Jeanne Bliss continues to inspire and guide businesses towards providing better customer experiences.
It’s Like a Year’s Worth of Therapy for Less Than $20
If you want to up your game in 2023, you must get the 365 Days of Accountability Journal with the Accountability Exercise. It will change your life.
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