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Customers want more

Gone are the days when we can greet every customer with a smile and the same routine as everyone else. They have specific needs and demands, and they want them addressed immediately. They want to know they’re a valued part of your company, and they want you to make a difference in theirs. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut and resist change. Change can be scary, but what’s scarier is watching your company flounder because of the refusal to change.

Here are 6 trends that will enhance your customer’s experience

1. Don’t make them wait! Everyone is busy these days, and that’s no different for your customers. They have a million things to keep track of, and when they need an answer, they need it immediately.

This means your employees need the information before the customer asks for it. Make systems open to employees that will allow them to retrieve the needed information and serve your customers better. This decreases frustration on both ends. Your employee is able to serve the customer with less stress and more confidence, and your customer leaves the encounter feeling as if you know and value them.

2. Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is on the rise, and we’re seeing it as more companies use a virtual assistant to answer easier questions for customers. While some customers prefer talking to a real person, AI is able to address their concerns with less wait time. This allows your customer to get the information they need, and it also frees up your staff to focus on the harder, more detailed requests from other clients. AI is technology, and that means it’s advancing. In 2019 we can expect to see predictive AI that captures information about our clients and anticipates their next needs.

3. Customer focused companies are the wave of the future. In the past, it was fine to have a specific team that focused on serving the customer, but as competition grows, the focus is shifting to customers. For a great experience, customers are leaning more toward companies that put the customer experience into every facet of their business from top-tier employees to those working in the trenches.

4. Customers and technologies change. The company that succeeds and makes the customer experience a great one is the company that realizes they can’t settle into a technological routine.

Tomorrow a new update or piece of tech could emerge that changes everything, and companies must be ready to evolve and embrace it. Technology is how we serve our customers, and while they may not keep track of technology that will better serve them, they will notice the difference as experiences get faster, simpler, and more detailed.

5. Ethics rule the day. Customers want companies that are transparent. The Facebook debacle and GDPR brought to light many ways people are being deceived, and customers don’t like it. They want companies they can trust, businesses that will take care of their data and use it in ways to further their experience. With so much competition to choose from, we must make sure our customers feel safe and know that we have everyone’s best interest in mind moving forward.

6. Customers want someone who knows them. Customers are shifting from companies who give a one-size-fits-all service. They’re not like everyone else, and customers prefer having services and experiences tailored to them, rather than a boxed service like everyone else has. The customer knows your brand, and you may mean a lot to them. They want the same loyalty in return.

Your customers give you a lot, it’s time to give back

In business, the principle is to treat customers right, and they will treat you right in return. That message has remained the same, even though businesses, customers, and the technology that effects it all has changed. The goal for customer experience has always been the same, and technology is the way we will reach it.

At crewHu, we are all all about making it simple for customers to provide feedback, and for your employees to track, respond to, and be acknowledged for their customer interactions. Schedule a demo today and find your way to getting meaningful customer feedback.