The basis of a good customer experience with a brand stems from an early conversation. As customers are relying on digital channels the lines between in person experiences and online are becoming blurry. A human touch– creates real connections and makes digital experience feel more personable.
How do you make an impactful impression on a customer when they are not there in person?
By Conversation.
Most “good” user experiences are replicable. Any brand can add a hyper intelligent chat bot, instant product recommendations, interactive experiences etc. What is not replicable is the impact that an early 1:1 conversation between a customer and an associate can have on customer lifetime value.
McKinsey reports that customers "increasingly evaluate brands and retailers on the seamlessness of their experience" across multiple channels.
What is an Omnichannel Customer Experience
An omnichannel customer experience refers to when a customer can easily switch between the various channels through which a business operates (i.e. live chat, voice call or video session). A consistent customer experience across all channels has been shown to increase a positive perception of a brand “some 78 percent of consumers also find it frustrating when a retailer’s communications and marketing messages are inconsistent depending on the channel they visit (in-store, online, social, call center, app).” (Business Wire)
This customer experience enables you to reach out to the modern consumer in a contextually relevant manner at every stage of their journey, regardless of the channel through which they access it.
This improves the quality of customer interactions and increases customer engagement.
Own Your Omnichannel Strategy By Starting With a Conversation
Accenture reports finds that nearly half (48 percent) of all consumers have left a business’ website and made a purchase elsewhere because the experience was poorly curated -- up from 40 percent last year.
You can increase customer satisfaction and build long-term relationships by having meaningful and productive conversations. Research shows that above all “80% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that show they understand them” (Business Wire).
A single conversation has the potential to shape the customer journey.
It has the power to turn a dissatisfied customer into a thankful one, and vice versa. It can also mean the difference between a successful and unsuccessful conversion.
Conversations with customers have the potential to humanize your brand and bring about the essence of an in person customer experience. They enable agents to establish rapport with your customers and learn more about their wants and expectations.
As a result, you can build stronger relationships with your customers and increase brand loyalty.
So how do early conversations impact customer lifetime value?
Customer lifetime value reflects the total value of a customer to the company over his or her lifetime. CLV begins once a customer is acquired and a conversation supports your associates through this customer acquisition journey.
A conversation is the starting point of any relationship. By treating your customers as human instead of data, you are offering them empathy that technology is unable to. Converse with your customers to build a personal relationship between your own people and themselves. Customers want to feel connected to and heard. Treating them as individuals rather than numbers on a screen can go a long way toward encouraging them to become repeat buyers.
Oftentimes consumers are in the early discovery stages of products when browsing online. This process involves competitor research, reading many reviews, social media snooping and forming an initial opinion on a product or service. This process is long and time consuming; oftentimes customers do not even find the answers they are looking for. Early conversations can assist your customers during this journey and build a perception of your brand that is unique in comparison to others.
By forming a relationship with a customer early on brands become difficult to replace. As mentioned earlier tech is easily copied, an individual and personal conversation is not. The faces behind the brand are positively unique and very hard to replace. It is a great strategy to retain a customer because of an irreplaceable experience they know they will not be able to find elsewhere.
Happy customers are loyal customers. Growing your business without knowing what your customers think of you is extremely difficult. The most transparent customer feedback a business receives is via conversation. Through direct feedback brands are able to detect common pain points and provide on demand solutions. Understanding your customers through conversation allows you to prioritize the aspects of your business that drive customer satisfaction and revenue growth, while reducing ineffective tactics.
