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Unique Insights to Elevate Your Customer Experience Game

 

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As a business owner or manager, you know that the experience and satisfaction of your customers should always be a top priority. Poor experiences will lead to fewer repeat and loyal customers, and word-of-mouth advertising spreads quickly. If someone has a negative experience, there’s a good chance they’re going to let friends, family members, and maybe even the digital world know about it.     

Thankfully, elevating your customer experience game doesn’t have to involve a lot of guesswork or trial and error. You can adopt strategies and insights from various disciplines and industries to create significant improvements in customer service and satisfaction.     

Cross-industry knowledge isn’t overwhelming or excessive – it can be extremely useful to take a look at how other industries are tapping into better customer experiences. By looking at real-time information, you can elevate your engagement strategies, get creative with customer service, and build a more loyal, satisfied following for years to come.

Use Tech to Your Advantage

There’s no denying we’re living in a tech-forward world. No matter your industry, you can likely take advantage of things like machine learning, virtual reality, or even artificial intelligence. Take a look at some of the industries that are doing it best right now. For example, machine learning is being used to connect systems and better predict customer needs to improve outcomes and success. Machine learning works by looking at large chunks of data and finding patterns. It uses those patterns to make predictions and recommendations for the future.     

For example, if you run an e-commerce business, utilizing machine learning would include things like learning which customers buy which products, how much time they spend on your website, and what they’re clicking on.     

The possibilities are seemingly endless with technology. In finance, machine learning is used to detect fraud and offer financial assistance and advisement to clients. In business, you can use it to create a better customer service strategy while reducing human error. It’s even used in healthcare to personalize medical treatment and help patients feel more seen and cared for. Machine learning can actually help to humanize the digital divide and create a more personalized, well-thought-out experience for your customers.

Gamify the Customer Experience

Customers like to feel like they’re getting something from your business even before they make a purchase. One of the best ways to provide that feeling is to gamify their experience. Take a look at Disney, for example. If someone wants to plan a trip to Disney World, they’ll download Disney’s app. Inside the app, they’ll find everything from wait times for rides to the ability to order food from a cart or restaurant without having to wait in line.     

Glasses manufacturer Warby Parker also takes advantage of creating an interactive customer experience. They allow potential customers to virtually try on glasses before making a purchase. Someone takes a picture of their face, uploads it, and they can see what different glasses styles would look like before they commit to something.     

You can find interactive inspiration by playing some games yourself. Card games, for example, can teach you a lot about business. While playing a card game, you have to learn how to read people. You have to be adaptable to changing situations. You also have to prioritize organization and be strategic with your decision-making. You can apply those skills to interactive, engaging experiences for your customers.

Tap Into Emotions

Improving the customer experience is about more than just marketing. It’s even about more than just creating a smooth, streamlined process for purchases. Rather, you should be prioritizing connections with your current and potential customers. Doing so will increase the likelihood that they’ll return and become loyal followers and even ambassadors for your business.     

Consider using emotional analytics to get in tune with how your customers feel, and what they really want.  While there are technologies that can help with things like text-to-speech conversion, you’ll get more direct data by simply asking your customers how they feel. Talk to them on social media platforms or in person. Send out surveys. Ask for input and feedback. Most people are quick to provide their opinions, and when you make effective changes based on feedback, they will take notice.     

You can also overhaul your branding to make it more appealing and engaging to customers. Something as simple as your brand’s color scheme can evoke specific emotions that either draw people in or turn them off. Color psychology is the idea that colors are universally associated with specific emotions.  Some common colors and the emotions they tend to evoke are:    

●       Blue – Peace, tranquility, and understanding;

●       Green – Growth, renewal, and harmony;

●       Red – Love, passion, and energy;

●       Yellow – Joy, happiness, and intelligence.    

What does your brand represent? How do you want people to feel from the moment they see your logo or business name? Your color scheme can set the tone for a specific first impression, and create an emotional reaction that might either help or hurt. Consider your core values as a company and determine how your colors align with them.     

Clearly, there are a variety of options when it comes to elevating your customer experience game. Look at other industries to find inspiration, and don’t be afraid to think outside of the box to improve engagement with your audience. Today’s consumers are eager for relationships with the brands they trust, and that includes customer experiences that focus on more than just making a sale.