As we turn the page on 2017, many people will commit to making changes to improve themselves, some with big goals in mind. Whether it’s losing weight, quitting smoking, or paying off debt, statistics say that over 40% of people will make resolutions at New Years; a more frequently cited statistic says that only 9% of people who make them will actually feel they were successfully achieved.
But here’s the nugget of value hidden in those same statistics: “People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don't explicitly make resolutions.”
So, if you’re thinking about ways to improve customer experience in the new year, you’re statistically much more likely to achieve your goals if you explicitly make them into resolutions for the year.
Here are three resolutions that can dramatically help you improve customer experience this year:
- Clean Up Your Customer Database
A recent study from Xperience Group shows that only 13% of businesses clean their data annually, and that 20% never clean their data at all. Data cleansing can mean the difference between a successful customer interaction and a disappointing experience. Data cleansing means not only updating outdated information and purging bad data, but also reexamining the structure of your database and the associated data fields to ensure your CRM or Marketing Automation System is still meeting your needs.
- Develop (Or Reevaluate) Written Customer Journeys
We all talk a great deal about our customers’ journey, but it’s like any other type of map: if it isn’t’ available in a consistent, documented way for everyone who needs to use it, it’s just an idea—not a useful reference. Imagine if Google Maps gave inconsistent results to 55% of people who used it, making it not only an untrustworthy system, but a tool to be avoided when in a critical situation? Well, according to Gartner, 55% of senior marketers felt unsure about the accuracy of their customer journey mapping, leading to a similar problem. The solution? View customer journey mapping as an ongoing process, not a one-time solution. As markets change, so do our customer journeys, so periodic refreshing is essential.
- Commit to Delivering Information via your Customers’ Channels of Choice
Similar to journey mapping, customer communication preferences evolve over time as technologies change and culture evolves. We’ve moved over time from a preference for letters to emails to text messaging and beyond. With the introduction of Amazon Echo and Google Home, customers have the ability to get information from their retailers, financial services companies, and insurance companies without the need to visit a website or open an app. Are your customers looking for new and innovative ways to communicate? Are they looking for proactive notifications instead of needing to contact a call center once they’re finally frustrated enough to call? Now is a great time to look at your customer preferences and see if your customer experience is keeping pace.
We at SPLICE have turned the page on 2017 and view 2018 as a new beginning for delivering the best knowledge & services for you. Subscribe below to get our new insights and updates on customer experience, voice technologies, and upcoming events delivered right to your mailbox!
Want to learn more about how to achieve customer experience excellence in 2018? Contact SPLICE at 1-855-777-5423.
