Johannesburg, 01 Jun 2022
Forbes tells us: “When it comes to customer expectations, it is no surprise that with all the latest tech leaning us towards instant gratification, millennials have higher expectations for customer experience.”
Yes, interactive customer engagement has eclipsed one-way messaging and notifications, and if you aren’t making provisions for this, you’re probably getting left behind.
To stay relevant in a constantly evolving digital sphere, you need to meet the latest in customer expectations for personalised service.
People want to be recognised as individuals in their own rights. Meaningful two-way conversations, deeper online engagement and effortless interactions are what customers are waiting for (#justsaying).
Therefore, by putting omnichannel systems in place, you’ll be on your way to establishing a loyal customer base.
Reaching customers where they are
Omnichannel is a marketing buzzword that describes the way businesses are achieving the present communication preferences of their customers.
Rather than waiting for customers to come to you, omnichannel browsing, customer service and transactions meet your prospects where they are. So, when your customer has reached the purchase stage of the sales funnel, you’re ready for them; being available immediately results in service with speed and convenience. The combination of these ingredients creates an overall mixture that not only meets, but exceeds customer expectations.
Customer communication preferences
Life moves at a faster pace now than ever before. Communication is instant and our phones can do everything, from making calls to responding to e-mails and ordering groceries.
Let’s say, for example, you’re running an errand (looking at your to-do list on your phone) when you see an important e-mail come through. Since you’re out and about, you respond to the person who sent the e-mail by voice note over WhatsApp. It’s quick, it’s efficient and that task has been taken care of.
If you can relate to that little scenario, you probably already understand the point. Your customers want to be able to control their lives through their phones.
Whether or not your brand becomes part of their lives depends on your ability to meet them where they are. And where are they? They might be working from home, they might be at the gym, perhaps in coffee shops, or they might even be working from an actual office.
One thing is certain: wherever they are, they’re all on their phones.
Your customers don’t want to have to make phone calls – especially those older than 35. They don’t want to wait in queues. And they don’t want to have to approach someone and be forced to say: “Excuse me, do you work here?”
Your customers do want easy engagement and immediate support. They want access to your brand without having to look for it. They also want personalised recommendations. And, they want options – they want to choose how your brand interacts with them.
Research suggests that for 80% of customers, the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services. This certainly poses an interesting challenge for businesses because the customer experience is spread across a variety of different platforms.
Adopting the right digital strategy
You need to be able to deliver a fabulous digital-friendly customer experience. Getting that right involves letting your customers choose how they connect with your brand over their preferred communication channels.
Putting that control into your customers’ hands helps them to develop confidence in your brand, as well as a level of trust that will carry over through long-term relationships and repeat interactions.
An effective digital strategy will include the following elements:
- Personalised text messaging;
- Websites that are responsive to desktop and mobile;
- Convenient two-way interactions;
- Real-time information on promotions and services through instant messaging;
- Social media posts that add value and stimulate meaningful conversations;
- Seamless integration of chatbots, AI and self-service options;
- Using smart and creative ways to encourage feedback; and
- An omnichannel approach to reaching individuals with a personalised offering.
When it comes to an omnichannel offering, it’s sometimes easy to overlook one of the most effective digital communication mediums – don’t underestimate the significance of the good old SMS. You can use the versatility of SMS texting to bring together the different online platforms your brand uses. This remains true since communicating by text is a daily norm and SMS is an element that’s easy to integrate into your social media presence.
Leveraging chatbots through SMS gives consumers easy access to product or service related information that they’re looking for. Automatic customer service lightens the load for your staff while satisfying the demands of your audience. If a conversation moves beyond the keywords a chatbot is capable of responding to, an inquiry can be escalated to a human agent. This whole process is efficient, engaging and attractive to customers.
Did you know that 58% of users say chatbots have changed their expectations of customer service in a good way? And 64% of internet users see round-the-clock support as the biggest benefit of non-human online interactions. (source)
Chat is the best way to engage with your customers and it’s the most powerful tool you can use to enhance their complete omnichannel experience with your brand. Plus, it all happens over their phones.
Reach your customers where they are, give them control over your interactions with them, and make your brand digitally accessible. Then, automate chat by using bots while sounding human and offering a customised experience to individual customers.
If all that sounds confusing, it doesn’t have to be! With the right partners, it’s totally doable. Cellfind will help you grow your business, retain your customers and build partnerships by setting up your omnichannel solutions.
When you know how to get all the right pieces of the online kaleidoscope together, you don’t just meet customer expectations, you exceed them. Chat to Cellfind today to grow your business.
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