Customer Experience at the Core of the Strategy

In a hyperconnected, interactive world, Customer Experience (CX) has become an essential differentiator for companies of all sizes.

Currently, most customers base their consumption decisions on their prior experience, and, in general, they remain loyal to the brands which provide them with solutions and good service. At the same time, they disregard those who are not giving them the answers they expect.

As they become more aware that Customer Experience is a substantial part of the business, impacting both name-building and profitability, companies are constantly looking for new tools, processes, and systems to establish more solid and long-lasting customer relationships.

The most recent CX Trends 2022 survey, done by Zendesk consulting company to businesspeople from 21 countries around the world (Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and the USA), stated that 93% of the customers choose the companies that have offered them their preferred communication option. The survey also points out that 61% of respondents would leave for the competition after a bad experience with a brand.

Likewise, Genesys’s report, The State of Customer Experience, published in early 2022, states that 9 out of 10 customers affirm that being listened to is essential to their satisfaction.

Statistics do nothing more than confirm a booming trend: customers are more rigorous and demanding and expect something different to drive their consumption decisions.

The importance of data

Companies must adequately listen to their customers' needs, transform that information into improvements and establish an emotional bond with them.

According to a survey by Havas CX, trust, inclusion, efficient customer service, and customization are paramount to creating a relevant and successful customer experience.

Typical satisfaction surveys are no longer enough to meet those objectives. Nowadays, organizations need much faster and deeper data analysis from predictive platforms that enable an understanding of the customers’ tastes, habits, and affinities, and the chance to offer them efficient, immediate answers.

Choosing this kind of digital re-conversion also improves business results. According to a recent report by Llorente y Cuenca carried out in 10 Latin American countries, the average profitability of companies using big data solutions to analyze their consumers’ conversations is nearly 22% higher than that of companies not using them.

The omnichannel strategy and the agents’ skills

Having a comprehensive, unified marketing strategy, including all available sales and communication channels and platforms, both digital and physical, is also crucial for companies to build up a genuine bond with their customers based on trust, scalability, and constant feedback.

An omnichannel approach is, undoubtedly, one of the biggest challenges: the key is to place the customer, not the product, in the center of the business strategy and to go with them all along their buying process so that they live an experience that is both pleasant and as customized as possible.

Another fundamental aspect of offering optimum CX is to have a work team that is trained and aligned with the company's general strategy through ongoing programs to incentivize and train them on soft and hard skills.

Value solutions

Technology has been the best ally of companies looking to develop or optimize their Customer Experience systems for many years. Tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) or machine learning are being used more and more in the growing market of Customer Experience Management.

Today's market is flooded with companies offering CX solutions for the whole value chain, which make it possible to connect data and indicators in real-time, thus optimizing the customers’ experience and powering the business.

One of the complete options is offered by SEIDOR, a member of United VARs, through a solutions package for Customer Experience by SAP, made up of SAP Commerce Cloud, SAP Upscale Commerce, SAP Customer Data Solution, SAP Cloud for Customer, SAP Emarsys Customer Engagement, and SAP Marketing Cloud, among others.

The combination of this kind of technological solution is essential for every customer to feel unique. And that experience begins with end-to-end business integration that makes it possible to know how the customer feels every step: need, purchase, delivery, payment, return, and after-sales service.

Preparation is the way to go

The global Customer Experience Management market is steadily expanding. According to the latest report produced by Grand View Research, it will reach $38.98 billion by 2030 and is expected to grow by 18.1% between 2022 and 2030.
Thus, organizations must be prepared to satisfy their customers and foresee their needs.

“64% of the customers are less patient than last year. A company’s success depends on engaging with their customers in interactive conversations and investing in technology that allows them to offer exceptional service, ensuring everything is integrated across the organization,” says Jeff Titterton, Chief Operating Officer at Zendesk.

The road takes work. Only those who realize success is about offering an excellent product and creating an experience the customer cannot forget will achieve the objective. CX is more than a buzzword: it is the key to business survival.