[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/01\/26\/how-to-create-seamless-customer-experience\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/01\/26\/how-to-create-seamless-customer-experience\/","headline":"Seamless customer experience: CX can make or break a brand","name":"Seamless customer experience: CX can make or break a brand","description":"A seamless customer experience is a priority for brands today, with 84% of companies that improve their CX seeing increased revenue.","datePublished":"2022-01-26","dateModified":"2023-01-17","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/geert-leeman\/#Person","name":"Geert Leeman","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/geert-leeman\/","identifier":636,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c5cfa20610e2093b065e87f3796777cf9b64f4b5181391f5eaeb624b9525f2b8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c5cfa20610e2093b065e87f3796777cf9b64f4b5181391f5eaeb624b9525f2b8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Sell-ahead_1200x375.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Sell-ahead_1200x375.jpg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/01\/26\/how-to-create-seamless-customer-experience\/","about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/","name":"Customer Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_experience","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q984142"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/customer-experience-general\/","name":"Customer Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_experience","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q984142"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/sap-sapphire-general\/customer-experience-sapphire\/","name":"Customer Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_experience","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q984142"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/service\/customer-service\/","name":"Customer Service","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_service","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q1060653"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/e-commerce\/","name":"E-Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/E-commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q484847"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/e-commerce-solution\/e-commerce-general\/","name":"E-Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/E-commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q484847"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/service\/service-general\/","name":"Service","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Service","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q7406919"]}],"wordCount":856,"keywords":["Chief Revenue Officer | CRO","Customer Experience | CX","Customer Retention","Customer Service","Personalization"],"articleBody":"In a business climate where two-thirds of companies compete based on their customer experience, the pressure is on to make sure your entire organization \u2013 from the C-suite down \u2013 doesn’t lose sight of what’s at the heart of your business: the customer.\u00a0Brands that focus on creating a seamless customer experience boost customer loyalty, trust, and the bottom line \u2013 the data doesn’t lie:84% of companies that improve their CX see increased revenue and 79% report cost savings.But how do you get there? How do you create CX that drives great results?There are some common pitfalls that punch holes in what should be a seamless experience across sales, marketing, e-commerce, and customer service. Successful companies avoid these mistakes by taking three key steps:Lead with a human touch, not technologyKnow the customerDeliver proactive customer service      CX isn\u2019t an area of a business \u2013 it IS business                Business is about buying things, selling things, and engaging with customers. CX is about providing experiences that make people want to engage with you, buy from you, and buy again.      Humanity: The tie that binds a seamless customer experienceWhen interested in learning about how digital transformation can drive business growth, one of the main points we discuss with clients is that technology simplifies workflow processes \u2013 but it shouldn\u2019t feel like a generic or automated experience for their customers.Automated CRM and other tools can provide your sales reps or customer service agents with quick access to customer and product information. But then soft skills come into play to provide solutions in real time.With a complete, accurate view of the customer, sales reps and customer service agents can focus on delivering fast, convenient, personalized experiences instead of having to hunt through databases for information.Live chat and self-service modules may assist customers with simple issues, but more complex situations might require a service agent to step in. With insights into a customer’s purchase and service history, agents can provide prompt, effective problem solving. Customers don’t have to figure out which department they need to speak to, or talk to several agents before getting answers.Almost half (46%) of your customers will bolt if you don\u2019t get it right. The good news is that around 86% of customers will not only stick around, but also are willing to pay more for a superior customer experience.      Breaking 360: It’s time to move beyond the 360-degree view of the customer                For decades, brands have chased the goal of creating a 360-degree view of the customer. It hasn't worked out so well, and now there\u2019s a better, faster, more agile way to gain customer insight and improve CX.      CX: It’s personalBrands with the best CX connect with customers on a personal level. They know what customers like and can offer something they need \u2013 sometimes before a customer even knows they need it.Sales reps become trusted advisors, while e-commerce sites provide curated content and are easy to navigate. Relying on first-party customer data, marketing messages and offers hit the mark.Creating these personalized, seamless experiences reinforce a customer’s decision to do business with your company\u00a0 \u2013 and drive loyalty.Wharton professors Christian Terwiesch and Nicolaj Siggelkow refer to this strategy as providing a \u201cresponse-to-desire\u201d experience. This occurs when a customer has specific purchasing plans and wants the rest of the journey to be as easy as possible.\u00a0\u201cA curated offering helps the customer understand all the available options and find the best option that would fulfill their particular, current need best,\u201d they wrote.For instance, if your customer purchased a book, you can offer information on other written works by the author. Or a company that sells printers can respond to an ink cartridge that’s running low with an automatic refill.\u00a0The key is to demonstrate that you understand what\u2019s important to your customers in each moment.\u00a0      How to personalize customer experience: A D2C road map                Learn how to personalize customer experience and see massive direct-to-consumer success. First-party customer data provides the insight brands need to deliver.      Get ahead of problemsAn exceptional customer experience proactively offers how-to information, fixes, product status updates, renewals, and other services.Gartner points out that as customer service organizations increase their digital footprint and launch new channels, the exploration into proactive customer service is on the rise. However, their research found that only 13% of customers receive proactive customer service compared to around 87% of customers who have never received it.\u00a0Customer service organizations that reach out to customers benefit from reduced call volume and better CX, according to Gartner’s study. “Customers rate the experience much higher on all key metrics, indicating a real opportunity to boost retention and other loyalty outcomes,” researchers said.By finding a balance between digital tools and personal assistance, providing customers with a personalized, seamless experience beyond the purchase, and providing proactive customer service that exceeds customers\u2019 expectations, you can create meaningful connections that drive customer loyalty and robust business growth.\u00a0  Modern business, meet revenue:\u2013 End-to-end connected data\u2013 Engage quickly with a great CX\u2013 Sell anytime, anywhereGet going TODAY."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2022","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"01","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/\/01\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"26","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/\/01\/\/26\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Seamless customer experience: CX can make or break a brand","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/01\/26\/how-to-create-seamless-customer-experience\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]