SME Enterprise
5 Techniques Companies Can Use to Win at the Customer Experience
By Customer Service Strategist Yanique Grant
Social Customer Service is a real phenomenon and it surely is not something any organization should take lightly. Customers in the 21st century are super-informed and possibly suffer from information over-dose. The customer experience is no longer driven by the company but by the customer.
A lot can be misconstrued through the written word, so it’s essential that brands use a variety of ways to ensure that the customer experience is always a great one. Bricks-and-mortar shops can turn customers into lifelong brand advocates with their in-store service. Ideally, all online companies should offer great customer service 100% of the time, but sadly we know this isn’t always true. Here are five ways online companies can provide the best possible customer experience every single time.
1. Be Available – your social presence is like having an actual store that has a sign hanging that says “Come In, We’re Open” – therefore, you must provide a framework where no matter what time of the day, what day of the week and what holiday – some mechanism has been installed in order to facilitate prompt feedback to the customer! Should consumers need to get in touch with a company, it is vital they are easily contactable with clear contact details such as phone number, address or email address available on their site. A live chat option is also a great idea for customers who are hoping for a more immediate response. If a customer has to waste their time searching for contact details, they are likely to end up more frustrated than they were when they first thought to get in contact.
Even if customers aren’t getting in contact regarding an issue, being easily available is still extremely important. Newsletter sign-ups are fantastic for getting the word out about a business but there will never be that many subscribers if customers can’t see the sign-up option when they arrive on your site. The same goes for tailored quotes – a customer may want to get a tailored quote for something — perhaps a personalized item and if this isn’t relatively simple to do, they may go in search of another online retailer instead.
2. Keep Customers Updated – It is critical for you to “Keep your hand on the horse” which is a saying we use when we have workshops which basically means that when you are doing business with a company it is similar to brushing a horse – you keep one hand on the horse so he always knows where you are and does not get skittish and kick you – when your customer does not feel kept in touch with – they become irate and start complaining and this is because they do not feel in constant contact with your people and your company. A consumer will always appreciate being kept in the loop, so keeping customers updated on your brand is a necessity. Whether everything is running smoothly or there is a slight delay, letting customers know, rather than avoiding the issue, will always be seen in a more positive light. Skirting round the issue altogether will cause customers to lose trust so keeping them informed, even if the news isn’t always positive, will ensure customers keep trusting you as a brand and will consider using you again. Regardless of channel, response time is a key driver of customer satisfaction, with First Response time particularly important over social. Even when an issue cannot be resolved immediately, it is important that an agent show the customer and everyone who might see the post that the company has heard the message and is working on a solution.
Engagement is key when it comes to business. There are often issues that cannot be foreseen. Unexpected sales leading to items being out of stock, delivery delays and other issues may be unavoidable but by ensuring customers know the exact issue without having to chase is extremely important. One great way you can keep your customers updated is by using social media as a customer service tool, which can help customers to avoid the pain of the call centre queue and offers a more personal touch.
3. Get Feedback from Your Customers – Whilst this almost goes hand in hand with the above, receiving feedback from your customers is a must. We live in a world where a brand absolutely needs social media and they can receive compliments, complaints and a whole lot more in real time. A brand that doesn’t engage with their customers will be noticed by the customers and will usually result in a lack of trust. Responding to customer queries, complaints and praise on a regular basis, will not only keep trust but will also serve as a reminder about the company to their customers when social media updates appear on their feed.
Reviews are invaluable to a business, especially one that is based online, and reviews on social media should not be ignored. Consumers trust in online reviews, whether they are on the company website, a review specific site, or on social media. This trust is also invaluable and should not be strained if it can be avoided. To provide insight to the service you’re providing your customers it might be worth sending out a customer satisfaction survey post purchase, for some companies this might be quite eye opening. Then you are able to review what your customers have thought has gone well and it will help to correct any problems you might have had or preempt any problems from occurring.
4. Give Customers An Experience They Want To Share – All customers are emotional human beings and their buying decisions are driven by emotions. Many brands have taken this fundamental concept into account when engaging with Social Media and in their online presence. As a brand you need to create a personal connection with your message and a message that your customers would actually like to share. Today’s consumers are stepping away from large, impersonal corporations and embracing companies that make the effort to form a personal connection. You can improve the customers’ experience by listening to what they want and staying up to date with the latest trends. Create a buyer-centric business model, and the referrals will roll in organically.
5. Have a Social Customer Service Policy – you may ask or ponder….what’s that?? Well, just as how in a business there is a policy that guides the employee on how to function and operate regarding the situation…..the same applies to how your team members should engage with social customer service, what kind of profile should they be maintaining in a social environment such as Facebook and/or Twitter and what is considered acceptable and what is not considered acceptable. The policy will provide clear ways of presentation and the benefits for the individual and the company. Our customer base is moving away from traditional communication and so companies need to look at Social Customer Service as a real component of their overall business strategy.
Here is an Infographic that highlights some interesting statistics for Social Customer Service –
BONUS TIP – Post, Don’t Just Reply
Companies can be proactive with their social customer service by posting useful information, such as product updates, tips to improve usability, and links to knowledge based articles, to keep customers engaged and in the know about the company and all it has to offer. Social media should be used “to build your brand and support your marketing initiatives, not just on a defensive basis.”
By keeping a Twitter feed or Facebook page updated, an organization can reduce inbound call traffic at a time when a particular issue might cause a spike in calls, as in a utility that experiences an outage, for example.
It might not seem like roughly a quarter-century since the digital smartphone made an irrevocable impact on all our lives (whether you currently have one or not), but over the course of those years, cell phones have moved from being glorified field radios to nearly everyone’s go-to device; in business and in personal life, the smartphone is THE accessory, replacing analog watch, camera, game console, phone book and day-runner (remember those?).
And the function consolidation shows no signs of abating, as new feature-rich phones continue to be released to an ever-hungry public.
Dane Spencer, of Smart Mobile Solutions
No surprise then, that a gaggle of entrepreneurs, execs, media and influencers thronged the Digicel store in Tropical Plaza for Samsung’s latest salvo in the smartphone market “arms race” – the S25 line, comprising the base model, S25+ and the topline S25 Ultra, all boasting advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in addition to the expected bells and whistles (3 different types of camera; powerful new chipset; vital body function monitor etc). Emcee Debbie Bissoon kept things moving with her usual aplomb.
Dane Spencer, of Smart Mobile Solutions, in Jamaica, spoke to this ongoing function consolidation as a key driver of sales and market share. “The convergence of multiple apps on a single handy device means I can truly access and respond to information from anywhere,” he said, providing a personal demonstration on his own S25. “That means whether you’re in corporate or in business for yourself, you can make better decisions, faster.”
Jaszmin Martinez, the Dominican Republic-based Corporate Marketing Manager for Samsung amplified Spencer’s points on market share, adding, “Samsung has a significant presence in the Jamaican market, and one which has grown year on year, so it’s a very important market for us,” she said. According to Stat Counter, Samsung enjoys roughly 52% of the Jamaican smartphone market.
Stephen Murad of Digicel reminisced briefly about the head-spinning growth the company experienced in its early days and all the momentous changes that had taken place in the cell phone market since its launch in 2001. The cell phone, he said, was no longer just a device that you talked through, but increasingly, one you talked with (referring to the AI capabilities) and a constant companion. “The markets’ need for data is never-ending” he said, as folks of all ages have been spending more and more time with their phones.
The company has, however, taken note of those factors and the associated dangers of this manner of closeness with our devices, and has recently launched, though the Digicel Foundation, the Safer Internet Together (SIT) project. In partnership with other corporate entities (JPS Macmillan Education and Sunshine Snacks) and public agencies, the mobile carrier intends to advocate for safer, more responsible internet usage among students in 150 educational institutions.
But, as evidenced even from the interest in the store on launch night, a considerable number of Jamaicans plan to spend lots of time with their S25s.
The new device arrives almost, on cue, in a very dynamic and recently volatile, global smartphone market. After nearly three years of decline, the smartphone market had posted a creditable 7%, according to figures from Canalys Research. The hammer looked set to hit this year with the US President’s all-out trade war, and with the trade conflicts with China ongoing, smartphone sales may buckle under inflationary pressures.
Indeed, the stated Jamaican list price for the S25 entry model (J$136K + tax) is an eminently competitive tag, no doubt influenced by an awareness of the general market conditions (while not cheap, its entirely in line with what one would expect to pay for a similarly equipped competitor model). Indeed, the two lucky guests at the launch who each won one of the S25s on offer are no doubt putting their devices through their respective paces.
The ongoing evolution of life, both in the business and personal spheres, demand devices that can keep pace with dynamics of our multi-active, instantly communicating world, and at a competitive price point. Samsung, with its new flagship series, is looking to deliver -and reap handsomely – on all of those expectations.
Michael A. D. Edwards
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