Customer experience (CX) and customer satisfaction (CS) are important aspects that should be taken into consideration in daily business operations. But before we dive deeper into the topic and share the most important learning and key points - let’s define these concepts!
What is customer experience?
According to Verizon Connect’s Fleet Technology Trends Report 2021, 56% of respondents think that meeting customer expectations is the biggest challenge facing field service organizations.
When talking about customer experience in the service management field, we refer to the feelings and emotions at each touchpoint between business and user. CX relates to the product or the service itself, as well as the post-selling period and the time customers need to familiarize themselves with the product.
Some touch points such as call centers, or the product itself, can be measured, but it’s always important to consider the overall customer experience, over a longer period of time. Measuring such a process is both quantitative and qualitative and we should always be aware of its complexity across multiple touchpoints and multiple channels within the customer journey which includes buying, delivery, installation, maintenance, warranty and all other user-oriented actions.
Where do we lose the customer?
Mentioning the customer journey and the multiple touchpoints, we will now focus on the reasons that customers drop off along the way. Which part of the customer experience can cause customers to jump ship and give up? Before going into the reasoning, let’s explore some stats:
- 89% of customers would be willing to pay a premium for a more modern, on-demand technology applied to their technician scheduling (ReachOut)
- 90% of consumers identified customer service as a factor in deciding whether or not to do business with a company
- 90% of buyers said they are willing to pay more for a great customer experience (Zendesk)
Having that considered, let’s discuss the main rationale behind the declining customer retention rate.
Clunky communication
Businesses mainly contact customers through emails, calls, and social media. If those communication channels are not in sync and carefully managed, they can push a customer away.
Let’s give an example. What if you receive an email about an offer and then a phone call about the same offer 5 minutes later? The internal miscommunication of the company can be the reason you, as a customer, get bombarded with the same piece of information.
No clear status of the project/customer order
When a customer buys a service or a product from your company, they need to be aware of its status at all times. Whether it concerns delivery, installation, maintenance, or remote support they need transparent, real-time visibility of where things are and how they are progressing.
Their inability to do so can cause frustration, misunderstanding, distrust and disruption in their workflow.
Losing information and sensitive data
With the customer journey being so extensive, it’s only natural that a lot will happen along the way. Having the ability to document every single action, as major or minor it may initially seem, it’s crucial for the relationship you develop with your customers.
Losing any piece of information or data can prove to be detrimental to overall customer satisfaction. Every modern business needs a digital audit trail of the customer journey.
Taking too long to process invoices, offers and documentation
Customers can get really agitated if you take too long to process and send their way invoices, or any other documentation. Businesses work on tight deadlines and delaying their roadmap because of your inability to deliver on time can leave a sour taste in their mouth.
How can daily business tools help improve customer experience (CX) and customer satisfaction (CS)?
The shift towards digital, remote tools is no longer a trend but a fact. The market is responding positively to these tools and the numbers are reflecting this new reality.
- 75% of FSM businesses that utilise mobility tools have observed increased employee productivity, while the rest have seen customer satisfaction rates rise (ISE)
- 77% of field service organisations invest in technology and solutions geared towards information enablement (ServicePower)
- Remote support can fast-track solutions up to five days earlier (Forrester)
Help centralise and share information
Data exchange between the different systems (emails, calls, CRM/ERP, FSM, accounting, social, etc.) ensures that all departments are on the same page and are able to serve the customer without the need for repeating the story or missing something.
What’s more – the right setup of data interactions and the processes may allow the business to be proactive and one step ahead of customer wishes or issues which they may face. It also saves time for the employee by avoiding unnecessary “copy-paste” actions.
Provide after-sale support
It's a tale as old as time. A company spends time and money wooing you, and then the moment you're hooked, everything changes. The right business tool will help your team provide the customer with the attention and care they deserve post-sale. Here are some of the things you should be looking for in a tool:
- Help with the installation of the product
- Accessible customer support at all times
- Product training/instructions
- Maintenance plan and reminders before something is broken
- Allow for the customer to comment, and provide feedback
Where to start?
Trying to make sense of the customer experience universe can prove to be chaotic. Here are a few simple steps to get you started:
- List down all your touchpoints where you interact with the customer
- Identify the nature of the journeys customers take—from the customer’s point of view.
- Understand how customers navigate across the touchpoints as they move through the journey.
- Automate as much data exchange as possible with the right tool
- Come to grips with fixing root-cause issues and redesigning the journeys for a better end-to-end experience.
- Measure, improve, repeat
About the Author and Frontu
Frontu is a field service management software servicing the entire FSM sector. Our interaction with businesses, field service engineers and customers gives us insight into very valuable learnings about the role of customer experience in the overall process. From preventive maintenance to task management and route optimization, Frontu is has the privilege of being exposed to different sides of customer experience.
Janis Balodis is the VP of Sales at Frontu, with extensive experience in sales and operations. Having worked as country manager, he understands the different needs of locales and how each market responds to products.
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