I Talk to ChatGPT About Customer Experience (again!)

My "conversation" with ChatGPT continues.

Last time , I posed customer experience (CX) questions to ChatGPT to evaluate its CX knowledge. Before I deliver my verdict (are you nervous, ChatGPT?), I have a few more queries.

I will post my question first, followed by my take. ChatGPT will then answer, after which I will comment on its response.

How can a business understand the needs and preferences of its customers?

My take: A business can understand the needs and preferences of its customers by listening. Today, you can listen to your customers' feedback in many ways. Some effective ways to do so are big data analysis, customer surveys, chatbot logs, email exchanges, phone conversations, research projects, customer advisory forums, and face-to-face meetings.

Okay, ChatGPT, what do you have for me?

ChatGPT: There are several ways a business can understand the needs and preferences of its customers, including:

1. Surveys: Surveys can be used to gather feedback from customers on a wide range of topics, such as product or service quality, customer service, and overall satisfaction.
2. Customer interviews: Conducting in-depth interviews with a sample of customers can provide valuable insights into their needs, preferences, and pain points.
3. Social media monitoring: Business can monitor and track publicly-shared customer discussions and feedback on social media channels to understand their needs and preferences.
4. Website and app analytics: Businesses can use website and app analytics tools to track customer behavior and understand how customers interact with their digital properties.
5. Sales and customer service data: Business can analyze data from sales and customer service interactions to identify patterns and trends in customer needs and preferences.
6. A/B testing: Businesses can use A/B testing to experiment with different product or service features or marketing messages to see which resonates best with customers.
7. Customer segmentation: Business can segment their customer base by demographics, behavior, and other characteristics to better understand the needs and preferences of different customer groups.
8. Voice of customer (VOC) program: A comprehensive VOC program that includes multiple channels and methods to gather feedback, analyze data, and act upon it can provide a holistic view of the customers' needs and preferences.

Me: Let's see. Surveys, interviews, social media monitoring, web analytics, sales and customer service data, A/B testing, customer segmentation, and a voice of the customer (VOC) program.

Wow. That’s a comprehensive list of ways to understand the needs and preferences of your customers. I’m impressed.

The only thing ChatGPT should have added to its list was customer journey mapping to understand customer needs and reveal gaps in their experience with your company. However, you could argue that journey mapping is encompassed by ChatGPT’s point 7, customer segmentation.

Question number 4 is on its way. Are you ready, ChatGPT?

How can a business effectively communicate with its customers?

My take: I’m sure ChatGPT will respond with a nicely formatted list of bullet points which will include web, email, phone, and social media as effective mediums to communicate with customers. What is often overlooked about customer communication is the need to let customers choose how they want to communicate – even if they choose not to. Also, customers want to know what is relevant to them, so we need to deliver timely information without being intrusive. Ending up on a spam list is not an effective way to communicate, and it’s not how Lenovo does business.

ChatGPT: There are several ways a business can effectively communicate with its customers, including:

1. Multi-channel communication: Businesses should communicate with customers through a variety of channels, such as email, phone, social media, and in-person interactions, to reach customers where they prefer to communicate.
2. Personalization: Businesses should personalize their communication with customers by addressing them by name, tailoring messages to their interests, and providing relevant information and offers.
3. Transparency: Businesses should be transparent in their communication with customers by providing clear, accurate, and timely information about products, services, and company policies.
4. Consistency: Businesses should maintain a consistent tone and messaging across all communication channels to ensure a consistent customer experience.
5. Timing: Businesses should consider the timing of their communication, such as sending emails or messages at a time when customers are most likely to be checking their inboxes or social media feeds.
6. Listening: Businesses should actively listen to customer feedback and respond to concerns and questions in a timely and respectful manner.
7. Automation: Businesses can use automation tools like chatbots, autoresponders, and drip campaigns to improve efficiency and personalization of customer communication.
8. Two-way communication: Encourage customers to provide feedback, comments, and suggestions. This two-way communication helps to build trust and customer engagement.

Me: This is an excellent response. ChatGPT acknowledged that customers have preferences for communication in point 1 – Multi-channel communication. Our research has shown that many customers would rather ‘self-serve’ when it comes to getting quick answers to their support questions which is why our CX services team has been amping up our Support pages online for quick reference.

One last request for GPT. I’m keen to know how it will answer the ultimate CX question.

What are the keys to a successful customer experience program?

Me: ChatGPT, this is the final question for today. Go for it!

ChatGPT: The keys to a successful customer experience program include:

1. A clear understanding of customer needs and preferences: A successful customer experience program starts with a deep understanding of what customers want and need from your company.
2. A customer-centric culture: A customer-centric culture is one where the needs of the customer are at the center of all decision making.
3. Strong leadership: Successful customer experience programs require strong leadership and buy-in from the top of the organization.
4. Integration across all touchpoints: A successful customer experience program should be integrated across all touchpoints, including sales, customer service, and marketing.
5. Use of technology: A successful customer experience program should use technology to gather customer data, analyze customer feedback, and automate communication.
6. Continuous measurement and improvement: Continuously measure customer satisfaction and gather feedback to identify areas for improvement.
7. Employee engagement and empowerment: Employees play a critical role in delivering a great customer experience, so it's important to engage and empower them to provide the best service possible.
8. Clear communication and transparency: Communicate clearly and transparently with customers about products, services, and company policies.
9. Flexibility: Be flexible in your approach, be willing to adapt and change based on customer feedback and market dynamics.
10. Consistency: Consistently deliver a positive customer experience across all interactions and touchpoints.

Me: This is a brilliant response. I criticized ChatGPT’s earlier responses for excluding culture as a key contribution to improving CX. Not so with this response. There it is in point 2 – A customer-centric culture.

I also applaud ChatGPT for listing strong leadership in point 3 as necessary for a successful CX.

It seems the value of ChatGPT depends on asking the right questions. Isn’t that true for life, also? ChatGPT provided 8 bullet points to two of my previous questions, but my last question – What are the keys to a successful customer experience program? – inspired 10 bullet points.

ChatGPT is one of the most powerful AI tools I have encountered. It has game-changing potential to improve CX. Not only could the technology that underpins ChatGPT power better customer service chatbots, but it could also help us learn more about our customers by analyzing customer feedback and presenting important themes for our team to action.

I’m excited about the CX possibilities. How about you?

About the Author

Dilip Bhatia is Lenovo’s Chief Customer Experience Officer and Vice President of User & Customer Experience, PC & Smart Devices. As Lenovo’s Chief Customer Officer, Dilip drives the company to be the leader in the PC, smart device, data center, and mobility space. Start a conversation with him here or on?Twitter .