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5 Ways To Improve Your Customer Experience

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Nicklas Klemm
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Give customers a great experience, and they’ll buy more, be more loyal and share good reviews with your friends. That’s what every company strives for. 

Yet so many consumers seem disappointed. A business loses one-quarter of its customers every day because of a bad experience. In fact, customer experience is the driving force of purchasing for 73% of customers.

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When customers feel appreciated, companies gain measurable results–including the chance to win more of their customer's spending dollars. The payoffs are valued at up to 16% price premium on products and services, plus increased loyalty. 

If improving customer experience isn’t your strategy, then you’re doing it wrong. With this blog, we’ll dive into the benefits of providing a good customer experience and suggest steps to elevate it.

Understanding Customer Experience

Put simply,customer experience refers to the impression your customers have of your brand throughout the buyer’s journey. It includes every interaction, from the initial discovery to post-purchase support. 

Consumer demands are rising – 31% have higher expectations than 12 months ago – and so are the number of channels being used to interact with companies with social media and private messaging channel usage increasing 14% and 13% respectively.

Customer experience is important. And it's only becoming more important to both customers and businesses. 

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More customers prefer digital channels to ask questions, it’s not time to cut the cord on the phone–far from it. On average, customers interacted on two of these three channel types in the last 12 months. Channel preferences vary, and brands need to be flexible using a customer

experience (CX) platform that makes it easy to meet customers on their channel of choice.

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In today’s landscape, AI-powered voice agents are redefining what it means to interact. These aren’t just “press 1 for…” systems of yesterday; they’re innovative collaborators engineered to respond and engage with near human precision. 

But, why are companies betting big on AI-powered voice agents?

Because they’re delivering results. Imagine cutting wait times and saving on operational costs, all while offering a service that doesn’t just meet customer expectations but also elevates them. 

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The Role of Technology in Customer Experience

The impact of technology on customer service is quite subjective and hard to measure. For starters, customers may not consciously seek out businesses with better technology. 

In fact, most of the powerful customer experience platforms or tools aren’t in customer faces; they're working seamlessly in the background. One of the biggest benefits of using technology in customer service is automation. It helps you provide customer service that is faster and more efficient. 

CX leaders forecast that virtual assistants (69%) and generative AI (54%) are set to have a significant impact on how they engage with customers on digital channels over the next two years.

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One of the most notable examples of customer experience automation is the chatbot. By automating responses to common or basic questions, a chatbot helps businesses respond instantly to customers. 

A third (34%) of CX leaders believe that increasing efficiency is the main benefit of AI technology in customer experience, and 29% of them believe that problem-solving

capabilities are the main benefit, whereas only 18% see improved data analysis as the

the main benefit of AI in customer service, and 14% see increased personalization and

engagement as the main AI benefit.

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With customer experience technology, the possibilities of personalization are endless. Even more important, these advances will help businesses free up their most valuable resource–their employees —to allow them to handle complex needs which ultimately strengthen your long-term customer relationship with your customers. 


5 Ways to Elevate Customer Experience

A business cannot exist without its customers, and this is why customers are focusing on how to win new businesses and, more importantly, retain existing customers. 

According to Bain and Company, acquiring a new client is significantly more expensive than retaining an existing one, often costing 5 to 25 times more to bring on a new customer compared to keeping a current one

Did you know that companies that prioritize great customer experience see a significant increase in revenue?

CX-focused brands report 60% more profit than those that failed to focus on CX. If you want your customers to stay loyal, then you have to invest in their experience. 

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Leverage generative AI for Seamless Interactions

Consider this, for example, a virtual assistant that not only answers customer queries but also anticipates their needs, converses in a natural tone, and stands available around the clock. 

What was once the wildest dream of customer management leaders is now a reality at their fingertips. AI-powered technologies such as this can help support teams provide always-on top-tier service and ultimately build the foundation of customer loyalty and brand trust.  

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Business plans for generative AI vary, but most are using or plan to use the technology to support the following:

  • Attraction of new customers (81%)
  • Campaign planning (79%)
  • Experience creation (75%)
  • Audience definition (73%)
  • Campaign performance measurement (69%),
  • Experience delivery (66%)

A majority (79%) of executives are also currently using or plan to use generative AI for customer support–far more than any stage in the customer journey. This might help them improve

support response times, a top pain point for customers across industries. 

This doesn’t mean customers lack enthusiasm for the technology. About one-third prefer AI-enabled interactions while exploring products or services, and 45% want to have the option for both human and AI-enabled interactions at this stage.

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Personalize Every Customer Touchpoint

A recent Adobe survey says most customers report at least one positive, memorable experience in the past six months–and the more frequently they interact with an organization, the more likely they’re to remember these experiences. And, many of these positive experiences are because of personalization. 

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Personalized customer experience refers to providing a specific, tailored experience to each customer through messaging, offers, recommendations and more. Research shows shoppers have a strong point of view on personalization. 

72% said they expect the businesses they buy from to recognize them as individuals and know their interests. When asked to define personalization, consumers associate it with the positive experience of being made to feel special. 

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Touch points such as check-in post-purchase, sending a how-to video, or asking consumers to write reviews generate positive brand perceptions. 

And customers reward those who get it right. Over three-quarters of consumers (76%) said that receiving personalized communication was a key factor in considering a brand, and 78% said that personalized content made them more likely to repurchase. This can deliver a 1 to 2 per cent lift in total sales for retailers and businesses. 

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Act on Real-Time Customer Feedback

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” – Brian Halligan, HubSpot CEO.

78% of people prefer brands that collect and accept customer feedback.

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According to ProProfs, 53% of marketers also put customers as the number one tactic to improve customer experience. 

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Too many companies squander the treasure that is customer feedback. The solution is systematically measuring the customer’s voice and integrating it into a culture of continuous feedback. 

Here are a few ideas that will give you a valuable place to begin collecting and using feedback:

  • Customer service touch points: The easiest way to get started–is to ask for feedback after a support encounter. You can use conversational AI tools like Synthflow AI to simply implement a post-support call. 

With this simple question, I can gather some straightforward answers on what information was helpful and if there are any suggestions they would like to make. 

  • Product suggestions and improvements: If you have an app for your product/service, then getting feedback from customers is not that hard. You can use survey forms to get product feedback or suggestions. 

These are a few questions that you can ask:

  • What is {product feature} helping you accomplish?
  • What are the issues you are facing with the brand?
  • What are the product features you think we are missing?
  • A/B test ideation: On-site surveys are a crucial tool used in conversion research. If you’re asking the right questions–real-time surveys are one of the most insightful data points ideation and spotting issues. This feedback builds your A/B testing hypothesis. 

For instance, Hootsuite successfully validated its hypothesis and redesigned its website using customer feedback, resulting in an increase of 16% in conversion. The right questions and feedback helped them understand areas that needed improvement and elements that needed A/B testing. 

Train and empower Employees

There’s often a direct link between employee experience (EX), customer experience and revenue growth. Existing research shows that companies that perform well on EX metrics also tend to perform well on CX metrics. 

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By focusing on improving EX, companies can potentially increase revenue by up to 50% or more and profits by nearly as much. It’s time to think of employees as your first customers. Their experience in your organization will ultimately shape each customer interaction. 

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But what elements create this sense of empowerment and drive CX?

  • Give leaders a 360-degree view: Getting only your customer's point of view is just half the picture. Your employees have a unique point of view of your processes, procedures, and systems that your customers don’t. They can tell you what is serving your customers well and what’s not. When you give management teams this full visibility that they can use for improving customer and employee experience. 
  • Uncover internal root causes of external issues: Looking at employee and customer experience together can expose workforce challenges, ineffective policies or outdated systems. Leaders can use this information to make a correlation between what employees are experiencing and how those experiences negatively impact customer experience. 
  • Facilitate alignment across teams: You cannot see the complete picture of your organization without the voice of your customers and employees. They are both equally important, and you can make sure that both are heard by combining both employee and customer initiatives. 
  • Use AI voice agents: Employees spend more than eight hours a week on unnecessary tasks and meetings. With voice AI agent like Synthflow, your employees can deal with more complex and exciting tasks rather than dealing with repetitive mundane tasks that lower morale. 

For instance, you can develop a joint program that includes an enterprise wide survey to get employee and customer feedback from both ends. This way you can hear the issues of your employees as well as customers and take measures to solve them. 

When employee experience is positive, employees are more likely to engage in their workspace, stay in the company and provide great customer experience. 

Develop Loyalty Programs

Customer retention isn’t easy, but data shows that customers spend 67% more when they are part of a customer loyalty program. So, it's worth the effort to get it right. 

A scaled loyalty program that produces quantifiable results takes some to cultivate. Customer loyalty is the function of two things: engagement and loyalty. It’s understanding that the longer a customer engages with you ( for instance, enrolled in a loyalty program), the more they’re likely to become loyal. 

It’s called the “loyalty program point”, when customers become committed to you as a brand of their choice. 

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Types of loyalty program

There are four basic types of loyalty programs: Type 1, Type 2, Type 3 and Type 4. Let’s understand them through this table.

Program TypeCharacteristics of ProgramExampleType 1: Members receive additional discount at registerMembership open to all customersEach member receives the same discount regardless of purchase historyFirm has no information base on customer name, demographics, or purchase historyThere is no targeted communications directed at membersSupermarket programsType 2:Members receive 1 freewhen they purchase nunitsMembership open to all customersFirm does not maintain a customer database linking purchases to specific customersLocal car wash, nail salon,SuperCuts,AirportFastPark, PETCOType 3:Members receive rebatesor points based oncumulative purchasesSeeks to get members to spend enough to receive qualifying discountAirlines, hotels, credit cardprograms, Staples, OfficeDepotType 4:Members receivetargeted offers andmailingsMembers are divided into segments based on their purchase historyRequires a comprehensive customer database of customer demographics and purchase historyTesco, Dorothy LaneMarkets,Wakefern’sShopRite, Giant EagleSupermarkets, HarrisTeeter,Winn-Dixie,Harrah’s, Hallmark

Type 1 programs are often conducted by small firms that do not have the managed resources to conduct Type 2, 3 and 4. All other forms of loyalty programs (Type 2, 3, and 4) attempt to increase a customer’s total purchases from the firm by offering additional discounts, rebates or free goods when a customer exceeds a given level.

With Syhthflow, you can set up automated follow up calls with a voice AI agent to increase engagement and meet loyalty program requirements for your cx. 

Importance of speed in communication 

When asked to rank important aspects of a good customer experience, respondents overwhelmingly want one thing–speed (87%). They also care about the query being resolved (74%) and are keen to engage with the channel of their choice (67%). 

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With the insights from the Deloitte's 2023 Global Contact Center Survey, it's clear that companies are adopting AI voice bots to meet the rising standards. 

Through the powerful combo of predictive analytics and conversational technology, companies are now able to serve more people faster–scaling without sacrificing quality. And, we’re not talking about minor tweaks; over 90% of organisations are jumping into self-automation. 

Whether it's answering FAQs or guiding customers through more intricate issues, Synthflow's voice modeling ensures an interactive, responsive AI-powered discussion.

Synthflow's voice capabilities are top-notch. Elevenlabs is supported in all subscriptions at-cost, so you can fine-tune voices or even clone your own right away. 

The best part? There's zero lag, so conversations feel natural and responsive, with no awkward pauses. It's like having a team of professional actors on standby to handle calls.

Measuring customer experience 

Effectively measuring customer experience starts with collecting the right feedback from the right people at the right time. You can, directly and indirectly, measure customer experience to grasp the full breadth of the customer experience through these CX metrics. 

  • CSAT: Ask customers to take a customer satisfaction survey where they rate their satisfaction on a numerical scale. For instance, rating 1 being dissatisfied and 5 being the most satisfied. CSAT surveys are often sent via email shortly after support interaction. 
  • Net Promoter Score (NPS): It's a simple metric that dissects customer experience by assessing how likely a customer is to recommend you to others. Customers rate their likelihood on a scale of 0 to 10. Higher NPS indicate good experience whereas ratings that are less than 5 are generally considered bad. 
  • Customer Effort Score (CES): Your Customer Effort Score evaluates how easily customers can achieve their goals when interacting with your business. The more effort a customer exerts when working with you, the less likely they are to return to give you business. 
  • First Response Time: FRT measures how long it takes the customer support agent to reply to a customer’s request. The more a company reduces its FRT time, the more it can improve its customers' experience. 
  • Referral rate: Referrals indicate customer loyalty and trust and don't require any marketing dollars to acquire. Referred customers are more loyal and profitable and spend more and churn less. 

Instead of drowning in CX metrics, you can prioritize these important ones. The more unified your data, the easier it will be to create meaningful and enjoyable customer relationships. 

Wrapping up

One thing is clear. 

The customer experience (CX) is no longer nice to have but a must-have. 

From understanding the breadth and depth of customer experience to recognizing its business value, we have outlined the landscape of customer experience. 

But remember: Good customer experience is providing fast and convenient assistance.

Business’s approach to resolving customer issues quickly should combine cutting-edge natural language processing, machine learning, and robust intent understanding libraries to deliver interactions that are conversational and effective.

This is where the Synthflow AI platform steps in, offering a comprehensive solution to elevate the pain points of e-commerce businesses. 

Synthflow's no-code, drag-and-drop interface allows users to set up a voice agent in minutes without needing any technical knowledge or coding ability. It can seamlessly handle a large volume of calls across all timelines and languages. 

With Synthflow AI platform, you can:

  • Create and launch your generative solution in minutes. 
  • Offer automated customer service across chosen platforms, including voice and chatbots, ensuring a seamless omnichannel experience. 
  • Deliver tailored responses based on a comprehensive understanding of customer profiles, reducing resolution and response times through smart replies and pre-set responses. 
  • Analyse customer conversation across more than 20 channels, optimizing future responses and enhancing customer engagement through conversation analytics.

Want to try a free demo to see how you can replace your traditional call centres with AI voice bots? Sign up here. 

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Effortless Human-Like AI Phone Calls

Build a no-code AI phone system with our AI voice Assistants: stop missing calls and start converting more leads