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Guest Post: Five Ways to Create First-class Experiences for Customers

This week, we feature an article by Laura Bassett, Vice President of Product Marketing at NICE CXone, a complete platform for delivering an end-to-end customer experience. She shares five key tips for creating an exceptional experience for customers. Customer experience is constantly changing and evolving. Processes that worked a year ago might not be suitable […]

This week, we feature an article by Laura Bassett, Vice President of Product Marketing at NICE CXone, a complete platform for delivering an end-to-end customer experience. She shares five key tips for creating an exceptional experience for customers.

Customer experience is constantly changing and evolving. Processes that worked a year ago might not be suitable for a business today. One aspect that has remained constant throughout these changes is the influence of digital. Today’s consumers tend to turn to the likes of Google, YouTube, or Twitter as the first point of contact when trying to reach customer services. As a result, businesses need to be able to extend their ability to service customers beyond the boundaries of their channels to provide the customer with the experience they deserve.  

Knowing where customers are turning to for help is important. Using this knowledge to deliver a first-class experience will keep customers satisfied and build brand loyalty. Here are five key tips to consider when looking to create an exceptional experience for customers:  

Always compare yourself to others

Understanding the direction customer service and experience is heading in the market will always help brands stay ahead. To offer a leading experience and increase market share, however, businesses should also look beyond their boundaries to consider what customers need and value.  Identifying and adopting the top examples of customer experience, even if found in a different field, can improve customer satisfaction.  

By accurately understanding customers and creating an experience they value, businesses can set the bar to the level they need to perform. By focusing on your customer and recognizing them in your duty to deliver transparent information and support, you will build accountability as an organization and provide multi-channel experiences. 

Understand the customer journey for YOUR customers

Knowing what is happening within the wider market is essential. Keeping up to date with industry research can indicate where a business is tracking and upcoming trends. It’s equally important to look inwards and understand the customer journey. Businesses need to ask themselves the right questions, such as: What experience do my customers receive when they reach out for help? Is it informative? Does it take multiple tries and in different locations? Are they becoming frustrated during the process? Are my agents being properly trained? How much help are my agents providing, and are they able to provide the right help? 

This enables businesses to understand the exact pain points of their customers’ experience and address them to guarantee that the customer journey is seamless and simple.  

Simplify the ways that customers can achieve a resolution

Chatbots and virtual assistants have made self-service a natural first point of contact for many customers. Having them function correctly is essential as they can determine how smooth the customer journey will be, with many customers wanting to serve themselves from start to finish. Digital makes that possible, but the process needs to be simple. For example, if a customer starts with a chatbot but is then redirected to an agent to explain the question or issue again, it can be very frustrating. If that agent doesn’t have the background or training on how to solve the issue, it will cause unnecessary friction for a customer. 

This is where data and AI can help. The idea is to rectify any issues in as few steps as possible. By using AI solutions driven by customer data, agents have all the necessary information available, so customers don’t have to start from the beginning.  

Customer experience is everyone’s responsibility

Most organizations have a dedicated customer experience team. To deliver top-notch customer service, businesses must understand that everyone, not only the agents working closely with the consumer, has the responsibility of exceptional delivery. Regardless of if it’s the contact center, the social media team, the website development team, or the marketing team, every customer touchpoint is an opportunity to deliver a good service and a brand-elevating experience. Ultimately, all employees are brand ambassadors. Even if you’re not dealing directly with the customer, you’re either supporting somebody or you’re involved in the customer’s process. The key is to make it seamless. 

Empower contact center agents

While customer experience is everyone’s responsibility, contact center agents are at the front line of customer complaints and inquiries. They need to feel empowered and supported to do their jobs well. The first step is to change the mindset within the business to turn agents into executives. Armed with the right information and tools, agents are then able to make the correct decisions to resolve customer issues quickly and efficiently.  

Without the right tools to do their jobs properly, the customer experience is going to suffer. Preparing the agent with the right information and training will keep motivation and productivity high, which will have a knock-on impact on the customer and improve the business from the bottom up. 

Creating a seamless customer journey across assisted and self-service channels is the top priority for customer service leaders in 2022 (Gartner’s Hype Cycle 2022), not just because it provides a better experience but also because it’s what customers have come to expect. Getting it right isn’t a one size fits all solution. Following these steps can help create a better customer experience and improve your business. 

Laura Bassett, Vice President, of Product Marketing at NICE CXone, a complete platform for delivering an end-to-end customer experience. Laura is NICE CXOne’s chief storyteller, leading a team of the industry’s most innovative and creative thought leaders.

Read Shep’s latest Forbes article: How To Avoid An Unamazing Customer Experience 

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