When it comes to customer experience, one of the biggest challenges that companies face is the ability to translate insights into actions. The reason? Typically, companies like to start with a big, all-singing strategy.
They spend months and months gathering the data, analysing it and then coming to a conclusion. The problem with this approach is that by the time the strategy is formed, it’s probably out of date.
What can be done about it? Sometimes, it pays to get stuck in at the deep end and just get stuff done. Here are 5 customer experience hacks to get you started
#1 Don’t let your customers' opinions go stale
There’s nothing worse than asking for feedback days, weeks or even months after an interaction. The moment has gone and all of that valuable customer insight has been lost with it (heck, if you leave it a month, you’ll be lucky if they even remember what they purchased from you!). Ask customers for their feedback in real-time, so that you can use their comments to make immediate improvements.
#2 Tick tock, watch the clock
Think of everything you could achieve in the space of 15 minutes… finish off the laundry, cook yourself dinner, reply to those emails you’ve been putting off all day. Now, if you had that mythical 15 minutes, would you spend that time filling in a lengthy customer survey? Probably not.
Avoid bombarding your customers with drawn out questionnaires and just ask one open question instead - “How are we doing?”, and they’ll tell you what really matters to them.
#3 Suits you, sir – tailor the channel to suit the customer
It’s a fact of life that no two customers are the same…what might work for affluent ladies-that-lunch probably won’t for the lads down the pub. So it’s important to know your audience. Take a multi-channel approach and talk to your customers through the channel that suits them best. Then remember their preferences, so you don’t need to keep asking them.
#4 Easy peasey, lemon squeezy feedback
When you make it easy for them, customers will tell you everything you need to hear, in their own words. Make sharing feedback effortless for your customers by letting them have their own say at a time that suits them - regardless of what time your office closes. Use a combination of Event Triggered Requests and Listening Posts to make sure you never a miss a thing.
#5 Say my name, say my name – Add in a personal touch
If you’re trying to build a strong relationship with your customers, messages that begin with, “Dear valued customer”, are never a great start. With heaps of technology (and presumably, customer data!) available to you, make sure that you’re taking advantage of it by personalising all of your communications and making your customers feel like they’re talking to a friend, not a faceless brand.
Want more tips to improve your customer experience? Check out our Infographic:
