As a customer experience (CX) professional, you’ve experienced the thrill of starting and growing the program in many forms whether it be: the beginning stage, getting those quick wins, and growing a reputation of excellence across your company.
But then there’s the dreaded plateau. This can happen after you’ve been steadily gaining momentum, then all of a sudden, it seems as if your initiatives are no longer moving the needle. That’s when you know it’s time to update your customer experience program.
Why Refresh Your Customer Experience Program?
Design with the End in Mind
Understand Successes and Shortcomings
Look at Short-term and Long-term Actions
Like most things in the world, your customers—and your market—are not stagnant. They’re constantly changing and adapting to world events, new trends, upgraded technology, and more. And that’s a good thing! It simply means that in order to meet the needs of your customers and your business, you need to consistently evolve your program according to new circumstances and objectives.
We understand it may seem intimidating, but over our 19 years of experience helping the world’s most popular brands ace their customer experience, we’ve learned a few things about how to systematically and strategically review your CX program, and pinpoint the actions you need to take for success. In this blog, we’ve gathered a few of the top tips from our experts to help guide your refresh efforts. You’ll find them all below!
Tip #1: Design with the End in Mind
We’ve said it before, and you’re about to hear us say it again: you need to design your CX program with your current goals for both your experience and your business in mind. Your experience-level goals may look like increasing your net promoter score (NPS) by a certain number in the next year, or launching QR codes surveys. On the other hand, your business goals may be to increase customer tenure or lower cost to serve. Your CX program can help you meet all of those goals, but first, you need to have those goals set in stone!
Tip #2: Understand Successes and Shortcomings
Every CX program has something it does well—and something that isn’t quite hitting the mark. It’s important that you understand current strengths and weaknesses when you start to update your customer experience program. The “current” part of this mandate is emphasized because you must recognize that just because an initiative was working before doesn’t mean it’s the best solution now.
For instance, one of our clients, Volvo, had a post-transaction survey that had served it well in the past. However, that survey was, in a few words, too long to maintain customers’ attention. That’s why we challenged the brand to take a critical look at each question and ask itself, “is this information already available to us?” The result was a significantly shorter microsurvey that asked intentional and open-ended questions which garnered more responses, more context, and more actionable intelligence. (You can read more about Volvo’s story here.)
Tip #3: Look at Short-term and Long-term Actions
Now that you’ve identified areas of opportunity, it’s time to come up with an action plan to implement successful initiatives more widely and remove points of friction across the customer experience. In order to prioritize (and avoid overwhelm), it’s important to break your action plan up into phases.
First, identify short-term goals or initiatives you can get started on immediately and implement in the next few weeks. These short-term goals can be something like updating a survey, pulling together a CX cross-functional team, etc. Next, you need to identify the more complex goals, such as proving the ROI of customer experience at your company, implementing employee training based on intelligence, and the like. These more long-term goals will require multiple steps, stakeholders, and approvals. But just because they’re long term doesn’t mean you should put them on the back burner. It merely means that you need to get the ball rolling and prepare for the long haul.
Still Unsure of How to Get Started?
Our Strategic Insights Team leads Pearl-Plaza clients through a service we like to call XI Blueprint, in which our experts help brands assess their existing CX blueprint and determine an action plan for both short- and long-term objectives that meet the current needs of their business.
Want to learn more about it? In this video, our Senior Director of Strategic Insights Funda Whitaker paints a clear picture of how XI Blueprint can get CX programs “unstuck.” Watch it here!
You can also hear our client, Harvard Pilgrim, discuss its XI Blueprint success story here!
In today’s competitive business landscape, understanding customer service metrics is paramount. These metrics not only gauge the effectiveness of your customer service initiatives but also shape your overall business strategy and customer experience. This article delves deep into the world of customer service metrics, offering insights and actionable takeaways.
The Importance of Measuring Customer Service Metrics
Customer service metrics are the backbone of any successful customer-centric strategy. They provide invaluable insights into customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and overall experience. By accurately measuring these metrics, businesses can transform their customer interactions, fostering loyalty and driving revenue.
What Exactly Are Customer Service Metrics?
Customer service metrics are not just numbers on a dashboard; they are the narrative of a customer’s journey with a brand, much like a customer journey map. These metrics delve deep, capturing the nuances of every touchpoint, from the initial inquiry to post-purchase survey. They serve as a mirror, reflecting the quality, efficiency, and impact of a company’s customer service initiatives.
But why are these metrics so pivotal? Because they translate the intangible aspects of customer interactions into tangible data. Consider a customer’s feeling of being valued or their sense of trust in a brand. While these emotions are abstract, metrics like the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) or Net Promoter Score (NPS) can quantify them, giving businesses a clearer picture of their customers’ sentiments.
Furthermore, these metrics act as a compass. In the vast ocean of customer interactions, it’s easy for businesses to lose their way. However, by regularly monitoring and analyzing these metrics, companies can stay on course, ensuring they consistently meet and exceed customer expectations. If a particular metric indicates a dip in performance, it serves as an early warning sign, allowing businesses to recalibrate their strategies and realign with customer needs.
At Pearl-Plaza, we believe that the true power of customer service metrics lies in their ability to drive action. They are not passive observers but active catalysts for change. By offering a granular view of customer service operations and creating an omnichannel customer experience, these metrics empower businesses to make informed decisions, optimize processes, and craft experiences that resonate with their audience.
Customer Service Metrics vs Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
The distinction between Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and customer service metrics is paramount. At Pearl-Plaza, we understand that while both are essential for gauging business health and for building an effective customer experience strategy, they serve distinct purposes and offer varied insights.
KPIs, as the name suggests, are indicators. They are broad, overarching metrics that provide a snapshot of the overall health and performance of a business. Whether it’s sales growth, revenue, or employee performance, KPIs give stakeholders a bird’s eye view of where the company stands. They are the compass guiding the ship, offering direction and ensuring alignment with the company’s strategic goals.
On the other hand, customer service metrics dive deep into the intricacies of customer interactions. They are the magnifying glass that reveals the finer details of how a business engages with its customers. Whether it’s measuring the average response rate, the speed of response, the quality of resolution, or the overall satisfaction level, these metrics shed light on the nuances of the customer journey. They answer critical questions:
How efficiently are customer queries being addressed?
Are customers walking away satisfied or disgruntled?
Where are the bottlenecks in the customer service process?
The beauty of customer service metrics lies in their specificity. While KPIs might indicate that a business is thriving, customer service metrics could reveal areas of concern. For instance, a company might be hitting its sales targets (a KPI), but if the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is low, it’s a clear indication that while customers are buying, they might not be entirely happy. Such insights are invaluable. They allow businesses to delve into the ‘why’ behind the numbers, facilitating proactive measures to improve customer experience.
The Must-Know Customer Service Metrics
Customer service metrics are the compass that guides businesses towards excellence. They offer a quantifiable measure of performance, allowing companies to gauge the effectiveness of their customer service initiatives. Let’s delve deeper into some of the most critical customer service metrics that every business should be familiar with.
Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Score
At its core, the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) score is a simple yet powerful tool. It provides businesses with immediate feedback on customer satisfaction levels. Typically, after a service interaction, customers are asked a straightforward question: “How satisfied were you with your experience?” Their responses, usually on a scale from ‘Very Unsatisfied’ to ‘Very Satisfied,’ are then aggregated to produce the CSAT score.
But why is CSAT so crucial? It’s because it directly taps into the customer’s feelings post-interaction. By assessing the quality of customer service through CSAT, businesses can pinpoint areas that might be lacking. Whether it’s the responsiveness of the support team, the clarity of communication, or the resolution provided, CSAT scores shine a light on areas needing improvement. This ensures that businesses can maintain a consistently high level of service, fostering trust and loyalty among their customer base. For a more comprehensive understanding of CSAT scores and how they can be effectively utilized, click here.
Customer Effort Score (CES)
While satisfaction is vital, so is the ease of the customer experience. That’s where the Customer Effort Score (CES) comes into play. CES evaluates how easy it was for customers to get their issues resolved or their questions answered. Did they have to jump through hoops, or was the process seamless?
A high CES indicates that customers had to exert significant effort, which is not ideal. In contrast, a lower CES signifies a smoother customer journey, often leading to increased loyalty and satisfaction. After all, in today’s fast-paced world, customers value their time. They appreciate interactions that are hassle-free and straightforward. To learn more about Customer Effort Scores, click here.
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
If there’s one metric that has gained significant traction in the business world, it’s the Net Promoter Score (NPS). NPS is a reflection of customer loyalty and satisfaction. Customers are asked a single, potent question: “How likely are you to recommend our service/product to a friend or colleague?” Based on their response, they are categorized as Promoters, Passives, or Detractors.
A high NPS indicates that you have a large number of promoters, signaling strong customer loyalty. This often translates to increased revenue, word-of-mouth referrals, and robust customer retention. Given its direct correlation with business growth, NPS stands as a pivotal measure in customer service evaluation. To dive deeper into the workings of Net Promoter Scores, click here.
First Reply Time
Imagine sending a query or raising a concern and waiting endlessly for a response. Frustrating, right? That’s why the First Reply Time metric is so essential. It measures the duration between a customer raising a query and receiving the initial response.
Timely replies are not just about speed; they’re about valuing the customer’s time and showing them that their concerns are a priority. By monitoring and optimizing First Reply Time, businesses can significantly enhance satisfaction levels, setting a positive tone for the entire interaction.
Resolution Time
While replying promptly is crucial, resolving the customer’s issue in a timely manner is equally vital. Resolution Time, which is commonly used in case management strategies, measures the total time taken to address and resolve a customer’s query or concern. A short Resolution Time is indicative of an efficient customer service department, leading to increased satisfaction. On the other hand, a prolonged Resolution Time can lead to mounting customer frustration and dissatisfaction.
Ticket Reopens
No one likes revisiting resolved issues. That’s why tracking ticket reopens is so crucial. It ensures that issues are addressed effectively the first time around. A high number of ticket reopens can indicate a gap in the resolution process, signaling the need for more thorough solutions and better training for customer service representatives.
Social Media Metrics
We live in a digital age, where social media platforms have become the new frontier for customer service. These platforms offer real-time feedback, allowing businesses to address concerns promptly. Metrics like response time to online reviews, engagement rate, and sentiment analysis on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram provide invaluable insights into customer perceptions and service quality.
Data-Informed Decision Making
At Pearl-Plaza, we believe that the power of data, when harnessed correctly, can transform the very fabric of an organization, especially in the realm of customer service. Data exploration and data-informed decision-making is not just a buzzword; it’s a methodology that places the customer at the heart of every business move.
Interpreting customer service metrics is not just about understanding numbers; it’s about deriving actionable insights from them. Every metric, be it the Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Score, or First Reply Time, tells a story. It sheds light on areas of excellence and pinpoints avenues that need improvement. But the real magic happens when businesses take these insights and translate them into actionable strategies.
For instance, a sudden dip in the CSAT score might indicate an underlying issue in the customer service process. Maybe the response time has increased, or perhaps the resolutions provided aren’t up to the mark. By diving deep into the data, businesses can identify the root cause and implement corrective measures, ensuring that such issues don’t recur. This proactive approach, fueled by data, ensures that businesses stay ahead of the curve, consistently delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Moreover, in an era where customer preferences and behaviors are constantly evolving, staying static is not an option. What worked a year ago might be obsolete today. That’s where data-informed decision-making comes into play. By continuously measuring and analyzing customer service metrics, businesses can stay attuned to changing customer needs. They can innovate, adapt, and evolve, ensuring that their customer service strategies are always in alignment with customer expectations.
Another pivotal aspect of data-informed decision-making is its ability to foster a culture of continuous improvement. When businesses adopt a data-driven mindset, every team member, from the customer service representative to the top management, becomes aligned with the goal of enhancing customer experience. They begin to view challenges not as roadblocks but as opportunities for growth. Every feedback, positive or negative, is seen as a goldmine of insights, driving the organization towards excellence.
Conclusion
Mastering customer service metrics is non-negotiable for businesses aiming for excellence. These metrics provide a roadmap for improvement, ensuring businesses remain customer-centric in their approach. With Pearl-Plaza’s expertise, businesses can measure and enhance their customer service metrics, setting the gold standard in customer experience.
A lot of customer experiences hinge on your contact center’s effectiveness, which is why it’s important to ensure it’s a resource your customers find helpful, professional, and expedient.
However, building an effective, consistent contact center experiences can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve taken everything we have learned by working with best-in-class brands and distilled those learnings into five simple steps you can follow to make sure you build a contact center that works for you, and works for your customers.
Utilize Automation
Explore Customer Issues to Create Self-Serve Content
Engage and Enable Employees
Data Is a Gold Mine
Closing the Loop
Improve Contact Center Experience Step #1: Utilize Automation
The term ‘automation’ can scare customers because they often associate it with navigating phone trees and having to repeat themselves to a robot listener, but the truth is that automation is incredibly useful when contact centers leverage it correctly. Using automation within online chats, online reviews, or survey feedback, for example, allows your brand to direct customers to solutions for smaller problems. This frees your call center agents up to deal with more complicated problems while also reducing call volumes, saving your brand both time and money.
Improve Contact Center Experience Step #2: Explore Customer Issues to Create Self-Serve Content
Utilizing customer feedback to guide them toward solutions is a valuable practice, but it’s only one part of the equation. This feedback becomes even more valuable when you can harness a data platform that utilizes unstructured data analytics and creates actionable insights. This approach proves incredibly beneficial for identifying recurring issues faced by your customers, escalating these concerns to your development team, and creating relevant self-service resources to empower customers in resolving problems independently. Also, it also serves as a proactive strategy for safeguarding your customer experience, addressing potential issues before they even arise.
Improve Contact Center Experience Step #3: Engage and Enable Employees
While it’s not uncommon for brands to provide training for their employees in customer interactions, organizations can unlock even greater potential by actively encouraging their staff to share their unique perspectives on customer problems. This approach not only equips brands with insights into issues that customers might not have formally reported but also empowers employees to proactively drive Experience Improvement (XI) initiatives. By fostering a culture of open communication, brands can tap into the collective expertise of their workforce and gain a deeper understanding of customer pain points, leading to more effective solutions.
This collaborative approach also sends a powerful message to contact center employees, demonstrating that the organization values their input and is genuinely committed to using an integrated CX approach to improve customer experience. By turning employees from mere service providers into valued contributors to the customer-centric mission, brands can effectively transform detractors into enthusiastic promoters. In doing so, they not only improve customer satisfaction but also cultivate a great employee experience that is also an engaged workforce dedicated to delivering exceptional service.
Improve Contact Center Experience Step #4: Data Is a Gold Mine
Your brand generates mountains of data every day. Having a lot of information is great, but in this day and age, having so much of it can make figuring out where to start difficult. We’ve found that contact center improvement hinges on three kinds of data: customer feedback, social media data, and web analytics. You can complete the puzzle of Experience Improvement by using this information as a foundation for unlocking your organization’s voice of the customer (VoC). Having all of this data in one place gives your brand a united, holistic perception of the customer, which is vital to knowing how you might make some fixes and refinements to your contact center.
Improve Contact Center Experience Step #5: Closing the Loop
The value of closing the loop cannot be stressed enough. It’s not actually enough to stop at solving the problem; following up with your customers afterward goes a long way toward making them feel cared about as people. In other words, a follow-up lets customers know you’re as interested in the relationship they have with your brand as the transaction. Follow up with employees, too! Not sure where to start? Check out this resource that outlines the 7 steps for implementing a closed loop system!
Gathering intel and opinions from all these folks will give you chances to improve both your contact center and your overall customer experience, strengthening human connections and your bottom line.
Click here to learn even more about these processes in our full-length contact center eBook. We take a deep dive into additional methods and best practices you can leverage to begin improving your contact center, customer experience, and employee experiences today!
Today, there are a lot of customer feedback management (CFM) companies talking about integrated CX. Integrated CX isn’t a new concept by any means, and Pearl-Plaza is not so bold as to say we invented the concept. But, we are confident in saying that the strategies we are developing that view the customer experience as the sum of integrated feedback, insights, and actions are going to distinguish us from our competitors in a significant way.
What is Integrated CX?
Before we dive in, I feel that a quick definition of integrated CX—from our perspective—is a good place to start. We think of integrated CX as the process of creating an omnichannel customer experience through three key steps: capturing integrated signals, creating integrated insights, and taking integrated actions.
The idea behind integrated CX is to improve customer experience by combining large amounts of data with technology and services to create more complete customer insights and, as a result, more focused and measurable actions.
Now that we have done a bit of definition, how can you take this integrated CX approach and put it into action at your company? And, even more importantly, how can you do it so that you get financial proof points, such as proving the ROI of customer experience, from the efforts?
Moving from “What” to “Why”
I still have far too many discussions with clients and prospects who ask me what their net promoter score (NPS) goal should be or what does a blip in their customer satisfaction score (CSAT) mean to their business. I have to put on my best poker face (which I do not have!) and thoughtfully help them think differently. When businesses solely focus on the ‘what’ of customer experience data—such as numerical ratings and surface-level feedback—it sets them up for many unproductive discussions and mathematical scrambling to appease an analytical audience. Don’t get me wrong, metrics matter, but solely focusing on score management can lead to program stagnation. CX programs centered solely on the ‘what’ will struggle to drive tangible financial value.
I like to be like the newspaper reporter who continually asks ‘why.” Shifting to why will drive your team to delve deeper into customer feedback. It will also lead to you looking at multiple data sets—the first pillar of integrated CX—to better inform your customer behavior and sentiment.
It’s in this quest for the ‘why’ that businesses uncover hidden connections between CX improvements and financial business outcomes like customer acquisition, retention, and cost savings. In essence, the shift from ‘what’ to ‘why’ is the catalyst that propels CX programs toward achieving not only customer satisfaction but also a robust bottom line.
Using Data to Capture Insights
Another theme I hear from clients and prospects is that they have more data than they know what to do with or how to get insights from it (pillar #2 from integrated CX). I suggest taking a methodical approach with a dash of curiosity. The numbers can point you in the right direction. Integrating multiple data sources—qualitatively—can be harnessed to craft compelling narratives that reveal the deeper truths. You have to get beyond generic summaries and really dig into the specifics—understanding not just what happened, but why it matters.
While advanced CX platforms can provide valuable tools to get you started – or even most of the way to your answer – relying solely on automated solutions to ‘spit out’ answers is a shortcut to missed opportunities or superficial learnings. Human insight, analysis, and creativity remain indispensable. It’s the human touch that can weave data points into meaningful stories, connecting the dots between customer feedback and actionable strategies.
By being methodical, specific, and human-centric in your data analysis, you can create stories and action plans that are prescriptive and that can rally your organization to truly drive transformational changes to your customer experience.
Taking Actions That Can Be Owned and Measured
Gathering data and creating stories and specific plans to drive change can, unfortunately, be the easy part of driving integrated CX. Successful programs get measured by the actions taken and the business value realized – it is a harsh truth of the CX landscape.
To do this, organizations must foster buy-in and ownership at all levels of the company, starting with C-Suite endorsement and support and all the way down to the front line teams that deliver for customers and all the support staff in between.
The cliche is true – everyone owns CX. Once you have gathered data and created insights, the actions you take should not be arbitrary. Programs and initiatives should be tied to a well-defined hypothesis or a specific business driver.
It’s essential to recognize that not every action taken as a result of your program needs to be a grand slam; incremental wins are valuable steps in the right direction. CX is a game of momentum and continuous transformation. Another true cliche is that CX program success is a marathon and not a sprint.(For those of you who know me, you know I can’t resist a running analogy.) However, your initiatives should all be measured with a financial lens to enable you to track your return on investment. And – spoiler alert – all these successful actions will make customers happier and raise your scores. This is the validation from your customers that you have achieved integrated CX!
Building Your Integrated CX Program
Ready to transform your business with integrated CX? Take the first step towards boosting profitability and customer satisfaction by downloading our FREE ‘101-level’ guide today! You can access the guide here.
With so much riding on each interaction with your brand, you can’t afford to leave a negative customer experience unresolved. Research shows that it takes about 12 positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative experience. In fact, a study by Lee Resources reveals that 91% of unhappy customers won’t return to your brand at all. That’s where a closed-loop system comes in!
What Is a Closed-Loop System?
A closed-loop system is “the ability to identify and resolve individual customer issues and larger organizational patterns and trends based on those issues while communicating solutions back to customers and employees,” as defined by Bain & Company in “The Ultimate Question 2.0.”
This system consists of an inner loop, the ability to identify and resolve individual customer issues while communicating solutions back to customers and employees, and the outer loop, the ability to identify and resolve larger organizational patterns and trends based on individual customer issues while communicating solutions back to customers and employees.
Why Is a Closed-Loop System Important?
And though closed-loop systems have been around for a while now, they are still just as vital to your customer experience (CX) program! Here are just a few reasons why:
A closed-loop system gives you a competitive advantage. Many organizations don’t have a formal process for closing the customer feedback loop. If you have one, that places you above more than half of the competition in terms of making your customers feel seen and heard.
A closed-loop system increases your customer loyalty. Did you know that 83% of customers feel more loyal to brands that respond and resolve their complaints? Getting feedback is one thing, but acting on that feedback is what will keep your customers coming back time and time again.
A closed-loop system will decrease customer churn. By reducing your customer defection rate by just 5% using an effective closed-loop system, you can increase profits by 25-95%!
Additional benefits that come from putting effort into closing the customer feedback loop:
Prevent problems – By implementing a closed-loop element into a customer feedback program like Net Promoter Score, you can identify problems before they escalate. Using automation and data analytics, you can recognize recurring themes in customer surveys that need to be addressed to avoid those same problems for future customers.
Discover upsell opportunities – Even satisfied customers can have great feedback on how you can improve your product or service. Maybe you don’t offer a product in a certain color, or something on the website is confusing. Either way, there is always room for improvement, and those improvements can become upsells for your customers.
Create and foster long-term relationships – When a customer feels that you listen to their concerns and respond to them, they are more likely to be return customers and bring referrals. Every time you acknowledge your customers for taking the time to provide feedback, you are strengthening your relationship with them.
Retain current customers – studies show that returning customers spend 60% more money on purchases and provide more referrals than new customers. It is also 5 to 25 times more expensive to find new customers than to retain existing ones. By closing the customer feedback loop, you help customers feel more loyal to your brand and come back for more.
Avoid customer churn – 89% of customers switch brands after a bad experience with a company if the company does not respond to their problems or complaints.
Are you convinced? Great! Now that you’re on board, we’ve outlined the 7 most important steps you need to take to get started with an effective closed-loop system.
Getting Started with a Closed-Loop System
1. Get Executive Buy-In
Customer experience is an investment, and for your program to have a positive impact—and succeed—you need buy-in from your executive team. For best results, we’ve found that closed-loop pilot programs focused on a few locations usually are the easiest for executives to get behind. With fewer locations, it’s easier to prove the efficacy of the program without straining your brand’s resources too much.
2. Prioritize Initiatives
Implementing a closed-loop system is a marathon, not a sprint. No matter the size of your company, setting up your program will take time. As your program matures, look for the easy wins to gain credibility and prove success within your organization. Once you’ve found your stride, gradually move on to more complicated issues.
3. Harness Existing Business Knowledge
Identify employees with an understanding of your organization’s operations, and empower them to resolve customer issues as they occur. Your employees know your business and are in a unique position to help your customers and quickly close the loop on customer issues.
4. Commit to Faster Resolution
As technology advances and the customer experience evolves, consumers expect more and more from your brand. Expectations have risen to the point that 42% of consumers said that if they contact your brand for support, they expect a response within 60 minutes. Resolve customer issues in a timely fashion, and your customers will reward you with repeat business and brand advocacy throughout the years.
5. Increase Organizational Agility
Don’t get too comfortable with the way things have always been done in regard to your CX program. Treat every customer issue as you would if you were a small business, and resolve it as quickly—and personably—as possible. Customers want to feel special, and the quicker you’re able to adapt to individual customer issues, the more you’ll be able to reduce customer churn and ensure organizational success.
6. Make Individual Contact
Your customers don’t care about the size of your business; they care about how your brand treats them on a personal level. Study your brand’s customer journey, gather feedback, and identify ways to increase the amount of personal contact during the process of resolving a customer issue. A simple note or phone call can have a profound impact on the success of your program.
7. Empower Your Employees
As mentioned earlier, your employees understand the way your organization operates better than anyone else. This knowledge puts them in a unique position to understand customer issues and know the right solution for resolving the problem. Have faith in your employees and give them the autonomy they need to address customer issues on a case-by-case basis and resolve them as efficiently and personably as possible.
The Value of Closing the Loop
Closed-loop systems are one of the most effective ways to not only reduce customer churn but proves the financial impact of your brand’s customer experience program. One client of ours implemented a closed-loop system that helped them identify nearly $23 million in potential revenue.
Other studies have found that closed-loop programs help retain customers, which can increase company value (up to 30%) and increase profits (up to 125%).
You can learn more from Pearl-Plaza expert Jim Katzman about the value of closing the loop in his article here.
3 Myths Around Closed Loop Systems
When developing an effective closed-loop system, it is just as important to think about what to do as well as what NOT to do. We’ve put together a list of 3 myths revolving around closed-loop systems—and what you can do to avoid them.
Myth #1: Closed-Loop Systems Are Not Profitable
An effective closed-loop system will not only help you break even, it will help save you money! While many people think that closed-loop systems handle singular cases, they actually help you identify business trends and get ahead of them! By anticipating, not merely reacting, to your customer’s needs, you’ll be improving experiences before they even happen.
Myth #2: Closed-Loop Systems Are Only Relevant for Certain Industries
There is a stigma surrounding closed-loop systems—that they only belong in certain industries, such as retail or food service. While those industries definitely benefit from closed-loop systems, they are not the only ones with something to gain! Every business, regardless of the industry they operate in, can benefit from a system that gives you the ability to identify the next best action for a customer and address the root cause of issues to ensure continuous improvement.
Checkout this case study to see how one of our Financial Services clients utilized a closed-loop system to improve their NPS score as well as other business-specific metrics!
Myth #3: Closed-Loop Systems Are Too Complex
A system that allows you to quickly respond to customer complaints, analyze data to identify customer trends, and share knowledge within your organization to create a holistic view of the customer experience? It sounds like it would be a headache to implement. Well, that couldn’t be further from the truth—if you have the right partner!
Automating the Customer Feedback Loop-Closing Process
Closing the loop shouldn’t be a complex process, with automation you can simplify the method. For example, if you use Intercom to communicate with customers, you’re in luck. It’s extremely easy to implement a customer experience (CX) program that will close the customer feedback loop with Pearl-Plaza’s entirely code-free Intercom Messenger Integration and start gathering feedback right in Intercom chat. Pearl-Plaza’s NPS microsurvey can be integrated with Intercom Messenger with one click and survey responses automatically appear in Intercom user records. This makes it easy to set up automated follow-up messages to survey respondents based on their sentiment. Whether or not you use Intercom and Pearl-Plaza, you can adapt a closed-loop process to your own systems as you handle customer feedback.
Real-Life Example of an Automated Closed-Loop System
Lead-gen software startup Albacross recently shared how they were able to swiftly automate a full-cycle NPS program. While the team started by simply sending NPS surveys through Intercom, they quickly realized the value in closing the customer feedback loop with all of their respondents–detractors, passives, and promoters. For Albacross, automating a close-the-loop process took just a few simple steps and the results have been incredible. Albacross has been able to understand its detractors on a whole new level, and they’ve been able to leverage promoters to drive more business.
Ask Detractors for Product Feedback
Sure, it might not feel great when you’ve received some low scores from valued customers on your customer surveys. But, qualitative feedback from detractors can become a guiding light for your organization as it chooses what issues and insights it wants to prioritize in closing the customer feedback loop. You should also pay attention to detractors because a low score is often an indicator of customers who are at higher risk of churn. In other words, it’s crucial that you leverage your detractors – there is so much that you can learn from them. And, it’s quite simple – here’s how Albacross automated their messages for detractors:
For users who rate their app low (0-6), Albacross sends two Intercom messages that ask for additional feedback. The main purpose of asking for additional customer feedback is to start the conversation and gain a deeper understanding of how the customer feels, what they’re struggling with, and why they’re disappointed.
Albacross sends messages via email:
and via in-app messages that appear immediately after the user completes the survey:
When creating these automated messages, it’s important that you pay great attention to the simplicity and brevity of the message you’re sending out. In this case, Albacross only asks users for a single thing that they can improve to make it as easy as possible for customers to answer.
Ask Promoters to review you on Capterra or G2 Crowd
What about all of your promoters? How can you make use of all this praise and admiration coming from your customers?
Here’s the answer: close the customer feedback loop by getting your promoters to share their experience on online review sites.
Online reviews are of utmost importance in a buyer’s evaluation process, especially in the B2B world, since these transactions often involve many people and large investments of money. According to a study done by G2 Crowd and Heinz Marketing, 71% of B2B buyers look at online reviews during the consideration stage. In addition, 92% of B2B buyers are more likely to purchase after reading a trusted review. By getting happy customers to share their positive experiences online, your organization can build credibility, improve trust, and increase brand awareness among potential buyers. If you’ve got happy customers, the momentum is already there – it’s now your job to transfer that positive momentum from your surveys to review sites.
Let’s take a look at how Albacross closes the loop with their promoters.
For users who give the app a passive rating (7-8), Albacross sends an email of gratitude to let them know that they appreciate the user’s feedback. This is sent via in-app message.
You’ll notice that Albacross’s message is short and sweet, and at the end, they ask their users to leave them a review on Capterra.
For users who rate the app very high (9-10), the Albacross team sends an email with similar content, but this email is sent from their CEO.
Closing the Customer Feedback Loop with Automation Leads to Results
Automating your close-the-loop process is guaranteed to uncover invaluable insights and drive high-impact action, whether that’s fixing a common issue for detractors or sending promoters to a review site to share their praise for your product. We cannot stress the value of closing the customer feedback loop enough.
In the case of Albacross, their efforts in closing the customer feedback loop and automating their program saw two key tangible effects:
Albacross’s NPS Score is consistently climbing. In just a short period of time, Albacross has more than 2x’ed their NPS score. Anyone with any experience with NPS knows that this is not an easy feat.
Secondly, Albacross now has a rating of 4.5/5 and 100+ reviews on Capterra. Most of the reviews that they’ve gathered recently have come from promoters who were directed to Capterra from Albacross’s automated Intercom messages.
So, go forth and close the customer feedback loop with survey respondents. It’s easy when you automate!
For more tips and tricks on closing the customer feedback loop, read our whitepaper designed to help you learn all you need to know to help you make a difference in your company using customer feedback.
Get the Closed-Loop System Starter Kit with Pearl-Plaza’s Closed-Loop Action Package
Not sure where to start? No worries, we are here to help. We have developed a Closed-Loop Action Package that contains everything you need to get started with a system that will improve your business tomorrow, today!
Our Closed-Loop Action Package consists of four products: Case Management, Alerts & Notifications, Moments, and Reporting. Let’s break down what those are and what they mean for your business.
Case Management: Manage, track, prioritize, and resolve customer experience cases. Supports the ability to track communications with customers about their experience and helps to surface the root cause of customer issues from the employee perspective. Case Management is available on all managed survey programs purchased with XI Platform and allows for flexible filtering, for example, case status (closure or expiration), case owner, or case timer
Alerts & Notifications: Provides the ability to notify designated users based on specified criteria which may include scores and/or verbatim content tags. Includes up to 5 notification workflows per survey program from employee recognition, phrase/score recognition, and customer rescue alerts. Alerts can be sent via email, text, or other custom systems.
Moments: Case Management integrates with the Moments mobile application to enable the creation of cases and close the feedback loop on the go. With Moments, users can create and amend favorite collections, share feedback, create a case, mark moments invalid, or complete and close the loop so they get the insights they need to take immediate action.
Reporting: Offers insights into closed-loop data. Users can visualize and monitor cases at a high level. Program owners can immediately see stats such as average days to close a case, hours to first action, and number of escalated cases.
Voice of Employee: Supports the ability to track communications with customers about their experience and helps to surface the root cause of customer issues from the employee’s perspective. Incorporate the voice of the employee tasked with case resolution with a built-in questionnaire to uncover actionable intelligence from your employees; including customer and employee sentiment, and the root cause of the customer issue.
Khoros. Must-Know customer service statistics of 2023 (so far) (https://khoros.com/blog/must-know-customer-service-statistics). Accessed 3/12/2024.
Forbs. Don’t Spend 5 Times More Attracting New Customers, Nurture the Existing Ones (https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2018/09/12/dont-spend-5-times-more-attracting-new-customers-nurture-the-existing-ones/). Accessed 3/12/2024.
Help Scout. 107 Customer Service Statistics and Facts You Shouldn’t Ignore (https://www.helpscout.net/75-customer-service-facts-quotes-statistics/). Accessed 3/12/2024.
In today’s fiercely competitive business environment, customer satisfaction is paramount to success. Happy customers become brand advocates, fueling growth through positive customer feedback. The Net Promoter Score (NPS) metric reveals the essence of customer sentiment and unlocks the path to business success, so it is important that you take the time to uncover net promoter score drivers.
By using the Net Promoter Score system as your compass, you can gain a better understanding of what drives customer loyalty and satisfaction. In this article we will share the three key drivers of NPS identified in our latest report, State of Customer Experience: 2023 UK Consumer Study, conducted in partnership with NPSx by Bain & Company, which reveals how to transform NPS from a numerical score to a strategic advantage!
Net Promoter Score Driver #1: Deliver on Product Quality and Innovation
Customer experience plays a crucial role in driving great product quality and innovation. As a reminder we have listed the steps to consider:
Company Purpose: Define your company’s purpose and why it exists, what does it hope to achieve for its customers and why. What differentiates you from your competitors, what value do your customers get from your product, and what are the unique solutions you provide.
Identify Pain Points: By listening to your customers’ experiences and collecting feedback at various touch points along the journey by utilising voice of the customer surveys, you can identify areas where your product falls short or where improvements can be made.
Understand Customer Expectations: By analysing and understanding your customers’ feelings and emotions using sentiment and text analytics towards a product or service you are offering, you are able to align your development efforts with customer needs and preferences.
Usability Testing and User Experience Research: By observing how customers interact with your product, you can identify usability issues, confusing workflows, or design flaws.
Continuous Improvement: Customer experience serves as a continuous customer feedback loop for product improvement and helps you to identify emerging trends, evolving needs, and areas that require ongoing enhancement.
Net Promoter Score Driver #2: Make it Easy For Your Customers To Get Help
Making it easy to get help is the third most important driver of NPS. During challenging times, customers appreciate brands that provide assistance and support when needed.
Here are some proven recommendations on how you can identify moments to deliver great value:
Simplify Processes: Streamline your processes to minimise complexity and eliminate unnecessary steps. Focus on making each step clear, intuitive, and user-friendly.
Enable Self Service Through Digital Channels: Invest in user-friendly digital platforms, such as websites, mobile apps, and self-service portals, to facilitate easy self-serve interactions with your business. Ensure these channels are accessible, responsive, and offer a seamless experience across devices.
Don’t Forget The Human Touch: Free the time for customer service agents to focus on more complex or challenging interactions with customers, who are not able to self-serve. Train and enable agents to better understand and empathise with customers’ feelings.
Personalise Interactions: Tailor your customer interactions to meet individual needs. Leverage customer data and analytics to understand their preferences, purchase history, and behaviour.
Seamless Omnichannel Experience: Ensure a seamless experience across all customer touchpoints, whether online or offline. Customers should be able to start an interaction on one channel and seamlessly transition to another without losing context.
Get Customer Feedback: By capturing feedback on the customer service experience, companies can gain insights into their strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to make targeted improvements and enhance overall customer satisfaction.
Net Promoter Score Driver #3: Enable Your Employees and Strengthen Your NPS
Your Employees are Your Greatest Asset
High-quality employees are essential for delivering an exceptional customer experience (CX). They are crucial for creating and maintaining a positive customer experience, ultimately leading to customer satisfaction, loyalty, and business success.
Here are some strategies to leverage employee experience:
Focus on Employee Engagement: Actively engage employees by involving them in decision-making processes, recognising their contributions, and fostering a collaborative and inclusive culture. Provide opportunities for growth and development, and ensure that employees have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Doing this will actively increase employee commitment and create more positive customer experiences.
Regularly Seek and Act on Feedback: Create mechanisms for employees to provide feedback and suggestions for improvement. Actively listen to their concerns, address any issues promptly, and take appropriate action to improve the employee experience.
Recognise and Reward Performance: Implement recognition and reward programmes that acknowledge and appreciate employees’ hard work and achievements. Celebrate milestones, exceptional performance, and behaviors aligned with the organisation’s values.
Invest in Learning and Development: Offer continuous learning and development opportunities to enhance employees’ skills and knowledge.
If you are unsure whether your existing CX technology vendor can help you achieve these goals, we would be happy to talk to you about how we can assist you. Pearl-Plaza’s award-winning AI-based experience improvement technology and decades of industry expertise combined with NPSx market-leading training certification and communities for CX practitioners, and CX Roadmap & Assessments help organisations align and prioritise their CX investments, create customer-centric cultures and give clients a comprehensive set of solutions to support customer loyalty and business growth.
Take the initiative today and book your meeting to start your journey towards improved NPS and a remarkable customer experience. We look forward to discussing how we can support your growth and success.
More and more companies are realizing that the customer experience is more important than ever before. As a matter of fact, customer-centric companies are 60% more profitable than companies that don’t focus on customers.
Among the arsenal of tools available to create continuous positive experiences, predictive analytics software and, more specifically, predictive analytics tools stand out as game-changers in not only understanding customer behavior but also in shaping exceptional customer experiences. In this article, we delve into the world of predictive analytics tools, their pivotal role in the customer experience industry, and why businesses can’t afford to overlook their potential.
What Are Predictive Analytics Tools?
Predictive analytics tools are the modern-day wizards of data-driven decision-making. They harness the power of advanced algorithms and historical data to forecast future outcomes. These tools take a proactive approach, helping businesses anticipate customer behavior, preferences, and trends with remarkable accuracy.
By analyzing patterns, predictive analytics tools offer insights that enable businesses to make informed choices, quickly implement a closed-loop system, and fine-tune their CX strategies.
The Role of Predictive Analytics in Customer Experience
At the heart of predictive analytics software lies the ability to decipher complex data and transform it into actionable insights. By capturing and analyzing customer data across various touchpoints, businesses gain a comprehensive view of their customers’ journeys. This deeper understanding leads to tailored interactions, personalized recommendations, and improved problem resolution. With predictive insights, companies can stay ahead of customer demands, enhance engagement, and foster long-lasting relationships.
Key Features and Functionalities of Predictive Analytics Tools
Predictive analytics tools offer an array of features designed to unravel the intricacies of customer behavior. From sentiment analysis and trend identification to customer segmentation and churn prediction, these tools equip businesses with the knowledge needed to make strategic decisions.
For instance, a retail company could use predictive analytics to forecast demand spikes, ensuring optimal stock levels and preventing disappointed customers. In doing this, this retail company would ensure that they are creating a positive retail customer experience.
Selecting the Right Predictive Analytics Tools
Choosing the right predictive analytics tool is a critical decision that can shape the success of your CX initiatives. Factors such as ease of use, scalability, integration capabilities, and the tool’s alignment with your business goals should be considered. Leading solutions like Pearl-Plaza’s XI Platform offer a user-friendly interface, seamless integrations with existing systems, and a track record of delivering actionable insights.
Implementation and Best Practices
Implementing predictive analytics tools requires a strategic approach. Begin by defining clear objectives and aligning them with your CX goals. Then, gather relevant data from various sources and ensure its accuracy.
It is important to collaborate with data analysts and domain experts to fine-tune algorithms and models. Remember that predictive insights are most valuable when combined with human expertise. Leverage the insights to personalize customer interactions, optimize marketing campaigns, and preemptively address issues.
Future Trends and Innovations
As technology advances, so does the potential of predictive customer analytics. With the advent of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data, predictive tools are becoming even more sophisticated. Businesses can expect enhanced predictive accuracy, real-time insights, and the ability to forecast customer preferences with unprecedented precision. Staying updated on these trends will be crucial for businesses aiming to maintain a competitive edge in the CX arena.
Real-World Benefits and Success Stories
Implementing predictive analytics tools in your customer experience program will help you achieve real-world business outcomes, and get you closer to mastering the four pillars of customer experience ROI.
Don’t believe us? Pearl-Plaza recently partnered with Foot Locker to help them manage large quantities of data from multiple different sources to become proactive about their customer’s needs, not reactive. Read the full customer story to learn more!
Predictive Analytics Tools Moving Forward
In the dynamic world of customer experience, predictive analytics tools emerge as indispensable assets. By unlocking the power of data-driven predictions, businesses can transform customer interactions from reactive to proactive. With a deep understanding of customer behavior and trends, companies can refine their strategies, deliver personalized experiences, and build lasting customer relationships.
As the customer experience landscape continues to evolve, embracing predictive analytics tools is no longer an option—it’s a strategic imperative. Click here to find out how you can use predictive analytics tools to take your customer experience program to the next level!
In the world of customer experience, surveys have been a reliable feedback-collecting source for decades. As we make our way forward with new CX technologies and approaches, survey fatigue remains a key operational concern. CX professionals are finding it more challenging than ever to keep program momentum alive. Today, I’m going to share some tips for reviewing your survey program for better response rates, higher program engagement, and better representative results. Use these tips to deliver excellent experiences for your customers while demonstrating that their voice is being heard!
The Road to Alleviate Survey Fatigue
As our approaches to customer experience advance, so does the challenge of survey fatigue. This is a hurdle that CX professionals confront head-on as they strive to maintain the momentum of their survey programs. In the following sections, I will delve into strategies that not only increase your response rate but also invigorate program engagement and yield more representative results. By implementing these techniques, you’ll not only provide outstanding customer experiences but also emphasize that their feedback is not just heard, but genuinely valued.
#1. Make Surveys Shorter. A LOT Shorter.
How many times have you called a customer service representative and thought, “I am your customer—you should already know all these details about me.” Well, people are potentially thinking this about your surveys, too. Ideally, experience surveys should take 2-4 minutes to complete, which can be easily achieved by cutting out the questions to which you already know the answers. You can start your journey to beating survey fatigue with shortening surveys further by removing surplus demographic or operational data that could be sourced from your CRM or data lake (e.g. age, products held, customer tenure), and ultimately improved response rates.
Another technique to fight survey fatigue that is successful for many brands is to leverage microsurveys for mobile and other digital environments. A survey can be set up at each key digital touchpoint (like on a mobile app or website) to send a one or two question microsurvey with an open text box to capture immediate, in-the-moment responses from customers.
Learn how Hootsuite tripled their Net Promoter Score by using Pearl-Plaza’s microsurveys!
#2. Ask Survey Questions That Drive Action.
Whilst “good” survey questions vary from industry to industry, there are some overarching considerations that you need to keep in mind when drafting customer survey questions:
Make sure each survey question has an owner within your organisation;
Consider the type of action that can be taken within your organisation from this question
Minimise words used in your questions. If the idea is clear without excess words, trim down wherever possible
Confirm each survey question is either aligned to customer experience goals and / or targets (e.g. expected front line behaviour or a KPI).
By keeping each of these principles in mind, you’ll ensure that each question can drive action within your organisation, which could in turn be used in comms to demonstrate you’ve listened to customer feedback and taken action to drive an improved customer experience!
Want to see what a survey that drives action looks like? Learn how Pizza Hut UK partnered with Pearl-Plaza to optimise survey design which resulted in double the average number of survey responses. Read the full Pizza Hut customer story today!
#3. Make Your Surveys Count: Pull Transactional and Journey Surveys Into Your Case Management Program
Surveys can be seen as the starting point of a customer conversation. Case management programs—also known as closed loop feedback (CLF) programs—enable trained staff to connect with customers one on one. Frontline staff call back customers to understand why an experience was either great or has room for improvement, and provide a chance to really connect with customers and hear their stories first hand. This can help drive continuous improvement initiatives, or provide customer-driven evidence to support larger initiatives that may require a business-case. Further, and if conducted with a treatment / control approach (e.g. 50% of CLF qualifying customers receive a call), you can track how customers’ behaviour has changed after you close the loop.
Don’t underestimate the potential positive brand impact you’ll see when customers receive a call from a representative after clicking “submit” on their survey. By optimising case management, it will give your program the opportunity to evolve outside of analytics, and start directly contributing more to other operational areas of the business.
In this world where we can reach customers in so many different ways, asking customers “how would you rate XYZ”, “why did you rate XYZ”, and “thinking over these elements, how would you rate…” can be boring, let’s be honest, especially if it is a long survey. Instead, we encourage you to make your surveys shorter to fight survey fatigue and look beyond the questions to discover how the customer’s voice can influence your organisation’s operational performance through CLF and actionable insights.
To learn more about what makes a great survey and how to combat survey fatigue, schedule a demo today!
Mastering unstructured data analytics is going to be key for any business wanting to improve the customer experience, and succeed in today’s business environment. While traditional customer feedback is a goldmine of insights that can drive business growth, a substantial portion of this valuable feedback lies in unstructured data. Emails, social media posts, customer reviews, call center transcripts, and open-ended survey responses—all hold crucial information about customer sentiment and preferences. Leveraging unstructured data analytics is the key to transforming this raw data into actionable insights that can transform your customer experience strategy.
Understanding Unstructured Data Analytics
Understanding unstructured data analytics is crucial for businesses looking to extract valuable insights from vast and diverse data sources. Unstructured data, in contrast to traditional structured data, poses unique challenges due to its lack of predefined formats. It encompasses a wide array of data types, such as text, audio, images, and video content, making it difficult to analyze using conventional methods.
However, through the application of advanced technologies like Natural Language Processing (NLP), voice analytics, and predictive customer analytics, companies can now unlock the hidden potential of unstructured data, gaining deeper customer insights and improving decision-making processes.
Being able to analyze unstructured data is not only about processing data but also about recognizing the invaluable insights within it. By tapping into unstructured data sources, businesses can elevate their customer experience strategies, customer experience research, improve personalized interactions, and create more meaningful connections with their target audience, ultimately gaining a competitive edge in today’s data-driven marketplace.
The Challenge of Unstructured Data
Unstructured data analytics can be a challenging process due to its diverse nature. However, it holds immense potential to unveil customer sentiments, emotions, and expectations, which can significantly impact business decisions. Traditional data analysis techniques fall short in making sense of this unstructured data, leading to missed opportunities and incomplete insights.
Moreover, the sheer volume of unstructured data can overwhelm traditional data storage and processing systems, making it difficult to handle and manage. Companies may struggle with data silos and do not understand the danger of data silos in customer experience management. This various inefficiencies hinder their ability to consolidate and analyze data from multiple sources cohesively.
Addressing the challenge of unstructured data necessitates investing in cutting-edge technologies and data management strategies to unlock its true potential and gain a competitive advantage in the era of data-driven decision-making.
The Benefits of Unstructured Data Analytics:
From deeper customer insights and improved customer experiences to data-driven decision-making, unstructured data analytics paves the way for a transformative journey towards customer-centricity and long-term business success. Let’s dive in and look at the benefits of unstructured data analytics!
Deeper Customer Insights
Unstructured data analytics unlocks hidden patterns and trends that may not be apparent in structured data alone. This deeper understanding of customer preferences and pain points empowers businesses to tailor their products and services to meet customer demands effectively.
Unstructured data analytics allows companies to uncover hidden patterns and trends that would otherwise remain unnoticed, shedding light on subtle shifts in what drives your customer’s behavior and expectations. Armed with these in-depth insights, businesses can fine-tune their product offerings, service delivery, and marketing strategies to align precisely with customer demands and desires.
Moreover, unstructured data analytics offers a holistic view of the customer journey, capturing the entire spectrum of interactions across various touchpoints. This 360-degree understanding enables organizations to identify critical moments of truth that significantly impact customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Businesses can prioritize areas for improvement, focusing their efforts on delivering meaningful experiences that leave a lasting positive impression on customers.
Embracing the power of unstructured data analytics allows businesses to stay agile, customer-focused, and innovative, cementing their position as industry leaders and fostering long-term customer relationships based on trust and satisfaction.
Improved Customer Experience
With unstructured data analytics, organizations can adopt a proactive approach to customer experience management. Rather than reacting to customer complaints and issues as they arise, businesses can anticipate and resolve potential problems before they escalate. By staying ahead of the curve, companies can create a seamless and satisfying customer journey, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Embracing unstructured data analytics empowers companies to adapt quickly to the evolving needs and preferences of their customer base. As consumer behaviors change, businesses can make data-driven decisions, implement relevant enhancements, and offer personalized experiences that resonate with their target audience. This agility ensures that businesses remain competitive and stay ahead in the fast-paced and ever-changing marketplace.
Unlock the Voice of the Customer
Mastering unstructured data analytics is the key to unlocking the Voice of the Customer (VoC) and gaining profound insights into customer sentiments and preferences. The VoC represents the collective feedback, opinions, and expectations of customers across various touchpoints and interactions with a business. A significant portion of the VoC resides within unstructured data sources, such as customer reviews, open-ended survey responses, social media posts, and call center transcripts.
By harnessing advanced technologies like Natural Language Processing (NLP) and sentiment analysis, businesses can analyze unstructured text data to extract valuable insights from the VoC. NLP enables the understanding of customers’ words, emotions, and context, providing a deeper understanding of their experiences and feelings. Sentiment analysis helps gauge customer satisfaction levels, identify recurring issues, and spot emerging trends in customer feedback.
Mastering unstructured data analytics in the context of the VoC empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions, identify opportunities for improvement, and optimize their customer experience strategies. By listening attentively to the Voice of the Customer and tapping into unstructured data sources, companies can cultivate strong customer relationships, foster loyalty, and continuously refine their offerings to meet and exceed customer expectations.
To learn more about how unstructured data analytics is key to understanding the Voice of the Customer, read this white paper!
The Next Step to Mastering Unstructured Data Analytics
In the age of data-driven decision-making, tapping into unstructured data analytics is a game-changer for businesses aiming to elevate their customer experience strategy. By harnessing the power of natural language processing, voice analytics, and image and video analysis, companies can unveil valuable customer insights and create more personalized and meaningful interactions. Embracing unstructured data analytics will not only drive business growth but also position your organization as a customer-centric industry leader.
To learn more about how your brand can use unstructured data analytics to drive business success, request a demo here!
It seems like the internet is full of ChatGPT “hacks” these days. We are all inundated by articles and webinars that start with “How to Use ChatGPT to…” I have also had way too many conversations with my Gen-Z son and millennial colleagues about how they use the tool to make everyday tasks go by more quickly. And I wouldn’t be the true customer experience nerd that I am if I didn’t ask: “Could we customer experience (CX) professionals leverage ChatGPT customer experience survey questions?”
On the surface, it seems like an obvious application for a ChatGPT customer experience approach. A survey is pretty straightforward, correct? Not so fast.
Keep reading to find out what happened when I tested this approach and why it may not be the best way to go when it comes to your customer listening approach.
Testing ChatGPT for Customer Experience Questions
I started off with a simple question for ChatGPT, hoping for a simple customer satisfaction survey, typing in, “Write me a survey.” You can see the screenshot of the output below.
A ChatGPT Customer Experience Survey
After reviewing the generated answer, you may be asking, “what’s missing?” Well, to the untrained eye, there could be little to no difference between a traditionally written survey and a ChatGPT customer experience survey. After all, there are demographic questions, the typical “How satisfied were you with your experience,” and other basic survey asks.
But here is what stands out to me as a glaring absence. What is missing is pretty much the most important part of any survey: the link to the business questions you are trying to answer by launching a survey in the first place!
Quick PSA from Jim: Creating surveys is an important topic, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that while surveys are a tried-and-true method of collecting customer feedback, they are not the only way (or the best way, in many cases) to hear from customers. With so many channels available for you to monitor the voice of the customer, to restrict yourself to surveys alone is to limit your insights. This is another topic for another day (but if you’re interested, you can learn more about other listening channels here). End of PSA.
For now, let’s talk about the risks of using AI like ChatGPT to write surveys!
ChatGPT Customer Experience Risks & Best Practices You Need to Know
ChatGPT Customer Experience Questions Miss the Point
Let me ask you a question: Is the point of your CX program to launch surveys? Now, many of you are likely rolling your eyes at me, but I promise, there’s a point to this. Hopefully, you answered no. Because the point of customer experience is not to ask questions, but to listen to customers and the market to help guide your path to achieving business goals. The questions are simply a vehicle to gain insight into what will help or hinder your business on the way to realizing those goals.
When you look at the output of ChatGPT customer experience questions in the screenshot above, these questions really miss the point. Yes, they are generic questions that we have all likely seen in surveys before, but what are they getting at? The only results I can see this survey gleaning is a scoreboard metric and some customer demographics that we might already have access to via other data sources.
When you craft surveys, the first questions you should ask should be for you and your team. Do you have a set of northstar goals (GOALS not scores!) for your customer experience program already? Great! If not, start that conversation with your executive stakeholders and team. Only then can you truly design your program, surveys, and other initiatives with the end goal in mind.
Once you have agreed upon a desired end goal, then you need to ask:
What are we hoping to learn?
Who are we hoping to learn from?
Do we already have access to this data?
If you want to gut-check your surveys, you can check out this CX survey assessment my colleagues developed to help you optimize your surveys!
ChatGPT Doesn’t Know Your Customers Like You Do
Context is everything. And when it comes to ChatGPT customer experience questions, they won’t have any of the contextual data that you do. If your CX program has been around for a while, you likely have a mountain of customer data around. And that existing data will shape what you already know, and what questions you still need to ask.
(Additionally, you might be tempted to feed ChatGPT some of your customer data, but that can unearth a whole boatload of security complications. Do you really want every ChatGPT user having access to your customer data? Didn’t think so.)
An effective customer listening strategy is personal and targeted. Speaking to the customer in their language is critical. Many brands have worked hard to develop a brand persona. Asking customers for feedback in a sterile, canned voice will not yield the best results or further endear your brand to your customers. I don’t believe your brand personalization can be accomplished by a ChatGPT survey—at least not today.
ChatGPT Is a Starting Block, Not the Finish Line
Now you may be thinking, “Jim, you’ve made a good case for the risks of using ChatGPT for customer experience surveys. But there has to be some way I can use it.” I’m glad you asked and yes, there is!
I know we have all heard the fear-mongering conversations about AI taking jobs. And if we’re being realistic, AI will eliminate some jobs, but it will also create new ones. Those who will be safe from that chopping block are those professionals who learn how to leverage AI to increase efficiency and perfect skills that AI alone just can’t manage without human input.
In the customer experience space, this could be leveraging ChatGPT as a starting point, then leveraging the additional context you have about your customers and your brand’s identity to perfect its suggestions.
For example, ChatGPT can give you phrasing ideas for your survey questions as long as you are very specific in your prompts. It can also help you to think of other ways to ask questions you’ve been posing to customers for a long time, giving your same old relationship and post-transaction surveys a refresh.
It’s not about AI or humans. It’s about humans using AI to improve and become more imaginative and efficient.
I will end with this. I do not want to come off as a “debbie downer” or, even worse, as naive. AI is going to have an increased role in customer experience and in creating the listening posts that practitioners create to capture customer insight. But, I believe true value will be well beyond simply crafting a survey.
The real power of ChatGPT and other AI tools will be to help understand the data that comes from a survey or the multiple direct and indirect data sources that make up the voice of the customer. And, just to validate this statement, I asked ChatGPT why the voice of the customer is important? In this case, ChatGPT was spot on:
I think we can all agree that ChatGPT is right on target with that answer.
In today’s business landscape, customer experience (CX) has become a critical differentiator. Customers have high expectations when it comes to interactions with brands, and delivering exceptional experiences has a direct impact on loyalty, satisfaction, and overall business success. To meet these demands, companies are turning to customer experience experts who possess the knowledge and skills to enhance CX platforms and drive customer-centric strategies.
Who Are Customer Experience Experts?
Customer experience experts are professionals with a deep understanding of customer behavior, psychology, and industry best practices. They bring a unique blend of expertise, combining data analysis, strategic thinking, and a customer-centric mindset. These professionals often have backgrounds in fields like market research, customer service, UX design, and psychology. Many of them also have experience leading customer experience programs at the world’s greatest brands, and now advise other CX professionals on how to grow programs that benefit their businesses.
Why Are Customer Experience Experts Important?
The importance of customer experience for modern businesses cannot be overstated. Companies that prioritize customer experience outperform their competitors and build long-term customer loyalty. However, achieving exceptional customer experience requires a dedicated focus on understanding and addressing customer needs and expectations at every touchpoint. This is where customer experience experts play a crucial role.
Customer experience experts possess the skills to identify pain points in the customer journey and suggest actionable improvements. By analyzing customer data, conducting surveys, and studying customer feedback, they uncover valuable insights that can drive transformative changes. They have a finger on the pulse of evolving customer expectations, enabling businesses to proactively adapt and stay ahead of the competition.
How Can Customer Experience Experts Elevate Your CX Initiative?
Customer experience experts can elevate your CX platform in several ways:
Assessing and Optimizing Your CX Program: Customer experience experts bring fresh perspectives and extensive experience. They can evaluate your existing CX program, from your customer listening strategy to your governance approach and beyond, to identify areas of improvement and suggest strategies to enhance customer satisfaction and improve on business-critical goals such as customer acquisition and retention.
Leveraging Data-Driven Insights: Customer experience experts are skilled in analyzing data to uncover patterns, trends, and customer preferences. By leveraging advanced analytics and machine learning techniques, they can make data-driven recommendations that improve business outcomes.
Implementing CX Technologies: With their expertise in CX technologies, customer experience experts can help you adopt and integrate cutting-edge tools such as AI chatbots, sentiment analysis platforms, and omnichannel solutions. These technologies streamline interactions, personalize experiences, and enhance customer engagement.
Collaborating With Your Team: Customer experience experts work collaboratively with your team, aligning CX strategies with your business goals. Their ability to communicate and influence stakeholders ensures that the CX improvements are integrated seamlessly across departments, resulting in a consistent and superior customer experience.
How Your Business Benefits From the Customer Experience Experts at Pearl-Plaza
In a world where customer expectations are continually rising, delivering exceptional experiences is no longer a choice, but a necessity. Engaging with customer experience experts at Pearl-Plaza can make the difference between a passable customer experience to one that is a true differentiator for your brand and a driver for your business.
Pearl-Plaza’s customer experience experts include our expert practitioners and Strategic Insights Team, a dedicated team of consultants with over sixty years of research, marketing sciences, and advanced statistical expertise.
These individuals are embedded in our clients’ organizations, helping them transform any type of data into actionable (ROI) insights.
These customer experience experts take a unique approach of “designing with the end in mind,” which enables our clients to understand their customers, non-customers, and employees at a granular level. Additionally, their expertise further empowers our clients to build strategies and action plans that focus on the bottom line: acquisition, retention, customer lifetime value, and cost reduction opportunities.
The Strategic Insights Team’s services include:
Industry Benchmarking
Market Pulse Surveys
Journey Mapping
True-Driver Analysis
ROI-Based Linkages
And more!
These customer experience experts and their understanding of customer behavior, analyzing data, and implementing CX strategies can transform your business, boost customer satisfaction, and drive sustainable growth. Don’t miss the opportunity to leverage their skills and insights to stay ahead in the competitive marketplace. Invest in a CX provider that includes strategic services and other experts today and make your customer experience a differentiating factor for your business success!
In our recent virtual panel discussion, we explored how different financial firms are embracing the Consumer Duty Act and identified areas where most of their resources have been designated. The panelists engaged in insightful discussions, sharing their organisational challenges and best practices, while attendees were to engage in polls aimed at answering three key questions on preparedness, challenges, and changes related to Consumer Duty.
And because at Pearl-Plaza, we value sharing knowledge as widely as possible, I’m going to share the results of that in-event poll with you here, along with a few thoughts about our learnings.
How Prepared Do You Feel for Consumer Duty?
We were pleased to see that the majority of firms who joined us felt very prepared, with 50% selecting this option, and no one stating that they weren’t prepared at all.
The panelists shared valuable insights on embracing changes and putting customers at the center of their business. A key takeaway was the importance of ensuring that everyone in the organisation was informed and that they understood what Consumer Duty means for the whole business, but also their specific accountability in delivering against it. Increasing awareness and providing comprehensive training to employees are crucial steps toward ensuring adherence to the act’s expectations.
The discussion around preparation also highlighted the importance of assessing product alignment with target customers, the risks of non-compliance, and the benefits of adopting a customer-first approach.
Furthermore, the concept of “substantive compliance” was emphasized as a means to exceed expectations and gain a competitive advantage. Ensuring the needs of vulnerable customers are met was also discussed as a crucial aspect of achieving desired outcomes.
What Have Been Your Biggest Challenges in Getting Ready for Consumer Duty?
When asked about the biggest challenges they have faced, there was an equal split between “creating change within the organisation to adapt to the FCA requirements” and “conflicting priorities.” Both challenges undoubtedly speak to the need to implement new processes as well as ways of thinking, especially when strategic plans or other requirements such as digital transformation were already planned as necessities.
Solving for these challenges requires an organisation to embrace the Consumer Duty Act as an opportunity for a strategic evolution, rather than a complete upheaval of existing business strategies. The key is in adapting your perspective to see these adjustments as a fine tuning rather than a complete abandonment of the preexisting travel plan.
There was also emphasis on fostering a culture of ongoing learning and improvement. By embracing a mindset of adaptability and remaining attuned to shifting customer expectations and regulatory landscapes, organisations will be best able to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities presented by the act.
What Are the Biggest Changes That You Have Made Towards Identifying Risk Amongst Your Customers?
Lastly, we asked attendees about the biggest changes they had made to identify at-risk customers. The poll and the subsequent discussion revealed the significant industry-wide adoption of integrating diverse data sources (other than traditional surveys) into Marketing Intelligence (MI), with the third poll showing that 81% had integrated different data sources into their reporting. This integration empowers organisations to leverage comprehensive data, driving focus and strategic changes that are aligned with evolving customer needs.
Leaders in this space have continued to make adjustments to their CX programmes to support Consumer Duty requirements such as reviewing touchpoints and customer journeys to bridge gaps, more effective dissemination of customer insights to stakeholders, and a greater focus on measuring consumer understanding in order to take proactive action to address improvement areas. This final action leads to not only improved communication out to customers but also improved internal communication around expectations and making material more inclusive to drive better understanding.
“Firms should harness the benefits of data and technology to improve their services and understand the outcomes they achieve for their customers.”
The FCA
To get access to detailed notes, poll data and more, you can click here for a full summary of the Consumer Duty Panel Discussion!
It’s clear that the most successful brands will be those that focus on enhancing their customer-centric culture, putting the customer at the heart of all decision making, rather than focusing only on a compliance-first approach.
Having the right experience programme in place can help build customer centricity and use it to your advantage!
Find out how Pearl-Plaza can help you embrace these changes to:
Deliver positive outcomes for your customers
Gain an improved consumer understanding
Identify customers at risk to complain and churn
Develop a culture of continuous experience improvement
Click the link if you would like to learn more about how Pearl-Plaza can help you with Consumer Duty Compliance!
