Have you seen The Customer Experience Factbook?

In this 180+ page report, you'll find all the information and support you need to build a profitable, effective CX Improvement Program that spans every part of your business. You'll be able to implement and manage meaningful and profitable change, and grow your bottom line despite a slowing economy.

Get it on Amazon (Kindle/Print)

Most businesses overestimate their customer service

Customer experiences don't match all those promises

For example, 75% of business leaders think that reaching their company by phone is "very easy" or "easy", while only 48% of customers experience that. Similarly, 56% of business leaders think social media is a "very easy" or "easy" way to reach their company while only 36% of consumers report the same.

For the first time since the report's debut in 2015, the latest Northridge Group State of Customer Experience report includes survey responses from both consumers and business leaders. The combined 2018 study of more than 1,000 U.S. respondents highlights a significant discrepancy between how business leaders and consumers perceive the customer experience associated with contacting customer service - leaving consumers dissatisfied and businesses vulnerable to customer churn and negative financial impacts.

"Customer experience drives customer loyalty," says Daren Moore, President of The Northridge Group. "Customers create their impression of a company through a combination of all the contacts they make and experiences they have across channels to resolve their issues. Companies that learn to deliver a seamless and personalized experience across all channels will have a true competitive advantage."

The voice of the customer is clear
Customers report that their experience is poor across all customer service channels and that they are frustrated with the lack of easy-to-use, self-service options. For example:

• 69% of customers have difficulty navigating automated systems
• 65% of customers have trouble using websites
• Fewer than 50% of customers find any channel easy to use
• 62% of consumers reported needing to make multiple contacts to resolve their most recent customer service need.
• Only 46% of consumers reported resolution of their customer service need within an hour.
• Almost one in ten customers indicated their problem was never resolved.

The survey data indicates that while phone remains the most commonly used channel, its effectiveness is declining. "As website usability improves and other digital channels become more effective, consumers' need for speed, accessibility and ease of use will be met through other channels. This will drive down call volumes, decrease the overall cost to serve, and improve the customer experience," according to Pam Plyler, Executive Practice Lead of Customer Experience at The Northridge Group.

Customers set CX priorities
According to the survey, while self-service digital channels have some of the greatest potential to address the consumer desire for speed and effortless experience, those channels are currently missing the mark. Websites and mobile apps are digital channels that can provide 24/7, "no wait" customer service options. But to gain greater customer acceptance, these self-serve alternatives must be easy to use and effective in enabling consumers to resolve their issues. As demand grows for seamless self-serve options businesses would be wise to invest in improving self-serve digital channels.

Consumer feedback indicates that businesses should prioritize their investments to improve the customer experience. The top investment priorities that consumers recommend businesses make are:

• Reduction of wait times for customer service calls
• Better training for customer service reps
• Making customer service available 24/7
• Improvement of telephone menus to make it easier to get to the right customer service rep faster

Have you seen The Customer Experience Factbook?

In this 180+ page report, you'll find all the information and support you need to build a profitable, effective CX Improvement Program that spans every part of your business.

You'll be able to implement and manage meaningful and profitable change, and grow your bottom line despite a slowing economy. Grab this goldmine of easily adaptable and up-to-date strategies, walk-throughs, trends, technologies, research, suppliers and partners, plus all the supporting arguments you need to build a solid CX strategy.

While most marketers could list maybe a dozen key points for improving their brand's Customer Experience (CX), the researchers and writers at The Marketing Factbook have identified FORTY main 'CX Keys' which will help you drive your customers to new levels of delight, loyalty, advocacy and profitability.

The areas in which customers have direct contact with your organization are perhaps the most obvious places in which CX improvements can be made, and this report addresses all 24 of these 'Direct CX Keys', applicable to offline and online businesses alike.

At the same time there are many other areas that indirectly affect CX (such as the supply chain, policies and processes) in which every business can make simple but far-reaching improvements. This report guides you through the problems and solutions for all 16 of these 'Indirect CX Keys', many of which are often forgotten or under-played even in the best CX strategies.

Get it on Amazon (Kindle/Print)