CX Rockstar
Attributed to: Savita Jones
- Savita Jones is Senior Vice President of North American Operations at HGS, a $700M+ global company that executes digital-led customer experience (CX) for hundreds of world-class brands. With more than 20k employees across 34 delivery centers in eight countries, HGS helps companies create actionable insights on the right tools, people, and processes to drive successful digital transformation journeys.
In her position, Savita provides support to clients and verticals across both Canada and the U.S. with a noteworthy track record of supporting HGS Canada’s growth and expansion. She helps companies employ the perfect mix of advanced technology and human-led services to create world-class CX for leading brands.
Unleash Your CX Rockstar: Five Strategies for Exceptional Experiences
The current state of CX is in constant evolution, regularly defined in line with the evolving technology and ever-changing customer preferences. Customers now wield more influence than ever before, making it imperative for companies to provide a seamless and positive experience at every interaction point.
With 58% of customers willing to pay more for a great customer experience (CX), companies that prioritize CX are more likely to gain a competitive edge, demonstrating a high potential for ROI. However, CX is not a once-a-year strategy session but rather an opportunity to continually look at understanding, engaging, and predicting customers’ next move.
In order to stay ahead of the curve, organizations must incorporate elements of technology, embrace and fully support a human-plus-digital world, and commit to delivering an exceptional experience at each interaction. To increase brand loyalty and drive real value, consider these five key strategies for creating impactful customer experiences:
1. Engage With Customers
According to SalesForce, 84% of customers say that the experience a company provides is just as important as its products or services – showcasing the critical need to meet customers where they are and provide them with a valuable experience across channels.
Engagement is the bedrock of creating memorable customer experiences. Whether through phone, email, chat, social media, or other channels, personalization is a critical aspect of this engagement. Customers expect companies to know them intimately and cater to their preferences no matter the channel.
One way to engage and keep up with customers is by implementing a customer journey map, which allows organizations to create a visual representation of the customer experience from the first touchpoint and beyond.
By understanding where their customers are and establishing an effective multi-channel strategy, organizations can identify potential pain points while also uncovering the vast opportunities to improve the customer experience and ultimately fully engage with them.
2. Drive Loyalty
Loyalty is vital to CX, ultimately influencing a customer’s willingness to maintain a relationship with an organization. Recent research shows that increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can increase profits up to 95%. Customers must feel connected to a brand, and creating that connection is not only crucial for repeat business but it has a significant impact on reduced costs. Acquiring new customers can be more expensive than retaining existing ones, with some studies suggesting it costs up to five times as much to attract a new customer.
To cultivate loyalty, companies should work to establish a strong emotional connection between customers and their brands, offering exclusive discounts, promotions, and access to unique events. By creating an experience that no other organization can replicate, customers feel like members of an elite club – allowing them to feel confident in continuing their relationship with an organization.
3. Provide Seamless Interactions
A seamless experience is imperative for keeping customers satisfied and engaged. With 52% of consumers ready and willing to walk away from doing business with an organization based on a negative experience, providing prompt, positive, and personalized interactions is essential.
Strategies such as automation, omnichannel support, personalization, consistency, user-friendly design, and proactive communication can contribute to this seamless CX. By implementing a seamless interaction strategy, organizations can see reduced costs, remain engaged, and showcase their capabilities, as well as improved satisfaction and increased retention and growth.
4. Offer Unparalleled Experiences
To differentiate from competitors, companies are increasingly turning to technology – particularly artificial intelligence (AI) – to provide customers with exceptional experiences. In fact, 68% of global business leaders believe that the future of business involves humans and AI working together.
Businesses are clamoring for AI-powered tools like chatbots, virtual assistants, and voice recognition to provide customers with instant support with reduced response times. These tools are making CX more efficient while also reducing the need for human labor, freeing contact center agents to handle complex issues that necessitate strategic thinking. This approach allows businesses to simultaneously lower operational costs and elevate CX.
5. Create a Competitive Edge through Data
Data analytics stands out as a potent tool for differentiation by providing insights into customer behavior, optimizing processes, identifying opportunities, and delivering enhanced CX. However, only 29% of businesses are currently using data analytics to inform CX strategies.
By utilizing solutions like predictive analytics, digital marketing and web analytics, social media listening tools, and personalization engines, businesses can identify pivotal insights into customer behavior, optimize business processes, identify new opportunities, and ultimately deliver better CX.
The Power of CX Prioritization
According to recent survey findings from HGS, a majority of CX decision-makers (54%) cite CX as a high priority at their organization – however, many admit they are not making the grade. Nearly half of CX decision-makers (46%) admit their initiatives need work, including 33% who admit they are falling behind despite making CX a high priority.
In an era where customer experiences can make or break a brand, companies must make CX a top priority and invest in delivering outstanding experiences. By implementing the strategies outlined here, companies can create experiences that not only set them apart but also drive enduring value for their business. Companies that prioritize CX will naturally differentiate themselves from their competitors, building a real reputation for delivering experiences that will not only shine a rockstar-worthy spotlight on their company but ultimately drive lasting value for their business for years to come.
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