Guide: Customer Experience and its applications to your business
It is no secret to anyone that, in this new digital era, businesses have been affected in many ways, both negatively and positively in terms of...
4 min read
Por Sofía Oviedo | Apr 03, 2023
4 min read
Por Sofía Oviedo | Apr 03, 2023
Today, consumers expect much more than just products and services: they are looking for a unique experience that makes them feel that they are listened to, that their observations and views are considered, and that their frustrations and expectancies are considered.
Customer experience is key in preventing products and services from becoming standard, thus achieving competitive differentiation. It is a crucial part of any company's success. In this article, I invite you to learn what customer experience is, its benefits, and the best practices to provide your customers with an excellent experience.
Index
What is behind this concept?
Before delving into the subject and learning how to stand out from the competition, it is necessary to know about customer experience (CX). According to Gartner, it is defined as the customer's perceptions and feelings due to the unique and cumulative effect of interactions with a supplier's employees, systems, channels, or products. In other words, it is the customer's experience when interacting with a company over time and how that experience influences their perception of and loyalty to the brand. This interaction occurs from the first contact to the post-sale and any other point during the process.
We can expand on this with the following example: Javier is looking for a gift for their partner and wants to give them a spectacular necklace. He researches different websites for the best options, finds an online store, and decides to enter the store's website. Javier notices that the page is eye-catching, easy to navigate, explains the features of the products, and has videos, not only photos and comments that other customers have left. Finally, he finds the necklace and makes the purchase. Once the purchase is processed, he receives the order confirmation through email, the purchased ticket, warranty, and care for the product.
Subsequently, follow-up emails are sent to him to track the order status. Once Javier has the product he purchased, there is also a note from the company thanking him for the purchase and saying that they are at his disposal if he requires additional support. Javier is satisfied with his purchase from this company since the process was easy, safe, transparent, and personalized, increasing the likelihood of repurchasing. He will recommend this company to his acquaintances.
A second example is a shoe store whose organizational culture is customer-centric. Its product return policy is 365 days, so that customers can return shoes anytime during that period without much hassle. This store covers the return shipping costs, so it is okay for their customers to make the return. They have a 24/7 call center that provides support for their customers. Their employees are encouraged to exceed expectations to help customers and create a positive shopping experience. This shoe store has proven that focusing on the customer and providing an exceptional shopping experience can achieve long-term customer success and loyalty.
Below, I show you how the sum of elements, such as service and product customization, process agility, and exceptional customer service, is essential to ensure your company's success in the marketplace and stand out from your competition.
Customer Experience versus Customer Service
It is common to confuse customer service and customer experience or to think that both concepts are the same mistakenly, but they are not. Customer service is only one part of the customer experience; customer service is the attention and assistance companies provide to their customers before, during, and after a purchase. Customer service aims to ensure customer satisfaction, solve customer problems and answer customer questions quickly and effectively.
Competitive advantages of customer experience
In the previous sections, we briefly explained customer experience and how to avoid confusing this term. Here I list the most relevant advantages of having a focus on customer experience in your company:
In addition to this, within your company, you can count on these advantages as well:
It is important to note that some companies offer products or services purchased sporadically or only once. Yet, providing a pleasant experience is vital because it implies higher revenues for the company and a series of benefits such as those just seen.
>>Design Thinking & Customer Experience Design<<
Best practices to achieve a good customer experience
Last but not least, I leave you with a guide of steps to achieve and maintain a good customer experience in your company:
Every interaction, whether a marketing outreach, person-to-person interaction in a store, a digital presence, or a customer service interaction, feeds into understanding and developing an excellent customer experience.
If you have any questions or would like to expand your knowledge of any of the points explained throughout this article, don't hesitate to contact us at Imagineer, and we can review this topic in more detail.
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