Expanding Human-Centered CX to a Digital World

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? #Empathy and #emotional significance will always be critical for #Customer #Experience (#CX), technology creates a genuine connection with your customers, there are certain things that still require the “human touch”. For example, chatbots are decent at managing the everyday queries, and some also can deliver a degree of human empathy with the right technology & training data set. But let’s say, if a prospect abandons their shopping cart because of a complex process – then that requires a human assistance which can make the difference in a nicely articulated customer journey maps to close the sale.

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? So, what exactly is a human-centered design?

#Harvard #Business #School?describes it?as "a problem-solving technique that puts real people at the center of the development process, enabling you to create products and services that resonate and are tailored to your audience's needs." This extended to CX, as the goal with human-centered product design is to know what customers want, their emotions & identify their pain points throughout the process, human-centered CX is about determining what your customers need and providing it in a way that makes it feel personal & valued.

? Human-centred means?to genuinely focus on the humans at the heart of what the brand does and for all decision making. ?A human-centric approach?recognises the interrelation of people within and outside the organisation, emphasizing empathy, ethical practices, and a holistic view of the human experience, with governance in place. Human-centric businesses prioritises the well-being and fulfilment of all involved #stakeholders. The challenge for business leaders is not whether CX needs to be digital, instead CX leaders today are exploring how to elevate hybrid customer experiences by better balancing human-centeredness and #technology.? A human-centric CX works toward making the experience relevant and useful to the customer at each stage of interaction, irrespective of the channel/ touchpoint (digital or physical) or who is delivering it (human, digital touchpoint, or both).

CX leaders today are exploring how to elevate hybrid customer experiences by better balancing human-centeredness and technology. A human-centered digital CX calls for scientifically proven steps:-

Step 1: Develop Empathy and Understand your Customer        

You should put yourself in your customer's shoes to grasp their emotions, motivations, and challenges. Direct interaction with customers through interviews and observations helps you gain a deeper understanding of their experiences.

Use feedback mechanisms, CRM data, social media data, focus groups and ethnographic studies to collect data on customer behaviors, preferences, feelings, emotions and pain points. Analyze this data for actionable insights on what your customers truly need and expect. With this approach, you create products & services that address customer needs and improve their brand experience.

Step 2: Create Customer Journey Maps        

Customer journey maps?visually represent the customer’s interactions with your product or service and help you understand and improve the entire experience from the customer’s perspective.

Customer journey maps highlight opportunities for improvement, focus and innovation. They uncover gaps and pain points that need addressing and guide you to design better, more seamless experiences.?With detailed journey maps, you align your strengths with the principles of human-centered design, ensuring that every aspect of CX is considered and optimized for maximum value creation.

Step 3: Apply Design Principles        

Inclusive design?ensures that your products and services are relatable, accessible, and usable —regardless of their background, abilities, or circumstances. This approach focuses on meeting the diverse needs of all users. Conduct thorough user research to understand the diverse needs and challenges of your target audience, including different age groups, personas and different cultural backgrounds. With inclusive design principles, you create a more equitable and user-friendly experience.

Step 4: Focus on Personalization and Customization        

Today’s customers expect tailored experiences that cater to their individual needs and preferences. Focus on?personalization?and customization to show your customers that you value them as individuals and are committed to providing them with the best possible experience.

Leverage customer data such as browsing history, purchase history, and demographic information, cart abandonment to create targeted recommendations and personalized content. Continuously monitor and analyze customer data to refine your personalization strategies and ensure that you are meeting their evolving needs and expectations.

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Step 5: Build Emotional Connection and Trust        

Customers who feel emotionally connected to your brand are more likely to become loyal advocates and long-term partners. Use?storytelling?techniques to create compelling narratives that resonate with your customers on an emotional level. These narratives should showcase how your products or services can improve their lives or solve their problems. Provide exceptional customer service that prioritizes empathy, active listening, and problem-solving. This demonstrates that you genuinely care about your customers’ needs and concerns.

Foster a sense of community among your customers by creating shared experiences and facilitating connections between like-minded individuals. This helps build emotional bonds and customer loyalty to your brand. Regularly express gratitude and appreciation for your customers’ business and loyalty. Recognize milestones and celebrate their successes alongside your own.

Step 6: Metrics & Measurement for your business outcomes        

To ensure that your digital approach is effective and efficient- driving continuous improvement, is critical by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs).?

• Customer Lifetime Value?(CLV)?estimates the total value a customer brings to your business over their entire relationship.
• Engagement metrics?include website visits, pages visited, customer path to purchase, app download &usage, and interaction rates, cart abandonment frequency & reasons.
• Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)?measures how happy customers are with your product or service, as compared to their expectations.
• Net Promoter Score?(NPS)?assesses customer loyalty and the likelihood of recommending your brand. A strong measure of business outcome & longevity.
• Customer Effort Score (CES)?evaluates how easy or difficult it is for customers to do business with you.
• Churn rate?tracks the percentage of customers who stop using your service over a given period. Reasons & strategies to arrest churn, especially for high ticket value/ profitable customers.

Humanizing customer experience has become the #strategy for brands, helping businesses scale their revenue growth, reduce cost of acquisition, arrest churn, cross-sell/ up-sell to value add, build long-term #loyalty, #trust and #advocates.