UK and Ireland: 4 tips for an outstanding customer experience
Happy customers are good for business. Identifying what makes them happy, however, can be difficult. In a landscape of rising inflation, buyer scepticism, and growing consumer power, delivering outstanding customer experience is more complex than ever.
Research from ServiceNow and Opinium shows UK and Irish consumers are less loyal to brands now than they were two years ago. With customers willing to shop around, businesses are under serious pressure to deliver the best possible experience to stand out. Fail to impress, and previously loyal customers will look for an alternative.
That’s why it’s important to delight customers from the very first interaction. Based on the research, here are four tips to help organisations deliver better experiences and greater value to their customers.
1. Prioritise security
When asked to rate the elements of customer service they care most about, a massive 97% of Irish consumers and 94% of UK consumers said a good level of security for personal data is important or very important. For organisations looking to build better relationships with customers, putting security first is a great place to start.
As for determining the right level of security in practice, transparency is key. "Organisations need to make sure to build trust and transparency onto how they use their data sovereignty and compliancy, while using AI to communicate accordingly and proactively to their customers,” explains Jessica Constantinidis, Field Innovation Officer at ServiceNow.
In short, customers should be aware of why a company needs their data, what value they’ll get from the exchange, and how the company will store and manage the data safely. That boosts trust—and brand loyalty will follow.
2. Get personal
A one-size-fits-all approach to customer service may be simple, but it’s unlikely to drive loyalty. More than four-fifths (83%) of consumers in the UK consider it important that a company understands them as a customer. That means personalisation is essential.
A further 81% of consumers in the UK consider it important that a company knows their individual communication preferences. Any business requesting personal information should ask itself: Are we collecting the right information about our customers? And how is it being used to improve and personalise the customer experience?
Swarovski implemented ServiceNow technology to get to the right data and improve its customer experience. The jewellery retailer needed to increase efficiency in the way it managed customer requests, streamline response times, and empower its customer service teams
With the ServiceNow platform, all the data was easily accessible in one place. It gave advisors a single view of a customer, allowing Swarovski to create a seamless link between the services in its physical and digital retail environments.
Getting data right makes it possible to build further personalisation into a product or service and add genuine value for customers. More than three-quarters (76%) of those surveyed in the UK consider it important that a company offers personalised discounts. That figure jumps to 90% in Ireland.
Offering discounts or incentives based on customers’ previous purchasing habits, loyalty status, or key life events can help keep the brand top of mind. Delivering this relies on having access to the right data.
3. Use chatbots right
Almost two-thirds (65%) of consumers in Ireland and 48% of consumers in the UK consider a chatbot an important part of the customer experience. However, they ranked other elements of customer service as more important, including speedy response times, happy employees, and sustainable practices.
If using chatbot technology, make sure it does the job well. The research shows that customers want virtual agents to understand questions, respond quickly, and provide the option to speak to a real person, if necessary.
4. Invest in a seamless experience
Customers value efficiency above all. When asked about the most important aspects of customer service, UK survey respondents ranked a good level of personal data security, agents being able to resolve problems easily, fast response times, and a choice of engagement methods in the top four.
The efficiency customers crave relies on a frictionless experience. Ultimately, siloed systems and disjointed ways of working cause delays across all customer service processes, resulting in lower productivity and frustrated customers.
To resolve this, it's vital to invest in technology that allows work to flow seamlessly end to end. This, in turn, helps reduce delays, with the added bonus of creating better visibility.
Following these tips can lead to a strong, stable customer experience. In a time when companies can’t afford to compete on price alone, delivering that experience is a differentiator they can’t afford to skip.
Find out more about the importance of delivering an outstanding customer experience in our webinar.