Customer experience

In today’s competitive landscape, customer experience has become a key differentiator for businesses. Customers now have access to more options than they had in all of history – and they’re mostly available at their fingertips. Companies must now work harder than ever to stand out, and part of that differentiation is through crafting a memorable customer experience.

Customer experience (CX) encompasses all interactions a customer has with a business, from researching products to post-purchase support. By providing a positive customer experience, businesses can increase customer loyalty and retention, improve their brand reputation, and drive revenue growth. On the other hand, a negative customer experience can lead to a loss of business and harm to a company’s reputation. In a PwC report, we read that 59% of consumers in the United States will walk away after several bad experiences, 17% after just one bad experience.

In addition, customer experience has become a key factor in purchasing decisions. The same PwC report indicates that 73% of consumers consider experience as the third most important factor in purchasing decisions, after price and quality. Multiple surveys in the past ten years have also shown that customers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience. That trend is unlikely to change course; in fact, it will only accelerate. Businesses that invest in creating a seamless, personalized, and consistent experience across all touchpoints are more likely to delight customers and keep them loyal. With customer experience becoming increasingly important, businesses need to focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences in order to stay ahead of the competition.

Creating better experiences with AI technology

One way to compete – and gain advantage – in the CX space is through the smart use of technology. AI-powered solutions have the potential to significantly improve customer experience in a number of different ways. Here are some of them.

1. 24/7 support: Voice AI solutions can provide 24/7 support to customers, without the need for human intervention. This can help improve the customer experience by providing instant and efficient support, reducing wait times and improving response times. According to a report by Salesforce, 64% of customers expect companies to respond in real-time.
2. Improved customer insights: AI-powered voice solutions can help businesses gather valuable customer insights, by analyzing voice interactions and identifying patterns and trends in customer behavior. This can help businesses improve their products and services, and tailor their marketing strategies to better meet customer needs.
3. Personalized interactions: With deeper customer insights, brands can better provide personalized interactions based on unique customer preferences and behavior. A more tailored and relevant experience to each individual customer creates a sense of being valued, and increases appreciation for the brand.

As AI technology continues to advance, businesses that prioritize the use of AI in their customer experience strategies are likely to see increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and revenue growth.

Investing in customer experience creates win-win scenarios

Focusing on CX can increase brand loyalty and customer retention. Customers who have a positive experience with a company are more likely to return and do business with that company again. By making the effort to provide a consistently positive experience at every touchpoint, businesses can build trust with their customers and foster long-term relationships that are crucial for sustained success.

Prioritizing customer experience can also improve a company’s brand reputation and generate customer advocacy. Happy customers are more likely to recommend a company to their friends and family, leading to an increase in word-of-mouth referrals and organic growth. A strong brand reputation and positive customer reviews help attract new customers and build trust in the marketplace.

The benefits of focusing on customer experience are clear. By prioritizing customer satisfaction and delivering a consistently positive experience at every touchpoint, businesses can build customer loyalty and retention, improve their brand reputation, and drive revenue growth. The investment in delivering a high-quality customer experience can pay dividends in the form of increased customer lifetime value and a stronger competitive position in the marketplace.

The rise of e-commerce and social media have given businesses new opportunities as well as challenges when it comes to connecting with their customer base. Brands are now able to reach and engage with customers in innovative ways through channels like Facebook, WhatsApp, and even TikTok – and customers expect them to. In the State of the Connected Customer report by Salesforce, 88% of customers surveyed expect companies to accelerate their digital initiatives. And in that same report, 80% of customers say experiences are as important as a company’s products and services. Customer engagement has become more important than ever.

With technology, it’s become increasingly easy to automate interactions and rely on machines rather than humans. This may lead to colder, more sterile communications. On the flip side, more data enables brands to create more personalized experiences, which can build brand loyalty. Businesses need to find a balance between using technology to enhance customer engagement and maintaining the human element that is essential for building authentic connections.

Using artificial intelligence to bring that personal touch

One of the key areas where technology can bridge technology with personal connections is through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI technology can be used to create personalized, authentic connections with customers through well-designed interactions. With conversational AI, these interactions – whether text-based or voice calls – enable customers to connect with business in real-time. Thanks to natural language processing and machine learning, AI bots can be the first point of contact for common customer queries, reducing the frustration of long waits. And when fed with localized data, AI-powered voice bots like the WIZ Talkbot can adopt local accents and expressions, creating a more human-like engagement.

AI technology can also be used to improve customer service by analyzing customer feedback and providing insights into customer sentiment. This can help businesses identify and resolve issues more efficiently. And when issues are spotted before they gain mass scale, brands can take a more proactive approach to problem resolution by sending updates even before a customer calls or sends a message. All these help build an excellent and memorable customer experience.

Another way AI can be used to improve customer engagement is through personalization. AI-powered algorithms can analyze customer data, such as browsing history and purchase history, to create personalized recommendations and offers. This not only improves the customer experience but also increases the chances of conversion and repeat business. By tailoring the customer experience to the individual, businesses can create a sense of relevance and value for the customer.

Connected omni-channel interactions to delight customers

Recently, Zendesk has coined a new term – immersive customer experience (CX). The concept is anchored on something many marketers already strive for, which is seamless omni-channel communications. When brands give customers a consistent experience even when they switch channels, that’s part of building an immersive experience. It’s about building a customer support environment that’s accessible, engaging, and connected – something that would make customers want to stay.

Part of creating that immersive experience is making interactions less rigid and more natural. Customers are now looking for more conversational brand communications across the entire journey – from marketing to support. This means customer touchpoints also need to be more integrated so that brands provide one consistent message, regardless of the channel or the topic. A solution like WIZ Engage enables brands to design fluid, connected interactions across voice and text, walking alongside the customer on their journey.

The quality of the experience matters; 73 percent of customers say they will leave for a competitor after multiple poor interactions. Even after just one bad experience, more than 50% of customers will consider another brand. The pressure is on companies to provide the kind of service that customers now expect – seamless, proactive, and personalized.

Moving beyond business as usual

In Forrester’s Predictions 2023: Customer Experience report, the research firm suggests that context – more than channels – will drive experience in the coming year. This means brands will have to think harder about how and when their customers engage with them. Businesses will need to know how best to meet customers where they are, regardless of channel.

Customer engagement is a vital aspect for any business. By prioritizing authenticity and personalization through the use of AI technology, businesses can build trust and loyalty with their customers, leading to long-term success.