{"id":52733,"date":"2023-08-23T06:00:19","date_gmt":"2023-08-23T06:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/?p=52733"},"modified":"2023-12-18T15:46:52","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T15:46:52","slug":"dont-fake-the-personal-touch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/customer-service-strategies\/dont-fake-the-personal-touch\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Fake the Personal Touch"},"content":{"rendered":"\"PersonalizationOne of the most powerful customer service and CX tactics is personalization. We interviewed more than 1,000 consumers for our <\/span>CX research<\/span><\/a>, and 71% said a personalized experience is important to them. When personalization is used correctly, customers feel as if you recognize them. Using their name, remembering their past purchases, their buying patterns, and more can build confidence and trust. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhile personalization is nice, it is not required, and if you decide to do it, there are some mistakes you must avoid. For example, if you\u2019ve ever talked to a customer service agent who uses your name repeatedly to the point that it seems disingenuous, the effort to personalize fails. Another example came in the form of an email I recently received from a sales rep. It started out like this:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

Dear <NOT PROVIDED>,<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to discuss upgrading your current technology \u2026<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nObviously, my name is not \u201cNot Provided.\u201d I could tell the mail-merge field didn\u2019t work. It took about two seconds for me to delete the email.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhat made it worse was the next day, I received a phone call from the salesperson who sent the email. He didn\u2019t ask for me by name. He asked for \u201cthe person in charge of technology.\u201d So, this guy has my phone number and email address, but can\u2019t get my name? His \u201cpersonalization\u201d strategy failed. As always, I\u2019m polite to every salesperson who calls, but the conversation and relationship were over in less than a minute.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThere are some pretty easy ways to create a personalized experience. Here are three of many to consider.<\/span>\r\n

How to Create a Personalized Experience<\/h3>\r\n
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  1. Use the Customer\u2019s Name \u2013<\/span><\/b> As already mentioned, be sure to use it correctly.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Know the Customer\u2019s Buying History \u2013<\/span><\/b> With the right software, you can track what the customer bought, how often and more.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Make Appropriate Recommendations \u2013 <\/span><\/b>Knowing your customer\u2019s buying history can give you insights into upsell and cross-sell opportunities. This isn\u2019t a traditional sales pitch. It\u2019s based on what you know about the customer. And if you know a customer can use something and don\u2019t tell them about it, that is actually bad customer service.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nWhile there are many more ideas, let\u2019s wrap up with this. Personalization in customer service is about connecting with your customer. Be sure to do it right, whether it is as simple as using the customer\u2019s name or as sophisticated as using data to understand your customer\u2019s needs. No personalization is better than personalization done wrong.<\/span>\r\n\r\n