Acquiring a new customer can be more expensive than retaining an existing one. However, too many businesses focus on getting new customers in the front door and neglect the concerns and issues of current customers.
Whilst a prospect may become your customer, a poor onboarding process or experience with your communication channels can quietly push them towards a competitor. A strong customer experience strategy enables businesses to highlight such issues throughout the life-cycle of a customer and address them.
We at Reach Skyline understand that there is more to experience than just conversions. Through our Customer Experience Consulting, we look at the lifecycle of a customer and the pain-points for creating a customer satisfaction, customer retention and business value strategy.
1. The Onboarding ‘Black Hole’
The Gap
The customer has been acquired – they’ve signed the contract, paid the invoice, and taken possession of the product/service. Now, the next steps are unclear. There is no welcome sequence or guidance on next steps.
This is one of the most important areas to review in any customer journey mapping initiative. The experience of the customer immediately after conversion can be the most telling sign about how they perceive your business and its service.
The Revenue Cost
In the early stages of a customer relationship, uncertainty can erode confidence. Customers who are unaware of what comes next may be less likely to remain as your customers.
A structured onboarding sequence therefore plays a key role in customer experience management and retention.
The Fix
A structured and automated ‘welcome’ journey.
A standard 3-4 point email or WhatsApp sequence can ensure the customer:
- Is welcomed to your company
- Their invoice or onboarding is acknowledged
- They’re introduced to key personnel
- They have an understanding of next steps
2. The ‘Repeat Yourself’ Frustration
The Gap
A customer reaches out to one support channel, only to be asked the same information again by another channel or representative.
This occurs typically when the information is not shared between systems and channels.
The Revenue Cost
This could hint towards inconsistent data silos between systems.
This can cause increased support resolution time, customer frustration and a feeling that the business is not cohesive; over time, this can erode satisfaction and retention.
The Fix
Break down data silos.
By linking Web Design & Development systems to your CRM & other customer facing systems, you can create a central view of your customers across all touch-points.
When a customer reaches out to your business, your support agents can be in a better position to:
- Provide a more tailored experience
- Better resolve their request with existing information
This enables a more unified customer experience management experience and improved operations.
3. The Friction-Filled Enquiry or Checkout Process
The Gap
Your contact form contains 10 fields of information, is mobile unfriendly or is slow loading.
These are all friction points at an important customer journey touch-point.
The Revenue Cost
Any additional steps creates a barrier to conversion. Businesses can spend resources building SEO, engaging on social media, running paid ad campaigns, etc., however, any friction before enquiry or checkout could see their investment disappear.
Customer experience improvement initiatives play a key role in reducing such friction, as even small usability issues can have a dramatic impact on conversions and satisfaction.
The Fix
Simplify the conversion journey.
Only ask for the required information to begin the conversation. This usually includes:
- Name
- Email or phone number
- A qualifying question
Also, ensure that your website is optimised for:
- Mobile
- Speed
- Security
- Navigation, with clear call-to-actions
4. Ghosting After the Sale: The Missing Retention Loop
The Gap
Marketing efforts cease once an invoice has cleared. There is no strategy or sequence dedicated to the nurturing of the customer to encourage repeat sales and additional services.
The Revenue Cost
You could be missing out on significant Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) with repeat sales, additional services, referrals and long term relationships.
Your existing customers who already know and trust your brand are also opportunities for continued sales and advocacy, so the focus of customer experience strategy should go beyond initial conversion.
The Fix
Extend your Marketing Automation Solutions beyond just the acquisition of a customer.
Consider automating:
- 30 Day Check-ins
- 60 Day Surveys
- 90 Day Engagement loops
- Education
- Customer resources, cross sell and up-sell
- Personalised offers
The aim of such a strategy should be to maintain the momentum of the relationship post-sale to drive long term retention and advocacy.
5. One-Size-Fits-All Communication
The Gap
You send the same email newsletter or promotional offer to a brand new lead, a five year customer and an inactive prospect. However, not all customers are in the same place in their journey, nor do they have the same expectations.
The Revenue Cost
Your generic communication could cause disengagement, unsubscribes or a missed sales opportunity.
Different customers require different information, engagement and consideration. A lead and an existing customer will think differently about the same offer.
The Fix
Segment your audience.
Using behavioural and customer data including:
- Pages visited
- Downloads
- Purchases
- Engagement
- Lifecycle position
- Service preferences
To segment your communication. For example, a healthcare organisation could engage different communication tactics for a new patient compared to a long-term wellness program member.
6. The Broken Feedback Loop
The Gap
You send an NPS survey or feedback form but take no action on the results. Detractors are not engaged and your promoters don’t become advocates.
The Revenue Cost
You are wasting customers’ time and not making the most of customer feedback. Businesses can utilise such feedback to:
- Resolve dissatisfaction and churn
- Improve internal business processes
- Generate advocacy and referrals
Customer feedback is a crucial component of customer experience management, as it provides an insight into where expectations are not being reached.
The Fix
Close the feedback loop.
Using automation, you can collect customer feedback, categorise, alert the CS team and follow-up with those that have left negative feedback. You can also utilise promoters to become advocates, reviewers, etc.
The aim should not just be to measure satisfaction, but to take action based on what the customers say.
7. Over-Automating the Human Touch
The Gap
Over-reliance on chat bots, phone trees or scripted communication. Customers can get frustrated when complex issues or queries are escalated through these communication channels.
The Revenue Cost
Poorly managed automation can frustrate customers and damage goodwill. Automation should make the customer experience easier, not force them to jump through hoops to speak to a person.
The Fix
Intelligent escalation paths.
Automate wherever possible and utilise AI to manage FAQs and basic requests, such as:
- Appointment setting
- Booking
- Order progress
- Password reset
- Account information
However, ensure that any conversation that requires a more nuanced or complex resolution is escalated to a human.
The best technology is that which enables a balanced mix of human and automated support. Such an approach should form the basis of any customer experience strategy.
Final Thoughts
Your product/service is no longer a point of difference. Competitors can replicate features, price points and value propositions. Building a seamless experience requires a co-ordinated effort across people, process and technology.
A customer journey map can enable businesses to visualise the journey of their customers and identify where friction can occur. From onboarding sequences, to enquiring touch-points, such pain-points must be minimised to enable customer satisfaction and retention.
Fixing these gaps does not need businesses to overhaul their entire operations. Begin by:
- Mapping the journey
- Identifying friction points and prioritising them
- Connecting data
- Automating repetitive tasks
- Maintaining human interaction where it is needed
These initiatives are some of the core elements of practical customer experience improvement and can enable businesses to create unified, consistent experiences for their customers across touch-points.
At Reach Skyline, we look at strategy, creativity and technology to help drive customer experiences that retain, refer and grow your business.
Ready to Plug the Leaks in Your Customer Journey?
Book a Free Strategy Call with the Reach Skyline team to review your customer experience touch-points.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How do I know if my business has experience gaps?
A high attrition rate, low NPS, recurring complaints and support tickets, abandoned forms and a disconnection between promised delivery and actual service are some signs. A professional customer experience audit can help highlight such pain points in the customer lifecycle.
2. Does improving customer experience require expensive new software?
Not always. Customer experience challenges are usually born from inefficient processes or systems, not the lack of technology. Businesses can begin to improve their customer experience management by connecting their existing systems, such as their CRM with marketing and other customer facing systems.
3. How long does it take to see an ROI from CX changes?
The length of time varies depending on the nature of the changes and technology deployed. Quick wins such as optimising forms, enhancing onboarding sequences, and improving the escalation process can show results in as little as 30-60 days. However, larger scale organisational and technological changes may require more time to deliver their benefits.
4. Can Reach Skyline help with CX improvements for regulated industries such as healthcare or finance?
We can work with highly regulated industries to ensure that CX improvement initiatives are compliant with industry standards. At Reach Skyline, we employ customer journey and automation strategies that can help optimise operations without compromising regulatory requirements.
5. What is the first step in working with Reach Skyline’s CX consulting team?
The discovery call where we discuss your goals, journey, processes and technology. The next step is identifying your customer experience gaps and developing a prioritised customer experience improvement plan.