How to Align Your Business Technology With Customer Satisfaction
What do my customers want?
Even the savviest of business leaders continue to ask themselves this question. Today’s companies know they’re in the customer experience business, and they’re beginning to recognize that how they deliver to their customers is just as important as what they deliver. The modern customer experience goes above and beyond customer service, and integrates customer preferences and expectations into each consumer-brand touchpoint.
Considering customer expectations are constantly changing, this is certainly no simple feat. In fact, research has shown that 67% of customers say their standards for good experiences are higher than ever.
To win over hearts and wallets, companies must not only deliver impeccable marketing, sales, e-commerce, and service interactions, but they also need to prove their customers’ best interests are a top priority. Luckily, today’s emerging technologies are on the side of customer-focused brands.
With maintaining customer satisfaction the primary goal of modern businesses, CMOs and CIOs need to equip their employees with the right tools and technology to achieve it.
Here’s four ways to use technology to boost customer satisfaction:
#1. Take a Mobile-First Approach
Although consumers are deep into the mobile-site-adoption curve, many businesses are still playing catch-up. As a company strategizes its website or other means of digital communications, it should think critically about the mobile experience and how customers will interact with the company from their many devices.
When businesses establish a digital strategy, they should be sure to incorporate the “mobile-first” way of thinking. Aside from developing a website that can cater to mobile formats or use social media, business owners must consider the ways in which a consumer would use their mobile devices.
Is your pizza restaurant included in the top results when consumers search for “pizza near me?” Are you equipped with capabilities that allow users to interact with you on their smart speaker?
Consumers are increasingly using emerging mobile-based technologies like these at a rapid pace, so businesses must meet consumer expectations.
#2. Invest in R&D-Focused Technologies
As you begin investing in new technologies for your organization, it’s critical to partner with vendors that place a priority on continuous research and development in their products.
This ensures your organization is not only current on technology when you first implement it, but continues to stay up-to-date on emerging technologies in the future too. Just like consumer preferences, technology shifts over time too.
Working with a vendor that consistently updates its products with the latest features, capabilities, and best practices offers you a better return on investment and also ensures that your technology supports customer satisfaction over time.
Before selecting your technology partners, be sure to inquire about their research and development (R&D) spending. Not all vendors put forth the same investment into R&D; for example, Infor Lawson Software dedicates just $489 million annually, whereas other leaders in the space spend up to $6 billion. Be sure to find a vendor that is as committed to expanding their capabilities as you are.
#3. Use Elements of Automation
As connectivity becomes ubiquitous and customers grow used to conversational interactions with brands, immediacy has become vital. A report from Sprout Social indicates almost 89% of customer inquiries that require a response are completely ignored by brands. When businesses opt to respond, they often take up to 10 hours to deliver their response.
As the millennial generation takes over the majority of the consumer population, real-time responses will become critical for customer experience success. Enter artificial intelligence (AI) and automation-based tools, like chatbots. AI-powered chatbots can guide the research phase of the customer purchasing process, acting as virtual assistants for online consumers.
Chatbots, which are designed to simulate conversation with human users over the internet, can actively take on some of the responsibilities of a customer service team. For example, when online shoppers have an inquiry concerning product details or shipping information, chatbots can provide an instantaneous response.
#4. Monitor Customer Behavior
Use technology to track a typical buyer’s journey when shopping on your e-commerce site. Are customers using the back button often? Is the help menu search box populating with the same terms over and over again? Are people walking away from their orders at a specific point in the transaction?
A user journey map, also known as a customer journey map, is a diagram that visually illustrates a user’s flow through your site. It identifies key interactions and touchpoints with your website or mobile app and describes in detail the customer’s goals, motivations, and feelings at each step.
A user journey map offers a visual representation of your potential customer’s experience—it’s a useful tool for everyone in your company to look at your website from the user’s point of view and can be a key part in user experience (UX) design and optimization. This strategy can help you optimize your site’s UX, so that it’s simple and intuitive for customers to follow, while also motivating them to make a purchase.
This year is expected to bring many new advancements in customer experience. The only way for your business to maximize customer satisfaction and stay competitive is to take advantage of the technology that’s right at your fingertips. Whether you are a CEO, CIO, or CMO, it’s time to use technology to optimize customer experience.
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