Customers are more likely to repeat business and leave good reviews when they have a positive customer experience. Benefits of a positive experience also include reduced customer effort, increased customer satisfaction, and better word-of-mouth marketing, including customer recommendations.
But what defines a ‘positive’ customer experience? A positive customer experience does not only mean a pleasant engagement with the brand. A customer typically interacts with a business to attain an outcome, for example, to have an issue resolved. A positive customer experience means meeting those expectations and achieving the desired outcome.
When expectations are not met, outcomes are not achieved, or the experience is not successful for any reason, then the customer will likely come away having had a negative customer experience. At the same time, it is worth recognizing that errors do occur; a positive customer experience may stem from quickly and effectively resolving those errors, turning past mistakes into new opportunities for connecting with customers.
A customer who has a bad experience may never interact with that brand again—in fact, in the US, 32% of customers will stop doing business with a brand they loved after a single negative experience (source: PwC). This leads to a loss of revenue, negative word-of-mouth marketing, bad reviews, and a possible hit in reputation. Some common causes of bad experiences include:
The right approach to CX is essential for businesses aiming to deliver exceptional experiences that cultivate customer loyalty and drive growth—but it's not something that's likely to happen without comprehensive strategy. A well-thought-out customer experience strategy helps organizations align their efforts with customer expectations and enhance overall satisfaction.
When building a plan for CX, consider these crucial elements:
Proactive service
Do not simply wait for problems to arise. Actively work to identify and address issues in your products and services. As you discover these issues, keep your customers aware of the situation, with messaging and alerts informing them as to the problem, and how you are working to resolve it. Move toward using data and artificial intelligence to detect and prevent issues entirely.
Correct balance of human and automated support
Automation can speed up processes and may provide more accurate solutions, but personalization and human touch add a sense of value to the customer experience. Customers want to know that they are important enough to deserve the full attention of a living agent, and they appreciate the peace of mind that comes from being able to interact with a human when they encounter problems. Striking the right balance ensures that customers receive both efficient and empathetic support.
Friendly, patient employees
It has been said that all things being equal, a person will always choose to do business with a friend. This carries over into CX; friendly, patient, and empathetic employees create a positive impression and foster a welcoming environment, enhancing overall satisfaction.
Minimal effort from the customer
Customers should not have to put in more effort than is necessary. Ideally, their problem is solved in the first interaction without the need for finding different touchpoints. They also should not have to search far to find resolutions to their issues or contact points; all self-service resources should be readily available.
Achieving customer objectives
At the end of the day, the customer will likely be most concerned about whether you were able to effectively resolve their issues and help them achieve their goals. Make customer objectives your objectives, and work with the customer to help ensure successful remediation of every case.
Today's customers expect fast, friction-free service, and those organizations that prioritize delivering exceptional experiences gain an advantage over their competition. ServiceNow, the leader in IT management technology, provides the resources, support, tools, and analytical insights your organization needs to bring customer experience to the forefront.
Serving as central hub for all your customer-focused, the Now Platform delivers direct, intuitive access to powerful CX tools. Customer Service Management, Field Service Management, Order Management, and Automation Engine—ServiceNow provides comprehensive solutions designed to streamline service, accelerate results, and empower your employees and your customers. Provide self-service options and proactive support. Deliver effective surveys to identify and address root issues. Employ intelligent automation to streamline CX solutions. And through it all, integrate your entire tool suite into a single source of truth for your business. ServiceNow makes it all possible.
Experience the transformative power of ServiceNow in optimizing your customers’ experiences. Demo ServiceNow today and unlock the full potential of your CX strategy.