5 Ways to Create a Better Customer Experience

In nearly every industry, creating a better customer experience (CX) is a hot topic right now. Why? Because even when the world is chaotic, we want to take care of our customers.

When companies dive into thinking about CX, they often think about customer service. “How can we best serve our customers?” However, this train of thought might make you fail before you even begin. While customer service is important, if you exclusively think about that aspect of CX, you’ll only be focusing on what you do, not on what your customers think and feel during their experience.

Here are some tips for creating a better customer experience:

Put yourself in your customers’ shoes.

How do your customers want to communicate? If they want to reach you through LiveChat or a customer portal, they might not care how great your phone support is. So, find out what your customers’ needs are by asking them what their preferred communication method is.

Understand who your customers are.

In order to create content and sales materials that is specifically geared toward helping your customers, you must first understand who they are. So here are some questions to ask them:

-What industries do you sell to?
-What are their common pain points?
-What is the sales cycle like?
-Who is your point person at each company? (More specifically, what is his or her job title and department?)

You will find some commonalities among your customers, so you can create buyer personas to better visualize who you’re working with.

Predict future needs.

With today’s technology, it’s a lot easier to be proactive with your customers. Look into your CRM system and view your customer’s history. Is one of the company’s contracts up for renewal soon? Do they usually upgrade a product every two years? Reach out to them while they’re preparing for an update, and see how you can improve what they already have.

Capture customer feedback in real time.

Listen to your customers. How often are you checking in with them? Do you utilize customer surveys? When you talk to your customers, how are you recording that information?

An effective way to record customer data is in a centralized location, such as a CRM, so that you are able to quickly pull reports and information.

Make sure customer-facing employees are recording their experiences with their customers. For instance, a great way to create a plan that will enhance the customer experience is tracking customer satisfaction.

Use your CRM.

The purpose of CRM software is to enhance customer relationships by recording data and creating real results. Whether it’s tracking the customer journey or a sales cycle, its function is to help you put your best foot forward.

Need more information about the benefits of CRM? Contact us today.

By Sarah Hurd, VP Professional Services

Sarah Hurd is a momentum builder with over 15 years of expertise in technical project management and a proven track record leading complex, multi-technology initiatives. She works closely with organizations to align technology, collaboration, and culture around a shared vision that drives results.

Here are some tips for creating a better customer experience:

Put yourself in your customers’ shoes.

Understand who your customers are.

Predict future needs.

Capture customer feedback in real time.

Use your CRM.