How to improve customer experience?

Customer experience: understanding its importance to improve it

A customer’s experience begins with their first contact with a brand through an online search or a visit to a physical store. This customer journey continues through to the end of the buying process, but also downstream. Every advertisement interviewed, every multi-channel communication action, every phone exchange with a customer service department all contribute to tipping the balance in favor or against the brand. A single unsuccessful or unpleasant interaction can have a profound effect on customers' feelings and their relationship with the company. Conversely, positive emotions can build lasting customer loyalty, making them a brand's best ambassadors.

How to improve the customer experience efficiently?

There are six pillars that underpin an optimal customer experience:

• Personalized interactions 
• Empathy 
• Time and effort devoted to exchanges
• Meeting and exceeding customer expectations
• Integrity and reliability
• Prompt problem resolution

Bringing these ingredients together requires companies to have access to a wealth of data. They can then rely on Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools to fine-tune their strategy. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software collects and processes all information relating to a customer or prospect. Once centralized on a platform, this customer data provides sales teams with valuable information on the expectations of each of their contacts.

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Identifying your customers’ needs

From the frequency of orders to their nature, not to mention the time spent on a sale, a customer's journey delivers a wealth of information. Thanks to CRM software, all this data is gathered in one place. Every interaction is recorded in detail. Some CRM tools even integrate analysis solutions to measure changes in customer needs. This enables the company to anticipate future customer expectations and adapt its offering accordingly. With a view to continuous improvement, it is also possible to set up satisfaction surveys to gather unfiltered feedback from customers, including the most dissatisfied.

Building customer loyalty through personalized offers

Digital transformation has profoundly altered consumer habits. Faced with an increasingly demanding, even volatile customer base, personnalisation is proving to be a major factor in building customer loyalty. If every customer wants to be understood, they also want to feel unique and valued. CRM software gathers all this information : purchase routines, feedback, assistance needs etc. On this basis, sales teams can build a personal relationship with each customer. Knowing which product or service is of interest to which profile, the company can put in place customized offers and promotions. At the same time, this data forms the basis for more targeted communication actions. From social networking campaigns to personalized e-mail marketing, every step counts in getting the right message to the right person.

Supporting customers

Customers and prospects to be converted sometimes need a helping hand to transform their intention to buy into an act of sale. Thanks to CRM software, it's possible to track customer journeys on a website, just as on any other acquisition channel. Each company can then identify any obstacles that need to be ironed out to facilitate the online customer experience. A better understanding of the potential difficulties encountered by users also enables more relevant solutions to be found.

Responding to requests

The customer experience is linked with customer service, as poor after-sales service can seriously damage a brand's reputation. In the event of a complaint or malfunction, every company needs to be able to actively resolve the problems faced by its customers. A CRM tool is a help for the various departments, by recording each request before forwarding it to the appropriate contact person, with reference to the file. Customers usually receive an automatic acknowledgement that their request is being processed. All requests are processed without delay.