Customer Service Experience: The Difference in Bang or Broke
Do you like customers? Since you are in business, the guess is yes you do. If you want to keep those you have and gain lots more follow the bread crumb trail to:
More web traffic
More referrals
Greater conversion rates
Increased average order value
Increased revenue
Increased customer lifetime value
Sound good? Thought so! But…how do you get there? From those individual experiences to a lifetime customer’s loyalty is a journey worth your investigation. Begin by comparing the online customer to the brick-and-mortar customer. Are they different? Yeah, some, but not astronomically so.
58% will recommend a company for a good customer experience
73% will probably purchase again and maybe more for a great customer experience
BUT……
89% of consumers will run away from a company for a bad customer experience
Interesting stats from an online consumer survey:
97% state their experience influenced their purchase decision.
65% state their experience has changed their opinion of some product or service.
So….how do you capture this. Online is not as easy as in person. Or is it?
Here are five key behavior leads you can convert from offline to online.
1. Keep the conversation going.
2. Talk like you know them.
3. Help guide decisions and help find solutions.
4. Listen to what they don’t say.
5. Use the awesome factor.
But how you might ask:
Keep the conversation going by being consistent. The customer found you. They clicked a link in email, an affiliate, a promo, or maybe from a social media site like Facebook. Once they come in your persistent message and consistent branding helps them feel more comfortable.
Talk like you know them the same you do as when a rep walks up to someone in a store. Suppose you’re looking at TVs and the salesperson comes up beside you and says, “Great picture, isn’t it?” This makes the consumer feel comfortable and welcomed. Since you can’t walk up and talk online, what do you do?
Gather stats and use them.
Use data (real-time and historical) to target their experience for max effect.
Are they new or returning, where did they link from, where do they live.
Gather data through demographics, contact forms, loyalty programs.
Monitor live behaviors – cart abandon, brand attraction.
Ease the customers work by helping them find what they are seeking by:
Badging – highlight products where possible (results, throughout the site, category names)
Search – use predicative analytics to help reorder results. This results in a rich experience. The “you know me” factor kicks in. Get rid of “No Results” with appropriate, in-stock items. Keep them in the store!
Recommend – promote new items, new ideas, similar items, and best-sellers.
Always, Always, Always listen to your customers. How?
Analyze data.
Predicative analytics.
Run effective A/B/n and multivariate tests.
Promote the best outcomes: Shipping and discounts could be winners. Some consumers like specials; some don’t. Let your analytics guide you. Mold your customer’s experience to your customer. No more one-size fits all.
Brands – customers often curtail to brand affinity. If they like what they buy, they buy it again. Put those brands in front of them. Again, analytics will answer the questions.
Social factors seriously influence consumer purchases. People listen to friends, family, and followers. Consumers educate one another about brands, products, services, and customer experiences. You can test various locations to see if ratings and reviews will help or hurt your conversion rates.
Whatever you do, DON’T forget the AWESOME factor! Astound, delight, and awe your customer. That does not mean shock, scare, and repulse! Do things like:
Instant coupon codes directly related to why they came to your site.
WOW guarantees – no questions asked and lifetimes take the cake here.
Tablet optimization – be aware of features and functionality that can help make their experience more memorable. They will be.
So what all this boils down to is be a customer experience expert. That doesn’t just mean a customer service expert. The experience is much more than just the service.
Bring them in via appropriate inbound marketing.
Discover customer interests – data and predictive analytics.
Message consistency.
Promote similar items.
Use data from real-time clicks to improve interactions.
