Customer experience is something every entrepreneur should be vitally interested in. It’s a result of all the interactions customers have with your company. It’s also what they think about your products and customer service. In this article, we’re going to show you what customer experience is, why it is so important, and how to measure (and improve) it. Let’s get right to it!
Every company wants to have happy customers; that’s apparent. Happy customers are more likely to spread the word about your brand, and they are usually regular buyers contributing to the stable growth of your business. To get them, you need to take care of the customer experience in your company. What do you need to know about CX?
What is CX?
This term is used to describe a thorough impression that each person has during communication, the purchasing process, and post-purchase service in your company. Customer experience is tightly associated with the customer journey. After all, customers have specific impressions during every encounter with your company, correct?
If your customer service is helpful, the purchasing process easy and intuitive, and the product that you offer is functional – your CX is positive. On the other hand, your CX suffers if customers are dissatisfied with your customer service or product.
The importance of CX
You should take care of your customer experience primarily because it’s one of the fundamental growth factors. Satisfied customers are:
- Eager to spend more money on your products/services
- Likely to promote your business among their friends and coworkers
- Willing to test new products and services you might offer
- Return frequently to place new orders
With an extensive group of satisfied customers, your company can grow, conquest new markets, and implement new solutions. Gladly.com is a company that every year publishes a customer expectations report. In the 2021 edition, you can find out that:
As you can see, good CX is not an option; it’s a necessity. But how can you find out whether customers are satisfied with the service provided?
How to measure CX
There are many ways to measure CX. It all starts with customer surveys. One of the most effective forms of customer surveys is NPS – net promoter score. We talked about NPS in our other blog post. Read it, and you will find all the details that you need. That’s not the only thing you can do, though.
For starters, you can ask customers for their opinion every time they place an order or contact your company. Such questions should not be pushy or time-consuming. For example, you could add a quick question at the end of the purchasing process, maybe on the thank-you page. Try something like that:
Hey, Peter! Thank you for your order! Please tell us how did we do:
[5-star rating from 1 to 5]
What can we do better next time?
[a box for an answer]
The key is simplicity. If the customer knows that the survey is quick, they will be more likely to provide an answer. You could also offer some incentive, e.g., a small discount for the next purchase.
Yet another way to measure CX is social listening. There are online platforms like Brand24, BuzzSumo, and BrandWatch that help you monitor and measure all the mentions of your brand online. As a result, you can see what people have to say about it. Typically, the monitored channels include websites and comment sections, online forums and discussion groups, and, of course, social media platforms. Social listening tools also offer sentiment analysis. Their algorithms discern whether a given mention is positive, neutral, or negative. This way, you can quickly assess if your CX is positive or not.
How to improve customer experience
That’s the most difficult and time-consuming step. For starters, you have to know what doesn’t work properly. Always try to ask a dissatisfied user what caused their discontent and what can you do to make them happy.
The fundamental CX elements comprise:
- The functioning of your website/online store: Try to make it quicker, eliminate all the technical difficulties, and make sure everything works correctly. You can also conduct a UX analysis to find out whether the website is easy to use for different groups of customers.
- The scope of your offer: Find out whether you offer everything that your customers need or would like to get.
- Customer service: Eliminate long waiting times and make sure customer service agents are helpful and simply nice in communication. Always try to solve disagreements in favor of the customer. Offer at least three communication channels (email, chat, phone).
- Delivery: Provide all the desired payment and delivery options. Make sure parcels reach customers intact and on time (the ideal delivery time is under 24h).
- Post-purchase service: Don’t abandon customers. If they have any concerns or questions, treat them with respect and pay attention to what they need help with. Ensure your customers that even after the payment, you’re still here for them and live up to your responsibilities.
Of course, for every company, improving CX will mean something different. That’s why it’s so important to measure CX, draw conclusions, and implement necessary changes. People know that you’re not perfect. But you can win them over by trying to do your best. This way, you can turn even a poor experience into a positive one!
How can iPresso help you improve CX? Take a look at these features of our platform:
- NPS Surveys and customer surveys: Conduct, automate, and measure NPS in your company
- Loyalty tools: Encourage customers to return to your business regularly
- Customer data platform: Keep all the information about your customers in one place
Start your free trial today!
Leave a Reply