Businesses of all sizes can agree that customers no longer buy just a product or service. More than ever, the modern customer journey reflects the need for and investment in a positive experience.
By James Bayhack, director for sub-Saharan Africa at CM.com
Today’s customers have higher expectations and no longer see online and offline shopping as distinct experiences. So, if businesses are largely geared towards customer satisfaction and retention, connecting with them in ways that matter is paramount.
Resoundingly, every engagement counts. At the core of enjoyable customer experiences are effective communication techniques, and these should be implemented as an organisational strategy. Customer communication channels have always been vital for businesses and brands in delivering key messages to their customers or audiences. If used well, these channels can enhance brand reputation and increase brand loyalty and customer satisfaction – 61% of customers stated that they would discontinue business with a company due to poor customer service.
In a world so digitised and fast-paced, the number of ways businesses can communicate with their customers has grown significantly. The range of options can seem daunting, and a crucial first step is understanding the customers’ expectations. Subsequently, a business owner or organisation should identify the right communication channels.
Recognising the critical nature of customer experience has become more prominent among businesses, with more than two-thirds of marketers responsible for customer experience stating that their companies now compete based on that factor. But the right processes and procedures are much more than that.
Understanding customer dissatisfaction
According to Deloitte, customers who enjoy positive experiences are likely to spend 140% more than customers who report negative ones. That’s why customer satisfaction is a continuous goal. And, while businesses look to please their customers, they should also consider how to eliminate the primary causes of customer dissatisfaction.
Customer dissatisfaction isn’t simply about an unhappy customer. In fact, heightened emotions like regret, disappointment, or anger are more likely to inform complaints. Thus, focusing on minimising the types of customer dissatisfaction that cause strong negative emotions is critical.
Good customer communication today: social media and websites
Great customer communication ensures that a business has a single and centralised effort to understand and manage all contact with its customers. Mastering the use of communication channels means offering seamless and consistent customer support. Customer communication channels are the medium through which businesses interact with their customers, with the intent to improve customer experience.
Some examples of these channels include email, phone, social media, and websites.
Instagram is a great platform for building good customer relations because of its social nature. As an image- and video-oriented platform where customers search for new ideas and trends, businesses can showcase their products, services, and corporate personality in these forms and the comments section.
The Direct Messages feature allows for personalised engagement. It is communication skills like empathy, attentiveness, and consistency that will convert and retain customers. And it’s important to make sure that customers can reach the business privately through something like a Send Message button on the profile.
A Messaging button can also be added to stories to drive conversations. They’re everywhere but are of great benefit to a business’s advertisements. They can help a business’s visibility and inspire users to engage. An Instagram account allows for promoting existing stories and posts to turn them into an advertisement.
Quick, reliable service contributes to customer satisfaction online. Keeping in mind the business’s tone of voice will help create fast, ready-to-send answers to frequently asked questions.
E-commerce merchants should know that personalisation the key to customer trust and comfort, meaningful messaging and retaining web shoppers. It begins at the very first customer interaction – whether through a web inquiry or a reach-out by phone.
Understanding this allows a business to continue the interaction through another key touchpoint.
The next touchpoint, often deemed risky, is the order admin, like a confirm request or shipping reminder. A common channel that businesses disseminate this information through is email, but perhaps this could be sent on the same platform where the conversation was initiated like WhatsApp, or in real-time SMS. This can give the customer the feeling of instant satisfaction.
Once the customer has reached the final process of their order, a genuine opportunity for personalisation emerges in the form of cross-selling and up-selling. If a business sends the right communication at the right time, a customer’s potential to look at a recommended product many times or a previous product again increases.
Beyond the right processes and procedures is the need to plan synchronised communication across departments. Multidisciplinary teams can help. These teams can help break down silos and support customer-focused employees to create improved and cohesive customer experiences. They are a brilliant way to diversify expertise and bring a unique perspective to fulfilling customers’ needs.
In breaking down silos, each professional within a business can work together and create a responsive, engaging, and supportive customer experience reflective of each customer’s needs at every touchpoint.
Customer communication channels remain indispensable to businesses and brands today. And, if they can effectively implement and employ these solutions, they can truly enhance the customer experience, creating a great brand reputation and customer satisfaction. Prioritising customers is, by far, the most valuable business goal, and by leveraging tips and the communication channels on Instagram and websites, any company or brand can gain customer loyalty while increasing profitability.