Customer experience in the modern age almost always comes with an obligatory digital component. This is even more so in our new normal, where people have grown accustomed to shopping and accessing services online. However, it is no longer enough for customer engagement to be digitized. Digital customer engagement may have been okay with some customers in the past, but that was when the internet was still a vast, blue ocean where it was easy to stand out. Now, it can serve to annoy customers instead of enticing them. Today’s internet is a congested red sea, clogged with ads, emails, and unwanted notifications from various apps.
It’s ironic though, because despite being cognisant of this fact, many companies continue to rely on digital customer engagement, hoping that it’s enough.
Well, it’s a starting point. We’re certainly not saying that you should shut down your internet presence completely. But, rather than straining yourself to be louder than the rest of the crowd, it’s time to consider redirecting that energy towards creating experiences that can truly engage customers.
Remember—noise might get attention, but as proven by industry leaders time and time again, it is trust built through memorable, value-added experiences that will turn skeptics into loyal, repeat customers.
And creating valuable customer experiences is a key topic in 8×8’s upcoming webinar with a panel of forward-thinking experts. Here’s a sneak peak of what to expect:
Customers buy from brands they trust (and they don’t trust easily)
Trust is perhaps one of the things that has been violently shaken in the new normal. Strikingly, research continues to find that consumers now rank brand trustworthiness above price, affordability, and reputation.
As the internet has made the world accessible to everyone with an internet connection, customers are taking into account everything from a company’s ethics to how they treat their employees to their stance on social issues before committing to a purchase.
Companies that are in good standing with their existing customers should also not become complacent. For the amount of time it takes to build a good reputation, it can crumble within moments—and a bad reputation is contagious. This is especially true with the wave of data breaches taking place; businesses should prioritize protecting consumers’ privacy as a single data breach can destroy all trust in a brand.
More than half of consumers in APAC are concerned about online privacy, and 53% of respondents in a Microsoft study indicated they would move to another company if their trust was negatively impacted.
Appear where you’re wanted, not where you want to be
Showing up to parties uninvited is probably not the best way to make friends. But that’s exactly what most companies are doing when they deploy the “spray-and-pray” marketing tactic of customer engagement.
Did you know that 69% of customers actively change their media habits, use ad blockers, and pay for streaming services just to hide from unwanted ads while browsing online?
That’s why it’s important to appear across different touch points throughout the customer journey. Instead of spamming customers with emails or digital ads, it’s important that businesses dive into the individual customer journey. By doing so, you can gain deeper insights into a customer’s preferences and behaviours, and know exactly where they need support.
It’s also time to acknowledge the non-linearity of the customer journey. This means understanding your customers’ needs and being there where they want you to be, rather than trying to push them along your own preferred route. Something as simple as providing support to customers when they need it the most, such as providing an avenue for 24/7 or instant support, can go a long way.
Personal experience is the way to the customer’s heart
Bringing customers to your website is one thing, but that in itself accomplishes little if most of them click away before making a purchase.
Seventy-nine percent of shoppers do not complete orders until customer service responds, which means that money is flowing down the drain every second that hotlines and chat avenues are dark.
It is not just a matter of being available, either. How you wield the double-edged sword of customer interaction will determine whether or not you gain or lose customer trust.
Anyway, being available all the time is much easier these days. And no, I’m not talking about chatbots! With the rebirth of SMS marketing and the rise of chat apps, you can create more meaningful and efficient two-way conversations—especially if you have a unified platform to manage all your communication channels. SMS and chat apps are making it easier to keep your customers in the know and provide that personal touch that keeps them coming back for more. The flow-on effect is that your customer service agents are freed from the burden of handling monotonous questions, so they will be fresh and ready to do the heavy lifting for more complex cases.
The bottom line
In order to watch customers return again and again, companies need to master the art of personalisation.
In many ways, it’s fair to say that technology has made it easier than ever to oversee a business. We’re watching numbers and charts rise on the screen instead of customers walking in and out of physical stores. But, at the same time, it’s easier than ever to lose the human element in service interaction. In reality, personalised customer service is what keeps your customers coming back, and that’s what 8×8 can help you with.
Want to learn more about how you can elevate your customer experience with 8×8 solutions? Hear our panelists share their business journey at 8×8’s upcoming webinar on 10th November 2021, 2pm SGT.
Register for the webinar now.
