In the United States, 59% of people will walk away from a company after several bad experiences, and 17% after just one bad experience. This means, one big error, or unforeseen disaster, could lead to losing many of your customers. As digital transformation continues to reshape the world of customers, organizations are constantly hunting for the latest technologies and processes in the market that can potentially reform their business and provide exceptional customer service. Considering its cross-functional approach and multipurpose, customer success has become an essential ingredient in the digital transformation journey of any business.
So what exactly is it and how does the term apply to an organization as a whole?
Customer success is a mindset
Today’s most successful emerging companies have already invested in customer success. Without a doubt, these companies were 21% more likely than their stagnant counterparts to prioritize customer success. Although some may argue otherwise, customer success is much more than simply a department within a company. It is a mindset that can be practiced across an entire organization to enhance your customer’s overall experience. It is a cross-functional approach that requires strong teamwork to achieve higher quality products and services.
As a company, your success is directly tied to how well your customer’s needs and expectations are met or exceeded. So how do we do this?
1. Build a strong team of leaders
From the founder of the company to the last hired employee, customer success is everyone’s responsibility. When hiring, reach out to people who understand your vision and the importance of placing customers at the forefront of the company’s values goes a long way. As a matter of fact, those who understand the connection between customer satisfaction and success leads to greater innovation and productivity.
2. Innovate with your end user in mind
Some customers are inevitably going to face issues during the process of setting up their account. By focusing on improving the experience of end users through interactive tutorials, you help guide them towards becoming more self-sufficient. In fact, building customers to become more independent will build more loyalty and trust towards your brand, and a greater customer experience overall.
3. Onboard customers and engage them all the way through
A great onboarding process that covers all aspects of your product or service will help set a great first impression. Getting them acquainted through the necessary tools, training, resources, and knowledge is the first and foremost step in building loyal customers. Answering questions, providing step-by-step tutorials, offering unlimited one-on-one guidance from representatives, and celebrating whenever a customer uses your product correctly are all ways you can better connect.
The second step is involving your customers throughout the entire development process to understand and match their vision. Keeping them in the loop will let them know exactly what to expect, while your team responds to their needs and expectations. All too often, companies force their own ideas, and forget to take the time to understand what their customers truly want and need. Not doing enough research to gather the pain points of your end-user is the recipe for failure.
Keep in mind that once you’ve passed the implementation phase, being proactive shouldn’t be understated. Providing useful recommendations and the needed maintenance and support during all phases will bring more positive feedback in return.
4. Develop a customer success strategy
A defined process and plan will help you meet your business vision effectively. It starts with the most basic building blocks such as getting to know your customer to developing a strategy around your target persona.
5. Empower customers with intuitive tools
When you support your end-user with a user-friendly and intuitive interface, they become self-reliant. This will make them more familiar with your product, making them less likely to seek alternatives to your service.
6. Ask for feedback
Not only should you survey your customers before ideation, but providing a follow-up survey six months later goes a long way. Utilizing feedback will help you map and identify potential roadblocks, and address them accordingly. Doing so will also pave the way towards an upsell or cross-sell of a product.
7. Streamline communication
Optimizing your communication responding quickly will build a stronger relationship with your customers. For example, around-the-clock customer service and various channels of communication is one way you can enhance their experience.
8. Provide real value
Ask yourself, what do end users benefit from your product or service? Will it make them happier? If it doesn’t change their life or provide real value, it’s easier for them to forget it.
Customer success is a competitive differentiator, and digital transformation has made it more important than ever. Cultivating customer success as a mindset across your organization will build a stronger relationship with your customers while also being the catalyst for better end-user experiences. Stay up to date with the latest industry-related news by checking out our resources page.
