All For The Love Of CX

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air. Businesses are “feeling the love” for their customers as we mark our most romantic holiday, and, as trends indicate, all year long. As innovation continues at a fever pitch and competition to gain and retain customers is harder than ever, the customer experience (also known as CX) becomes front and center at the planning meetings of savvy companies looking for an edge.

Let’s Start By Clearing A Few Things Up:

  • What’s the difference between customer service, customer experience and customer care? Terms like these are often thrown around interchangeably and can muddy the waters for companies on the quest to win over their customers’ love. Let’s make sure that we are schooled up on what it all stands for:
    • Customer Service – This is a reactive move to help customers when and how they need it. Customer service often comes in the form of answering questions and providing specific guidance based on customer needs.
    • Customer Care – The term customer care could be deemed Customer Service 2.0. It’s more than just answering questions, it’s wowing customers in ways they did not expect, impressing them while providing the solution they need.
    • Customer Experience – Customer experience or CX is a term used to describe the customer’s (or potential customer’s) holistic journey with your brand. It starts with your lead generation efforts, includes customer service and customer care and encompasses an entire customer lifecycle at every touchpoint.
  • Why does it matter? From Fortune 500 enterprises to solopreneurs, investments in the customer experience are increasing. If customer love is still not on your agenda, here are some statistics from a recent Walker Info Study to consider:
    • By 2020, 86% of buyers will be willing to pay more for a great customer experience.
    • 73% of buyers point to customer experience as an important factor in purchasing decisions (also by next year).
    • 65% of buyers in 2020 will be more heavily influenced by a positive customer experience than by advertising.

Six Customer Experience Tips to Keep Your
Customers Swooning This Valentine’s Day + Beyond

1  Meet your customers where they are. If your customers are primarily using iPhones to interact with your company, make sure your mobile game is second to none. If, however, your customer base prefers to engage with you face-to-face, make sure you lock down a workspace that beams with professionalism and accommodates their needs. If your customers are on multiple channels, you might need an omnichannel approach to your customer experience efforts.

2 Get intimate with your customers. Understanding who your customers are, how they interact with you and what they want is the key to providing an ultimate customer experience. Using pop-up surveys on your website, social media polls and email survey initiatives, you can drill down on the details that will help you understand what your customers what (and then give it to them, obviously).

3 Don’t throw out your phones. The old-fashioned ability to pick up the phone and reach a live human being is now a differentiator for many businesses. These personal touches can set you apart and give customers the “love” and attention they need to stay loyal to your brand.

4 Use technology too. While the phone is still the original gangster of customer experience, convenience is also non-optional. Using technology to provide your customers ways to get quick answers, interact with you seamlessly and stay connected is a cornerstone to any good CX plan.

5 Check out your “EX.” Even on Valentine’s Day, checking your EX should only mean one thing – checking out your employee experience! Happy, empowered employees provide good customer experiences. It’s really that simple. Make sure your hiring process is sound, your training program is comprehensive and ongoing as well as strive to have a great company culture to support your customer experience goals.

6 Measure, measure and measure again. Without measurement of your customer experience, it will be difficult to truly know where your efforts are succeeding and where they are falling short. It will also prevent you from taking note when dips or spikes occur. Be sure to keep your finger on the pulse of your customer experience initiatives.

Crown Center Executive Suites in South Florida is full of love for the businesses that call our facility home on a daily basis or occasionally when needed. Our many workspace options can offer a state-of-the-art foundation to your business operations so you can focus on showing the love to your customer all year long!

Explore the workspace option that works best for you, including:

      • 90 economically-priced Executive Suites
      • Five conference rooms and a training room
      • Shared workspace and virtual office options

Set up your tour of Crown Center Executive Suites today!