There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to customer experience. According to the Harvard Business Review, CX is “the sum-totality of how customers engage with your company and brand, not just in a snapshot in time, but throughout the entire arc of being a customer.” Through this lens, it is easy to understand why customer engagement is as unique as one’s fingerprints. At Horatio, we understand this wholeheartedly and thus our agents are dedicated to one brand solely and exclusively. Horatio agents learn the ins and outs of a brand’s ethos, mission, and values through a rigorous and immersive onboarding process. From there (while technically considered outsourced support), our agents are truly part of each brand’s team and can respond to queries in unique and authentic ways. They truly become an extension of the brand.
Through Horatio agents providing thoughtful CX increases the likelihood of creating lifelong customers increases and companies also find reduced churn. This matters to a brand’s overall business as according to a ZenDesk survey, 87% of customers think brands should put effort into providing a seamless experience. Beyond having a unique way of approaching CX based on a brand, CX should be tailored to a customer’s profile. For example, servicing a millennial customer is much different than when an agent engages with a customer who is over the age of sixty. It behooves CX professionals to ask questions to get to know their customers and their circumstances in order to engage meaningfully and genuinely – even in digital interactions.
Here are some other concrete ways your brand can tailor CX to avoid providing cookie-cutter solutions:
1. Utilize social (active) listening: One unique way your CX agents can engage and also get ahead of customer problems, is by tapping into a brand’s social media presence. Social media provides cues about your customers, even in a way targeted surveys may not. Customers will routinely share not only personal stories but also their preferences through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. CX agents should use these cues as a further way to engage and understand the uniqueness of a customer. Timely and lighthearted responses (when appropriate) on social media always resonate well.
2. Build customer communities unique to your brand: Customers don’t want typical loyalty programs or incentives which nowadays can feel generic and basic. They want communities, genuine engagement, and memories of positive experiences. This is a way to show you truly appreciate the customer and their business. Some ways to go beyond generic loyalty programs include providing incentives like retreats or having local meetups or digital events. CX agents should be an extension of these communities and initiatives which are unique to each brand. CX agents should provide circular feedback, and know the ins and outs of the brand’s customer community. Agents should also use brand language (specific to the business) which keeps messaging consistent and authentic.
3. Ensure your CX technology is personalized and ever-evolving: Generic AI chatbots simply won’t be able to compete in today’s evolving e-commerce world. The technology your company uses should be an extension of your agents and not feel like a digital experience. Highly intelligent AI chatbots are imperative to making sure the CX your brand provides is extraordinary. This means your technology should be ever-evolving and agile. It is worth investing a bigger budget to accommodate new features. Specifically, chatbot questions and conversations should be tailored to each customer situation, and not feel like a generic template/script. There should be geo-specific features to further make sure the customer feels heard and understood (beyond their names). Finally, the Natural Language Processing (NLP) should be of the highest caliber in order for the chatbots to employ the most sophisticated client interactions possible.
