Customer expectations change in both B2C and B2B segments. According to research, 76% of consumers note that it’s easier than ever to switch brands in order to find customer experience that meets their expectations. The level of competition in various industries constantly grows because customers have many options to choose from. The strong competition encourages companies from different niches to use artificial intelligence, cloud, and mobile technologies to provide valuable, personalized, and seamless customer experience.
The Importance of Delivering Great Customer Service
Your customer service has a significant impact on both your leads and existing customers. 62% of consumers note that they always share their negative customer experiences with friends and relatives. Besides, unsatisfied customers share their experiences with three times as many people as customers who are satisfied with customer service.
Word of mouth and social media can have a huge impact on your sales. As much as 68% of consumers say that positive reviews make them more likely to purchase products or services, and 93% of consumers look for online reviews to determine whether or not they want to use products or services of a certain brand.
Poor customer experience can damage your sales and your reputation, while good customer experience can boost your sales and increase loyalty. 86% of American customers note that they are willing to pay more for great customer experience. Therefore, if you want to withstand competition, it’s not enough to provide high-quality services or products. You should understand what your customers expect and provide better customer service than other brands from your niche.
What Your Customers Expect
- They want to be treated like humans, not numbers
Brands should try to establish an authentic personal connection with their audiences. They should put a lot of effort into providing the necessary information and assistance, personalize customer journeys, and understand your customers’ unique needs and preferences. Thanks to AI and other technologies, brands can use personalization in different areas, making sure that their customers are not treated like numbers.
If you want your customers to recommend your brand to others and to return to you in the future, you should establish a personal connection with them. 70% of consumers say that understanding of their needs is one of the key factors that influence their loyalty, and most of them are looking for personalized customer care when choosing brands.
- Customers want consistency
Most companies have several departments that interact with customers, including sales, marketing, and customer support teams. Given that customers are looking for a seamless experience, you should make sure to establish effective communication between departments. You should make sure that your customers get a consistent customer experience at every stage of their buyer’s journey, no matter what challenges you need to overcome.
75% of consumers expect a consistent customer experience across different channels, and they will likely choose another brand if they don’t get it. More and more customers expect businesses to use their data to provide a consistent experience. They want you to anticipate their needs and to offer relevant suggestions even before they contact you, no matter what channels they choose for it.
You won’t be able to provide an outstanding customer experience without feedback from your customers. However, not all customers are willing to share their feedback, especially if they are satisfied with your service. The best solution is to choose a proactive approach and use surveys, directly asking your customers for feedback. Even if they decide not to complete your survey, they will see that you care about them and that their opinion is important to you.
To obtain valuable feedback, you should design your surveys carefully, choosing the right style and tone of writing, and taking into account the specifics of your audience. For instance, you can visit writing services review websites to find professional writers to communicate your intentions via the right touch.
4. Customers expect immediate responses
Given that businesses now can communicate with their potential and existing customers via many different channels, customers expect immediate responses. According to research, 64% of B2C customers and 80% of B2B customers expect companies to interact with them in real-time. Given that younger generations of consumers are used to fast and efficient communication on social media and messengers, quick responses certainly should be one of your priorities. For instance, one of the possible ways to ensure real-time communication is to use chatbots.
5. Customers are willing to share personal data to get better service
To meet your audience’s customer service expectations, you should clearly understand what customers want. For instance, if you want to provide personalized customer experience, you might need to use AI, and AI algorithms need data on your customers’ behavior and preferences. Fortunately, 61% of millennials are willing to share their personal data if it helps them receive a personalized customer experience. 58% of consumers are also ready to share their personal data to get personalized product recommendations.
Of course, the situation is different when it comes to older generations of consumers. However, it makes sense to expect more people to be willing to share their information in the future because more and more internet users are getting used to the fact that companies collect their data.
Wrapping Up
If you want your business to withstand competition and grow, you should make sure to provide outstanding customer service. Consumers will quickly switch to another brand if you fail to meet their expectations, and they will share their negative experiences with others. In contrast, if you manage to provide great customer service, you will get more loyal customers and boost your sales. We hope that our list of the top five customer expectations will help you put your efforts in the right direction, helping your customers get exactly what they expect.
Source: 5 Experiences That Define Strong Customer Service – The Wise Marketer