Digitization has revolutionized consumer behavior, and consumers now have very high expectations when it comes to the customer experience. Companies must therefore rethink their strategies to adapt to new customer demands.
To meet this challenge, companies need to rethink their customer strategies and increasingly adapt and personalize their customer experiences.
The omnipresence of digital
Over the last ten years or so, we've witnessed a real transformation in our daily lives due to new digital uses that have become almost indispensable for most people. With the almost universal use of the Internet, new technologies, the advent of social networks and the hyper-connectivity of consumers in real time, customer relations have evolved considerably. Armed with all these new, constantly evolving information and communication tools, customers are much more sensitive to the experience they are offered, rather than to the brand offering it. As a result, the more connected consumers are, the better informed they are, and the more demanding they are of the service they receive.
A new omnichannel strategy
As a result, a new strategy is needed: optimizing the various distribution and communication channels to maximize the fluidity and interaction between brand and customer. This strategy delivers significant gains in performance and responsiveness. But to reap these benefits, you need to know your customers better, so you can identify their ever-changing needs and expectations as accurately as possible. To respond to this great need for customer interactivity, which has become even more pronounced in the wake of the pandemic, we need to implement an action plan: the multi-channel strategy becomes omnichannel. Omni-channel allows you to offer your customers a seamless experience and personalized support throughout their journey, making the barrier between digital and physical almost non-existent.
How can you optimize your customer relations?
A customer-centric digital strategy
The expression "the customer is king" has never been more apt than it is today. Indeed, in this age of over-consumption and over-information, the customer has an innumerable number of choices, and can compare them all instantly. Capturing their attention is becoming increasingly complex, as are their demands. Competition is increasingly fierce, and the quality of your customer relations is becoming your best weapon of differentiation. That's why it's now essential to place customer satisfaction at the heart of your development strategy.
Creating a personalized customer experience
According to Gladly 86% of customers expect a personalized, relevant experience and fluid communication.
As mentioned earlier, consumers are more attached to the experience than to the brand, so a company needs to constantly improve in order to attract customers. As for the consumers you manage to retain, they increasingly demand highly targeted, personalized content. By offering them a service that's uniquely theirs, you instill in your customer a sense of security and privilege, and build a long-term relationship of trust.
Using data to improve customer relations
Digital means data.
An enormous amount of customer data is recorded every day, and this is the best way to build a 360° vision of your targets. Indeed, it provides companies with a wealth of information on their customers' habits, preferences and desires, enabling them to sharpen their strategies to better satisfy them. When properly processed, their analysis provides an immediate visualization of trends and a valuable basis for mastering the customer journey and responding to it in the best possible way.
However, managing and securing customer data remains a major issue in this regard. In May 2018, the European Union is implementing the General Data Protection Regulation and is then obliging companies to comply with the measures in force, and even if this process isn't respected by everyone, demonstrating such an interest in information security can be a market differentiator. Brands must place security at the heart of the customer experience, and not hesitate to make it known. Transparency is the key to building trusting customer relationships.
But what does this mean for your company?
Digital transformation, an asset for your company
The digitalization of customer relations is at the heart of your company's digital transformation. The adoption of digital processes and tools is the key to meeting the complexity of new customer experience requirements, and a great growth opportunity for companies. According to Super Office, 92% of companies believe that CRM technology is crucial to achieving their strategic objectives. These innovative tools make you reachable and accessible to your customers, who are then satisfied with the responsiveness and availability of your service.
This phenomenon also makes use of your customer database, which is an excellent source of data. The analysis of this data enables you to study the behavior of your prospects and thus create a tailor-made strategy to make your products/services the most adapted to their expectations. This data is perpetually updated, enabling you to constantly improve your customer experience - the key to customer loyalty.
How are things going internally?
If you want to face up to the challenges of digital transformation and successful customer relations, you also need to work with your teams. But don't worry, it's all a question of management.
Digital tools aren't just for prospects, they're also a great way to increase your productivity and efficiency. Whether you're looking for communication, automation or CRM tools, there's a wide range to choose from. It's up to your company to adopt the type of leadership best suited to your culture, teams and needs.
Major changes within the organization are essential if the company's different departments are to share the same vision and work in collaboration. Sales, marketing and customer support teams all need to be involved and work hand in hand. With the aim of creating a connected working culture, transparency is essential, so strengthen your internal communication for better customer relationship management.
The Customer Success Manager can be a major resource for this internal improvement. You can read our article on his core business.
Look after your e-reputation
Customers are now constantly hyper-connected, and with a single click they not only have access to a wealth of information, they can also freely make their voices heard on a very large scale, and they're well aware of it. Mastering your e-reputation is a key strategic lever for building trust. In 2020, 87% of French people said they looked at the opinions of other customers before making a purchasing decision, according to emarketing. Customer reviews testify to the quality of the experience you offer them, and your e-reputation is your brand's showcase. Your customers expect impeccable service and unfailing responsiveness and availability from you, but if your e-reputation is poor, very few will invest their money and time in your solution. The only way for a brand to control its e-reputation is to offer an outstanding customer experience.
But how can you really work on your E-reputation? This will be the subject of our next blog post, so follow us on our social networks to make sure you don't miss it!
