What is customer experience (CX) and why is it important for successful business ?

Unleash the power of CX! Learn what customer experience is & why it's the secret weapon for business success in today's competitive market.

Introduction

CX, short for customer experience, is all about making sure your customers have a positive experience with your business, from start to finish. It means thinking about their needs at every step, from finding out about your product to using it and getting help if they need it. These days, just having a good product isn't enough. It's more than just having a great product or service. It includes your brand image, how much you charge, and how well you help customers. Customers want to feel good while they shop with you, no matter if it's online or in person. These days, with so many choices around, customers really care about how you treat them. By focusing on good CX, you can create happy customers who keep coming back and tell their friends about your business! This is what Customer Experience (CX) is all about. It's the secret to keeping customers happy, selling more, and making your business successful in the long run.

Since everyone can share their thoughts about companies online these days, it's more important than ever to make customers feel good throughout their experience with you. This isn't just because it's the nice thing to do, but also because happy customers lead to businesses making much more money for their owners (shareholders)! In fact, studies show companies with good customer experience can make 3 times more money for their owners!

Let's explore what CX is and related topics as well as why it's so important!

1. What are customer journeys?

"Customer experience is the new marketing battlefront" - Chris Pemberton

The customer journey is all about what a customer goes through with your business, from start to finish. It's not just about whether they like one thing you do, but the whole experience. This could involve things they do before they buy something, like researching online, or things they do after, like getting help if they need it. Imagine a customer journey like signing up for a new service, solving a problem with your product, or getting a better plan.

Think of it like a story with your customer as the main character. Here are some examples to illustrate different customer journeys:

• Bringing a new customer on board: This journey starts with someone becoming aware of your brand, maybe through an ad or a friend's recommendation. They then research your product or service online, visit your website or store, and finally make a purchase. The journey continues with them setting up the product, learning how to use it, and getting help if they need it.
• Resolving a technical issue: This journey starts with a customer encountering a problem with your product. They might contact customer support through chat, email, or phone. The journey continues with the support team diagnosing and fixing the problem, and ensuring the customer is happy with the resolution.
• Upgrading a product: A customer might be happy with your product but want more features. Their journey starts with them browsing your upgrade options online or contacting sales. They then learn about the benefits of upgrading, make the purchase, and transition to using the new features.

By understanding these different customer journeys, businesses can identify areas for improvement and ensure a smooth, positive experience at every touchpoint. This can lead to happier customers, increased sales, and better brand loyalty.

?? Customer Journey Analytics and?Data Science

Since customers can interact with your business in many ways (online, phone, in person), it can be tricky to figure out what journeys lead to happy and loyal customers. This is where new tech comes in!

Imagine these new tools as super-smart trackers that follow customer journeys and predict what they might do next. They use special computer programs (data science, machine learning) to find patterns in customer behavior. This helps businesses understand which customers might leave (churn) or be interested in new products.

With this knowledge, businesses can personalize the customer experience on the spot! They can decide what messages or offers to show each customer while they're interacting, making the experience more relevant and enjoyable.

By looking at lots of customer journeys at once, companies can also find hidden patterns. This helps them identify issues and opportunities they might have missed before. It's like seeing a big picture of how all the customer journeys fit together! [ Ref: Practicalanalytics ]

2. How to measure customer experience?

"A consistent and predictable experience creates customer confidence, which can lead to loyalty" -Shep Hyken

It might seem tricky to measure how happy you make your customers, but there are actually ways to do it! Measuring customer experience (CX) goes beyond simply asking "how satisfied are you?" It's about understanding the entire customer journey, from initial awareness to after-purchase experience. Here are key things to remember when figuring out how to measure customer experience:

??Track customer feedback: Gather feedback throughout the journey using surveys, reviews, and social media mentions. Look for trends and areas for improvement.

??Monitor key touchpoints: Identify key points where customers interact with your business, like websites or call centers. Analyze how easy and efficient these interactions are.

??Measure customer loyalty: Track metrics like customer churn rate (how many customers leave) and repeat purchase rates. Loyal customers are a sign of good CX.

??Look at customer effort: See how easy it is for customers to complete tasks or get help. The less effort required, the better the CX.

By using a combination of these methods, businesses can gain valuable insights into their customer experience and identify areas for improvement.

Some companies are even using special tools to predict how customers might feel in the future. This can help them avoid problems before they happen, like customers getting upset and leaving! Why is this useful? Because simply asking customers how they feel (surveys) isn't always enough. These new tools can give businesses much more powerful information to make the customer experience even better.

3. What is the consumer decision journey?

A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is—it is what consumers tell each other it is. - Scott D. Cook

The way people decide what to buy has changed. Forget the old idea of a straight line where customers just see an ad and buy something. Instead, imagine a circle with four parts where customers can decide to learn more, choose your product, or go somewhere else. This circle is called the customer decision journey (CDJ).

1. Learning about options: This is where customers first become aware of your product or service, maybe through advertising or a friend's recommendation.
2. Researching: In this stage, customers are actively considering different options and comparing them to yours. They might be reading reviews, watching videos, or visiting your website to learn more.
3. Making a decision: This is the moment of purchase! Here, the customer chooses your product or service over the competition.
4. Using and experiencing: After buying, the customer starts using your product or service. This stage is all about their experience – are they happy with it? Will they recommend it to others?

With all the new technology out there, people make informed decisions to make a purchase. In the past, companies just waited for customers to make choices. Now, smart companies are taking charge and influencing how customers make decisions. This could mean making it super easy for people to buy their products, skipping all the research and comparison steps.

To make customers loyal fans even faster, companies need to focus on four important things: (we'll explain those in a bit).

??Making things easier: Imagine being able to deposit a check with just a phone picture instead of going to the bank! That's the power of automation – it can make the customer journey smoother and faster.

??Treating everyone like a VIP: Companies can use customer information to personalize the experience. This means showing each customer things they might be interested in, making it feel more special.

??Guiding customers along the way: Imagine a helpful guide on your shopping trip! That's what contextual interaction is like. Companies can use their knowledge of where you are in the buying process to show you the next helpful steps.

??Finding new ways to win: The best companies are always looking for ways to surprise and delight their customers. They might use customer data to discover new services that people would love, or design journeys that allow for easy testing of new features. This way, they can keep improving and offering more value to both the customer and themselves.

4. What is customer care?

Customer care is all about how a company interacts with its customers to ensure a positive experience throughout their journey. It goes beyond simply providing a good product or service and delves into building an emotional connection with the customer. Here's a breakdown of what customer care entails:

?? Focus on the Customer Journey:

• Pre-purchase: Customer care starts even before someone buys anything. This includes providing clear information about your products or services, easy-to-use websites, and helpful sales representatives.
• During purchase: The buying process should be smooth and efficient. Customer care ensures a hassle-free experience, whether it's online shopping or in-person transactions.
• Post-purchase: Customer care continues after a purchase is made. This includes providing support, addressing any issues that arise, and offering helpful resources.

?? Building Relationships:

• Active listening: Customer care representatives take the time to understand customer needs and concerns. They listen attentively and address each issue with care.
• Proactive communication: Companies should keep customers informed about any updates, changes, or potential issues. This builds trust and transparency.
• Personalized service: Whenever possible, customer care strives to provide personalized service. This could involve remembering customer preferences or tailoring solutions to specific needs.

??The difference between Customer Service and Customer Care:

Customer service is often seen as a more transactional aspect of customer interaction. It focuses on resolving specific issues or complaints, like fixing a broken product or processing a return. Customer care, on the other hand, takes a broader approach. It's about building a long-term relationship with the customer by focusing on their overall experience and satisfaction.

??Benefits of Good Customer Care:

• Increased customer satisfaction and loyalty: Happy customers are more likely to come back and recommend your business to others.
• Reduced customer churn: By addressing issues and providing excellent service, companies can retain more customers.
• Positive brand image: A reputation for excellent customer care can significantly boost a company's brand image.
• Increased sales and revenue: Loyal customers spend more money with businesses they trust.

In conclusion, customer care is a strategic approach to building positive relationships with customers. By focusing on their journey, actively listening to their needs, and providing proactive support, companies can create a loyal customer base and achieve long-term success.

5. How to improve customer experience?

There are three main things you need to focus on to make the customer experience better across your entire company:

?? Set a Clear Goal:

Think about what kind of experience you want your customers to have with your company. This should align with your company's overall mission and promises.

Have a clear vision for how you want to treat customers, and how that translates into making them happy and creating value.

?? Make Changes Happen:

This is where you figure out what your customers really need and design solutions to meet those needs. This could involve changing products, services, or even the way your business operates entirely to better serve customers.

?? Keep it Going:

Once you've made changes to improve the customer experience, you need to make sure it lasts! This involves:

• Helping employees understand the importance of good customer experience.
• Training them on how to deliver that experience.
• Using technology and data to track how well things are going.
• Having a system in place to keep making improvements over time.

Studies show that focusing on customer experience can really pay off! Companies that have improved their customer experience have seen:

??More sales: Between 15% and 20% more people buying their products.

??Lower service costs: Spending 20% to 50% less on customer service issues.

??Happier customers: A 10% to 20% increase in customer satisfaction.

But it's important to avoid some common mistakes:

??Not connecting customer experience to value: Make sure your improvements actually benefit customers, not just your company.

??Focusing on just one part of the experience: Think about the entire customer journey, not just a single interaction.

??Not being creative enough: There are always new ways to surprise and delight customers!

By learning from other companies who have successfully transformed their customer experience, you can avoid these pitfalls and create a winning strategy for your own business.

Get Happier Customers with Easier Support: Supportbench + Salesforce

Imagine having a crystal ball that shows you everything about your customers' experience with your business. That's what Supportbench does! By giving a complete picture, Supportbench helps customer service teams provide better, more personalized support, which leads to happier customers.

Since all the information is in one place, it takes less time to solve customer problems and more issues are resolved on the first try. This big-picture view also helps companies make smarter decisions about the future.

Supportbench isn't just keeping up with the times, it's leading the way! By working seamlessly with Salesforce and focusing on giving a complete view of each customer, Supportbench is changing how customer support works for businesses. This innovative approach benefits everyone in the company, not just the support team. It leads to stronger customer relationships, smoother operations, and helps the company grow strategically.

?? Please read the complete article here "Transforming Customer Experiences with Supportbench’s Advanced Salesforce Integration" by Eric Klimuk,Founder and CTO of Supportbench.

Conclusion

In today's competitive business world, customer experience (CX) is no longer a nicety, it's a necessity. By focusing on the entire customer journey, from initial awareness to after-sales support, companies can build strong relationships, boost customer satisfaction, and achieve long-term success. Remember, happy customers are loyal customers, and loyal customers mean more sales and growth for your business. So why wait? Start prioritizing CX today and see the positive impact it can have on your company!

Built for Enterprise Success: Supportbench empowers large organizations with a comprehensive customer support suite. Its software tackles the complexities of B2B interactions with features like Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for guaranteed response times, a collaborative knowledge base built on Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) principles, and AI-powered customer health scoring for proactive outreach. These features, coupled with a customizable customer portal, streamline enterprise support operations and drive significant improvements in customer satisfaction.