Customer experience - why it's imperative right now?

The journey itself contains many twists and turns that are often challenging to address. Many brands are trying to catch up to the latest trends to meet their customers where they are wanted most. And all industries, brands, and customers will potentially require a differing path furthering the challenge to adapt.

There are multiple channels to access customers. From advertising in all the many forms, including social, down to friends chatting over a meal. All play important roles in building customers as they enter the customer journey. And while most brands have some form of strategy to reach their customers and entice them into their store or restaurant, many are missing the key to the rest of the journey.

I recently joined a conversation on a podcast with friends Keith Keller and Aileen Day discussing How to Create Excellent Online Customer Experiences. One of the examples given was the inability to book a table online or order food from a desired restaurant with delivery service. While many cities in the US have an abundance of options for meal delivery and online booking, many areas both within and outside the US are not so fortunate.

Why have many not moved to a digital / ecommerce space to meet the customer demand? While consumers may see this as a basic function all should incorporate, business on the other hand may see the path as a little unclear.

I often see similar occurrences in the ecommerce/retail spaces. Brands still have websites with limited customer service channels. This may have been the right course for many years, but people are quickly demanding more digital channels and new ways to connect with their favorite brands.

I think many brands just don’t know where to begin their journey into a bigger, brighter space. Others may think it’s too expensive yet lack an understanding the full ROI.

Meeting customer need when and where they want it is an essential part of customer experience and crucial to building loyalty. Whether it’s providing the ability to book a reservation online, installing an FAQ bot to answer quick questions, supporting live chat, or even engaging on social with friendly banter – great customer experience will always be about the continual customer journey.

For one example of meeting the customer need through an alternative digital channel, check out my recent post on Live online shopping - the new customer experience?

What is the next step to achieving a better customer experience for your customers? You must find a partner with experience to support your needs. A great CX Advisor will be able to map out your needs through the customer journey and advise you what and where you require improvements. Changes don’t have to occur all at the same time. Improving and building on your brands CX should also be a journey that continues to evolve over time as the customer demands change.

For greater insight, my friend, Chip Heineman spoke earlier this year on how to Reinvent the Customer Experience to Emerge Stronger.

 

Published first on Linkedin by Katrin Langley, July 2021.