KS: We always see the phrase ‘seamless customer experience’ being thrown around. I’ve used it myself! But why do you think there does need to be some sort of friction?
KE: Not all friction is bad friction. When you meet someone, you could move faster by not asking their name – or trying to remember it if you do – but we know that information creates a better experience down the line. So, our task is to make sure any friction adds value for the customer. Immediately if possible, but without exception over time.
Customers correctly expect an effortless transition from one touchpoint to another when engaging with brands, and brands should be prepared to deliver that across digital channels, in-person, or both. So creating the optimal experience is about knowing that friction and friction-free touchpoints both have their uses and in mixing them to create a value added journey. Introducing checkpoints to confirm identity in a banking transaction is not seamless, but is really good compared to the alternative. It’s even better when customers know and understand the improvements in security that have been put into place over the prior six months.
Recognising and acting upon the negative emotions felt during a customer journey can only strengthen a company’s offering to their audiences. This idea of ‘positive friction’ can create a more personalised experience for each customer, which is becoming ever more important in this digital age.
KS: How can marketers add friction while still providing great customer experience? Any tips on navigating this?
KE: Creating intuitive and engaging feedback processes provides brands with the insight needed to craft marketing campaigns that better resonate with intended audiences. Marketing campaigns cost money and take time to get right. Doing so without the best knowledge possible about what your audience actually wants and values is a risk not worth taking.
This type of friction, I would argue, is necessary to creating a smooth, interruption-free customer experience. Brands can see themselves from a customer point of view, can make the customer feel valued and, in turn, create a more personalised experience.
KS: A need for customer insight seems to be a must have now, especially with the digitalisation of most companies. Why is now NOT the time to stop prioritising, obtaining, and acting on customer insight?
KE: Customers matter most – full stop. Their insight should always be prioritised. Customer insights allow brands to gain a deeper understanding of how people think and feel about their services, which helps strengthen a brand’s offering. By building a robust customer experience strategy, businesses are able to deeper understand the needs of the customer and exactly why they have these needs. This is especially true now, where we are in the unique position of being on the precipice of emerging from a pandemic. It is impossible for businesses to predict what the future will look like, so getting customer insight on a regular basis will help marketers and other professionals understand what their audiences want.
Digitalisation is here to stay and this insight is key for all businesses to make sure that they are meeting – and exceeding – customer expectations. Those that choose to stop prioritising acting upon and obtaining this data will not only struggle to adapt and to evolve, but will begin to lose touch with their consumers.
KS: How has 2020 reinforced the importance of investing in customer experience?
KE: I’m sure many of us are glad to have the year 2020 in our rear-view mirror, but there are some lessons to be learned from that time. Covid-19 has undoubtedly changed the customer experience landscape and has only highlighted to brands how important the customer experience is – especially so with digital transformation.
Adapting to the pandemic was no easy feat. Overnight, businesses had to rethink their strategies and navigate changing customer expectations. Many unprepared businesses had to drastically pivot to embrace the accelerated digital transformation. As consumers moved to online channels, digital strategies had to be robust to withstand the surge in demand for seamless experiences. This sudden, unexpected shift only highlighted to brands the urgent need to prioritise digitisation, as many of these behaviours will remain post-pandemic. For example, we can expect that customers will continue to enjoy the convenience of online grocery shopping and curb side pickup much more so than in 2019.
The benefits of investing in a robust customer experience programme that prioritises getting actionable feedback will not only reduce customer pain points, but provide insight into trends and expectations that can only be garnered by asking customers directly.
KS: In April, SurveyMonkey launched an AI-powered brand and industry tracking service to provide a more agile approach to market research. Can you tell me how SurveyMonkey has been investing in an agile approach for customer experience?
KE: At SurveyMonkey, we are passionate about investing in an agile approach to customer experience. The last year has spurred changes in the way that brands interact with their customers, and feedback has become even more important in understanding how people are thinking and feeling about a monumental shift in their environment.
Changes in consumer behaviour as a result of the pandemic, such as an increase in the time we spend on mobile devices, coupled with the huge rise in digital transformation has only amplified the importance of finding new ways to tap into stakeholder feedback to improve their products and services. Slow website loading speeds or lack of preferred payment options means companies risk losing customers to the competition. Agility and a strong customer experience platform are the keys to defining which businesses will succeed and which will fail as we enter a new era of digital transformation.
Our agile CX product is called GetFeedback. Last month, we rebranded GetFeedback to better reflect how we know CX leaders work and what they expect in an agile CX solution. We also introduced new AI-powered insights, listening, and automation capabilities that help accelerate and scale CX programmes. An agile approach is key for CX leaders to keep up with the ever-changing expectations of their customers, and we aim to make that possible for organisations of all sizes.
KS: What should the future of CX look like?
KE: Customers are at the heart of customer experience and this should only continue. I believe that we will continue to see enhanced focus on the individual consumer, refining and tailoring the customer journey to create a more immersive experience. Businesses are striving to form a more complete picture of customer preferences and behaviours as they begin to realise the impacts that increased focus on the customer experience can have on their bottom line and so I think we will see more importance placed on data and tools that can provide these invaluable insights.
