There was a time when customer expectations were very basic – good product quality, service options and fair pricing. But, things have changed dramatically over the last few years. We’re living in a time of superlatives. Customers don’t settle for good; they demand the best. There is no better time than now – they are looking for now. Today, customer expectations are high, and are only going to increase every day. New technologies like AI, ML, and VR are elevating the customer experience (CX) to an all-new level. Brands are under immense pressure to keep up with all these technological advancements.
According to a study conducted by PwC, 32% of customers would stop doing business with their favourite brand after only one bad experience. Another report suggested that 83% of customers will switch brands because of bad customer service. These are strong pieces of evidence that highlight the importance of providing high-quality customer service and creating exceptional customer experience (CX).
Customers come with certain expectations when they interact with brands, at any level, and when reality differs substantially from expectations, bad experiences are created. Good and bad experiences can occur at various levels and touchpoints during the customer journey – chat support, bots, customer care center, email support, pre/post service interactions, etc. Companies need to strengthen their CX management system to enhance the quality of customer service interactions.
The sudden skyrocketing of customer expectations is something to ponder upon. Why has customer expectations increased to such high levels?
Easy accessibility
Today, there are 692 million active internet users across India, of which 351 million are from rural India and 341 million are from urban India. The number is estimated to go past 900 million by 2025. With a mobile device in every pocket and the availability of affordable high-speed internet plans, accessibility to any and everything is easy and fast. Internet penetration has reached its peak in the last 5 years and has reached the country’s remotest areas. People are now constantly on the internet and are connected through various social media platforms. Be it Insta Reels, YouTube Shorts, or FB stories. Access to products and information related to products is readily available for consumption.
With strong search options backed by AI, customers are able to reach to the intended results without even searching the exact string. Have you ever tried searching for a song on YouTube which you may be humming all day? You can simply type a few lyrics and all the closest results will pop up. There’s a very high possibility that you will get the song you’re looking for. The powerful search algorithm of sources like Google, YouTube, Amazon, Netflix, etc. offers accessibility like never before.
Availability of super-fast deliveries
There was a time when offering a five-day delivery for orders placed over the internet was acceptable. But not anymore. E-commerce, food, and grocery delivery have dramatically improved over the last few years owing to different technology enhancements. You order your food by clicking on your mobile and within the next 20-30 mins, your piping hot, fresh food is at your doorstep. Zomato went a step further when it announced a 10-min food delivery model. Not just faster deliveries, customers can track their orders in real-time, get food options based on their usage patterns, and personalised offers.
Options in abundance
Today, the competition in all the industries has intensified to a level where it’s very difficult to stand out in the market. Customers now have plenty of options to choose from, and since the monopoly of a few strong players doesn’t exist, customers are in the driving seat. Search for a laptop online and you get a plethora of options – multiple brands, features, colours, along with exclusive offers. A bad experience at any point in time during the customer journey can push the customer to look out for options, and there are plenty at hand.
Superior services improving buying experience
The first phase of the customer journey is the discovery phase, wherein customers want to get as much information as possible that can support their buying decision. Today, they need not hustle to find the information; everything is readily available. They can watch videos, read customer reviews, check ratings, and product specifications. They get an option to replace the product (no quibble) if they don’t like it or the product is faulty; they can simply return the product and get a refund. Free installation, customer service centers, and online support are all services provided by companies to enhance customer experience and improve brand loyalty.
The present set of customers come with high demands and expectations, and the next-gen customers would be step ahead. So how do businesses prepare to stand tall against the high-rising expectations of next-gen customers? The key is to adapt technology that combines efficiency with personalised service to drive customer engagement.
Opt an omnichannel customer resolution approach
Nowadays, customers use so many communication channels to interact. That’s why ensuring a seamless experience across all these platforms is essential. Customers expect their interaction to flow in one direction from the time they start their buying journey till the after-sales support or addressal of any issue.
They expect their interaction history to be available at every follow-up interaction, so they don’t have to communicate their concern repeatedly. If customers face a new bot on every channel and are transferred between agents, channels, and bots, they will surely get frustrated, creating a bad customer experience. Moreover, giving customers self-service options results in faster solutions they can explore at their convenience. Most people prefer to solve issues on their own and reach out to customer support channels as their last resort.
By using an omnichannel approach, companies can connect all their communication channels and integrate all customer interactions into a single system that the service agent can instantly access. With easy access to the entire customer history, service agents can deliver a delightful customer experience and improve their own performance.
Empower customer facing teams
According to some popular studies, 66% of B2B customers and 52% of B2C customers stopped buying after a bad customer service interaction. Efficient and effective customer interactions can only happen when the customer-facing teams are empowered with tools and information that help them deliver exceptional interactions and experiences. A Decision Management System (DMS) allows to set up complicated process guidelines in an easily consumable format, helping customer-facing teams solve customer issues quickly, thereby enhancing customer experience. By auditing interactions through a Quality Management System (QMS), businesses can get valuable customer insights that can be used to improve the quality of interactions further. At the same time, a Training Management System (TMS) will help in mapping the training needs of teams to improve their performance regularly.
Empower customersOne way to improve customer experience is by empowering customers to self-resolve some of the issues they face. For instance, if a customer faces any issues while installing a product, they contact the customer service team. A technician is booked for the customer on a specific date and time. It can be 2-3 days, and the customer will have to wait all that time. Instead, if the customer service team had reached out to the customer and guided them to a tutorial or a DIY video, or booked a video call on WhatsApp, the customer could have fixed minor issues themselves. It saves time and cost for everyone and elevates the customer experience.
While creating better products using new-age technology is vital for businesses, understanding the user journey to uncover bad and good experiences is equally important to satisfy customer expectations. A good product can get you customers, but good customer experiences help lower the customer churn rate, enhance loyalty, and create a sustainable business model.
(The author is Mr. Kapil Sharma, CEO, FiveS Digital and the views expressed in this article are his own)
