Customer experience will be key to success in 2021
IT GOES without saying 2020 has brought about massive change. As consumers, it is easy to see how our own habits have played a role in driving that shift. More companies than ever before have switched to offering online services. This has, in turn, increased our reliance on virtual support channels: a live chat, Whatsapp, social media message, email or a simple phone call.
It has become almost habitual to get everything we want delivered straight to our doorstep and to access help whenever it suits us.
While many of us yearn for life to go “back to normal” in 2021, in customer service, there are a few things unlikely to revert. After a year like 2020, how should we continue to move forward? My money is on it being all about the experience.
We know value for money and quality – paired with trust in a brand – have been the top three drivers for customer loyalty. But recent research from Deloitte shows customer experience is hot on the heels of that trifecta.
Indeed, the survey highlights that customers view quality of customer service, convenience, and the overall shopping experience as the three next most important drivers of loyalty. If great quality and prices are not paired with outstanding service, a customer is likely to think twice about where to spend their money. As customer loyalty becomes harder to obtain and retain, I believe we will start to see customer experience outweigh those more traditional loyalty drivers.
Customer demands are also likely to create change to a
Companies that can create a more personal experience are likely to see the reward
company’s own customer support processes. Often down to older technology, records of support interactions with a company are kept separate, creating a more isolated view of the customer, rather than a holistic sense of their journey.
Even though shopping is shifting heavily online, you can’t buy the positive feeling of having your name remembered by a salesperson in your favourite store. And just because we’re shopping more online, the benefits of these small yet memorable interactions have not disappeared. Companies that can create a more personal experience are likely to see the reward.
As customers demand a better experience, the support adviser is likely to demand a better workplace experience, too. The role of the call-centre adviser has remained largely unchanged for decades but this is a job that is ready to see change. Digitisation has paved the way for more complex problem-solving, creating space for more skilled adviser roles.
This creates space for a more rewarding role, which could make a real impact on job satisfaction.
After a year where we have learned to expect the unexpected, it will be interesting to see how 2021 pans out. But I would hedge my bets on experience. The companies that provide a great experience to their customers and the employees offering that service are those that will come out on top.