With advancements to technology ever increasing, how do businesses adapt (or not) for their customer experience in digital channels? Does digital customer experience have to break the rules of conventional customer experience? Does it have a new set of rules? In an article by bizcommunity, Chantel Botha discusses the rules of customer experience she believes applies across all channels.
- Be Personal. The more human an interaction is, the better. Customers react positively to humanly responses. For example, when responding to your customer emails, use their name rather than the word “customer”. It is the little things that make people feel special and most brands miss out on this simple way to make another personal connection to their customers.
- Make it Effortless. Customers lives are busy and complex enough. Make their interactions with you as effortless and simplistic as possible to allow for a seamless experience. Customers often expect to fill in their personal details once, for example, and not have to deal with filling in the same details time and time again.
- Give your Customers Control. Customers don’t want to be told how to interact with a company but to have the freedom to access a company through various channels at a time that suits them. The freedom to choose how they interact with you, gives customers comfort in their decisions.
- Make it a Conversation. Broadcast less, and converse with your customers instead! Customers are more willing to express their opinions online due to its accessibility and anonymity. Use that opportunity to listen to what they are saying and engage with your customers. Botha mentions, “I truly believe the scale of digital communication that allows one to communicate with many or even millions will force brands to go back to basics and re-evaluate their purpose, values and personality.”
- Keep your Promises. At Proto we believe Branding is the promise you make; Customer Experience is the promise you keep. A great customer experience is one where a customer can rely on a company to keep their promises and to keep true to their brand values. It is far better to be upfront and honest about wait times and delays than to keep your customer in the dark or feeling like you’ve ignored or forgotten them.
