Gaining a competitive edge through customer experience

As markets mature and competition intensifies, products and services converge, and companies become increasingly hard to differentiate. But if you want to generate growth – and who doesn’t? –  you must find ways to stand out. And one of the most effective ways to do that is to offer a better customer experience than your competitors.

Customers have never been more spoilt for choice, so you must ensure your company is focused on them like never before. Offering a consistently excellent experience to your customers – whoever they engage with and for whatever reason – is arguably your best way to generate loyalty.

This is about putting your customers’ needs at the heart of everything, then ensuring they have the best possible experience at every touch point and throughout every type of transaction. Get it right and satisfaction will grow, service costs will fall, and you will stand a better chance of generating the kind of loyalty that could even turn a customer into an ambassador for your company.

A recent PwC global survey discovered that about three-quarters (73%) of people believe customer experience is an important factor in their purchasing decisions. In fact, 65% of US respondents said a positive experience with a brand is now more influential than great advertising. But only half of the respondents felt that companies are providing a good customer experience today.

So, how can CRM help you improve the experience you offer your customers?

IMPROVING THE EXPERIENCE AT EVERY STAGE

Your customers want to be fully informed before committing to any purchases – much more than they used to. You must think carefully about what this means for your business and adapt your strategy and spending accordingly. CRM will help you do this by tracking trends and analysing data to help you make informed decisions.

Post-sales, your customer service must be exceptional. Every customer must be made to feel special. If they feel valued, they will value you in return, they will remember you, and they will recommend you.

By offering a single and comprehensive source of truth about every customer – from the first marketing contact to the latest service case and all the back-office functions that hold your company together – CRM helps you to deliver this level of experience.

It connects your processes, helping them to flow seamlessly. It puts the right information in the hands of the right people at the right time. It offers a clear view of the cost to your business of servicing your customers, helping you refine your service in ways that maximise profitability but still keep your customers satisfied.

Read how online bathroom retailer Soak.com used Workbooks to create an exceptional experience for its customers.