Why customers want more
These days, simply adding value or bells and whistles to a product simply isn’t enough. People aren’t seeking individual items or services anymore. They’re looking for a full-service experience that will not only address their product needs but excite and fulfill them at the same time. Since the birth of the smartphone, online shopping and reviews, customer expectations have changed dramatically.
“Experiences are more important than products now. In fact, experiences are products,” writes Brian Solis in his book ‘X-The Experience When Business Meets Design.’ “They’ve also become a lively topic of consumer comment for all the world to hear. People increasingly share their experiences with companies and products in our connected economy, and we can either be active participants in creating and nurturing desired experiences or spend more and more time trying to react or make up for bad experiences.”
How digital works to disrupt with customer service
The key to excellent, disruptive customer service lies in the design of the customer experience from introduction to your product, through to nurturing existing customers during their ongoing relationship with your brand. It’s building in touch points, nurture and education for customers in order to make them feel as if they have a unique, valuable relationship with you. For once a relationship of trust is built, it’s hard to break. Digital technologies and channels make up the architecture of this experience, allowing you to connect with your customer on a variety of levels whenever you need.
They allow personalisation of communication, targeting according to preference and group, can recommend upsells seamlessly and encourage two-way communication through questions, polls and reviews. Insights and analytics digital platforms provide allow businesses to effectively read their customer’s minds – looking into their behaviour, responses and preferences and letting you consistently apply these learnings to the customer experience. The malleable nature of digital platforms allows you to shape this communication to the exact needs of the customer, moving from points of high level support to gentle encouragement and a quiet background presence.
Conclusion
No matter how much support and nurture you think your customers need, high-level customer service and care will ensure your product and business remain competitive in today’s consumer-focused marketplace. It’s possible to disrupt your industry from within by merely focusing on the customer experience and offering a level of support and connection that simply isn’t available to them anywhere else. So don’t overlook your customers. They are your biggest asset and your most powerful potential marketing tool.
