ON THE HORIZON
3. ARE YOU LOYAL TO YOUR CUSTOMERS? When I talk to different organisations around the world, one of the most common questions I am asked is “how can I make my customers more loyal?”. However, I actually think it is now time to turn this question on its head to say “how can my company show loyalty to its customers?”
As in the NFT example above, one trend I see happening is a move towards shared interest between brands and their customers. Companies need to reassess their loyalty systems to create a positive sum game, so when a brand does well, the company shareholders, employees and customers all benefit. Tere is an interesting example of how fashion retailer Shein have successfully started rewarding customers who act as true ambassadors – we’ll certainly see more of this in the coming years.
4. ARE YOU A PARTNER IN LIFE? Tere is a growing trend of brands that look beyond the ‘customer journey’ to see how they can add value in the life journey of an individual. Tey see how their product or service could help remove negative energy or create positive energy in order to build a deeper, emotional relationship with a customer.
A Samsung smart fridge is an interesting example. Of course it can let the customer know which products are due to go out of date to help them save money and reduce food waste. But with so much data now available, it could easily start helping the customer improve their life or ethical decisions that matter to them – which products are unhealthy, or environmentally friendly?
5. DO YOU LOVE YOUR FRUSTRATED CUSTOMERS? It is a well-known fact that people spread negative customer experiences faster than the positive ones.
But did you know that only 1 in 26 customers who have a bad time will share their experiences with the company in question?
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that no complaints means no problems, but it is important to actively seek out dissatisfied customers to learn from them. A report by PwC showed that 1 in 3 of (formerly) loyal customers will leave a brand after just one bad experience, so don’t miss the chance to tap into one of your greatest sources of information.
6. DO YOU STILL SUFFER FROM DIGITAL INCONVENIENCE? Most people will have felt the power of digital convenience during the pandemic. When we were stuck at home with nowhere to go but online, their patience for complicated or slow experiences disappeared, and this zero tolerance is here to stay.
It is not always easy for a small business to compete here, but we should learn from brands like Amazon. It may look like they have reached the ultimate frictionless, invisible experience, but they continue to question every interaction with customers – you should see your own customer experience in the same way, continuously working on details in an endless pursuit of perfect convenience.
7. DO YOU UNDERSTAND NEW HABITS? Te scientific term “Hysteresis” refers to the fact that social systems tend to change permanently after an external shock, such as the pandemic. Tis means many changes that we initially saw as temporary, whether that is hybrid working or the boom in takeaway deliveries, are probably here to stay.
Rather than wait for customer behaviour to return to “normal”, think about how you can leverage these changes to improve your offering to win the war for customers.
Steven van Belleghem is one of the world’s leading thought-leaders, speakers and authors on customer experience. Tis is an extract from his latest, Te CX Leader’s Manual to Customer Excellence which be downloaded for free at
www.stevenvanbelleghem.com
homeofdirectcommerce.com | Direct Commerce 11
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