Customer Service and Digital Experience

Not long ago, a good or bad customer experience was linked to the point of contact – be it a salesperson, barista or social media coordinator. Now, it can all come down to the digital experience.

Research has shown that four in five customers will switch after a bad digital experience, that’s 80 percent of clientele jumping ship. There is nothing new here, online or offline, the customer needs to be at the centre, it’s business 101.

Good and bad customer service

But a good customer service approach does not automatically equate to a good digital customer experience. Online and offline experiences are not the same, customers will demand and expect different things.

It is not about simply moving a customer service initiatives to the digital space. Every digital transformation needs to be reimagined for the environment as there are different factors to consider.

For instance, a 2012 Microsoft study found people will visit a web site less often if it is slower than a close competitor by more than 250 milliseconds (a millisecond is a thousandth of a second). This is not necessarily a consideration for real world customer service initiatives, but quick loading time is important to digital consumers.

Another issues it poor search function. A whopping 90 percent of customers reported in a Software Advice research study that difficulty in navigating a website was a digital experience deal breaker. Respondents also indicated unhelpful search results, slow load time and if the site was not searchable, led to a poor experience.

These are easy fixes. With the right software, software that aligns with a specific customer strategy and responds to what clients ask for, companies can avoid losing out on vital business.

And this is not about adding digital components for the sake of being relevant, it’s about using software to complement or enhance a customer’s journey. One approach is to design an application that simplifies an aspect of the journey to save time and effort.

For example, ME Bank’s website had a complete overhaul in 2017 to match the company’s digital image. While the search function was well tailored, eventuating in 147 percent uptick in traffic, the impressive solution was a new home loans repayment calculator. It saw usage increase by 358 percent, ultimately resulting in new business.

In 2014, a Gartner survey predicted that, by 2016, 89 percent of businesses plan to compete primarily on the basis of their customer experience. Essentially, the service provided to clients will make a company standout from the noise and win business.

It’s 2018, and mobile phones are the most frequently used device for internet access on Australia. The time is now to be offering customers a top notch experience using what is technologically available.

And with tools such as low-code available, which reduce the costs for customisation so businesses can offer the most relevant of software solutions to their clients – there’s no excuse to be serving customers slow, unsearchable experiences.