How to build a killer customer experience strategy

In the modern age of customer-centric technology, we are more focused than ever at getting the usability case right. Our obsession and connection with different devices means the ways humans touch a product and use a service can vary wildly, making the field of customer experience so necessary. Questions must be asked for forward-facing organisations that will interact with the customer, and the experience must be defined in a way that matches not just the organisation’s requirements, but the individual’s expectations. Fortunately, building a customer experience strategy need not be a drawn out process, and you can apply some tips and bring in a CX specialist to help expedite the process and aim for CX success.

A killer customer experience strategy

A killer customer experience strategy starts not just by taking stock of what the current strategy is, but by knowing there are flaws. All customers will experience your product slightly differently, but if the experience needs changing, much of what is seen as a problem will be shared between customers. Take note of these issues and look to fix them, committing to the necessity that is change, and realising that some issues will require looking not just to the customers for improvement, but to the employees that have been on the other side of these issues quite for some time. Before your customer experience strategy commences, it’s ideal to bring in a hire who can look at the CX issues from the outside in, taking an unbiased approach to any complaints and holding a magnifying glass to them. Customer-centric design logic is all in the title, and while it should be about the customer, often those involved in the roll out design can take elements personally, reinforcing the need to bring in outside help to deliver a better CX viewpoint. Being an outside party, external customer experience consultants can help make this process flow better, allowing the company to move on to what matters: the customer. Gather insights and customer journeys to work out what needs to be delivered for killer cx, making sure to research your customer as they are now. Their pain points need to be addressed, while a roadmap will help ensure your journey is the one orchestrating the solution. Customer experience strategy is important not just because of what current customers demand, but because it also infers what they desire next, and where they wish to go. If you can align those goals with those of the business, CX becomes an opportunity that can’t be missed, potentially resulting in stronger sales and customer relationships.

CX success for organisations big and small

Customer experience doesn’t have to be a lesson solely for the small app developer, and its focus needs to be embraced by organisations big and small. Larger organisations often have a bigger quest to solving the customer-centricity problem, and it’s one that has been known to connect with customer satisfaction, though the two are distinct. Customer satisfaction endeavours to ensure the customer was satisfied with a survey or interview, while customer-centric design aims to keep the customer satisfied regardless. However, it’s a lesson that more organisations need to become abreast of, and one that can change the outcomes of a business altogether. Companies taking to social platforms to engage with customers on the channels they most actively participate in is an example, while an app experience that keeps customers engaged offers another. Ultimately, true CX success will be revealed when customers tell you in no uncertain terms that they wish more products and services behaved like yours, also known as the gold standard of customer approval rankings.

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Bridget Loudon
CEO & Co-Founder of Expert360 | Bridget Loudon is a passionate leader on a mission to create simple technology products that change our working lives for the better. Bridget grew up on a sheep farm in Ireland. She excelled academically, with her university scholarships and entrepreneurial spirit taking her to live and work in France, Hong Kong, Ireland, and most recently settling in Australia at the age of 21. Bridget worked for Bain & Co in Sydney before the founding of Expert360 in 2013, at age 25, with a mission to create the technology platform that would allow companies to power agile, project-based workforces. Today, Expert360 is APAC’s leading marketplace and management platform powering the freelance economy. She has won numerous accolades such as Forbes 30 Under 30, Top 100 Women of Influence in Australia, FutureMakers list of Australia’s top 25 Emerging Entrepreneurs under 25, Shoestring’s Top 50 Australian female entrepreneurs under 40.

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