Do you rely on one metric to measure Customer Experience? It’s not uncommon for companies to rely solely on C-Sat or NPS when measuring Customer Experience, but the metrics used aren’t always relevant to the individual touch points each customer experiences with the brand.
In this blog, we’re going to look at why relying on one CX metric is bad for business.
How was it for you?
Let’s consider an example. Say you call a customer services team to get an update on an order delivery. The agent you speak to confirms the date you’ll receive the purchase, and then asks if you’d recommend the company to your friends.
This question puts the customer in a tricky position; you’re yet to receive the item, therefore can’t possibly offer a rounded opinion on the performance of the company in question. And it doesn’t put the brand in a great position either because the feedback based on this question is likely to be irrelevant based on the customer’s context.
As the customer, you have several more steps to take before you can provide valuable feedback. You need to receive the product, experience it and digest the entire buying journey.
Getting ahead of yourself when it comes to CX metrics is a common mistake, and while it’s admirable (and entirely right) to seek customer feedback at any given opportunity, relying on one single metric to do so is counterintuitive.
Map out the customer journey
Rather than relying on one CX metric, you should instead map out the complete customer journey. This is best done visually on a white board or mind map and should be as detailed as possible.
Consider every single touchpoint a customer has with you, from initial lead to an eventual purchase. Evaluate each touchpoint and decide how you could measure their satisfaction level at each point. What questions could you ask to ascertain how they’re feeling at that moment in time?
A typical question you might ask could go “how did you find our new online checkout experience - was it easy to use?”. Given the proximity to the event, you’d be far more likely to receive feedback that is both relevant and heartfelt. But if you want to truly capture how a customer feels, allow them to give feedback in real-time and in their own words, this way they will tell you what matters to them instead of you shaping the question.
Remember that different customers follow different paths. Therefore a solid understanding of the demographics and behaviours of your customer base will enable you to fine-tune the customer journey map to take into account every possible step taken.
Choose the metrics based on the context
Thanks to the abundance of CX metrics available, you can choose the most appropriate one for each touchpoint.
For example, if part of the customer journey involves interacting with an element of your website to complete a purchase, the Customer Effort metric (see below) would be best placed to help you measure their satisfaction at that stage. Similarly, an NPS would be perfect for the end of a process, such as finalising a contract renewal.
Be agnostic when choosing metrics and avoid the trap of fixating on one type of measurement. You need to pick metrics that are right for each touchpoint and which will provide clear insights into the customer’s mood. In doing so, you’ll uncover clear insights and find out exactly how the customer is feeling.
The hidden gem: Customer Effort
We noted the value of the Customer Effort Score above, and it is proving incredibly popular when it comes to measuring satisfaction.
This is of little surprise when you consider that Customer Effort is focused on making life easier for the customer and reducing the amount of effort required to do business with a company.
Based on a seven-point scale (ranging from ‘very low effort’ [1] to ‘very high effort’ [7]), Customer Effort is about helping customers solve their problems efficiently. It’s also capable of measuring typical ‘yes’ or ‘no’ responses by using a Net Easy scoring mechanism. This provides clarity for the business and simplicity for the customer undertaking the feedback.
How many of your customers tell you they want to promote your business? If such an effort is lacking, it might be because you’re asking the wrong questions at the wrong time.
Feedback is about empowering the people who love your brand to share their experiences, but they’ll only feel encouraged to do that if your requests for feedback are relevant and timely. As we’ve learned today, one metric simply cannot be used to measure every stage of the customer journey.
Want to find out more about how a VoC programme can transform a business? Explore how BOC has achieved a 1,400% increase in their response rates, seen their Customer Effort Score improve from +42 to +80 and recorded 4.4 million pounds in annual savings.
