preface
Miracles happen when customer service support and marketing strategies create happy customers and drive revenue impact. The proliferation of digital channels and the upgrading of customer demand have created a perfect storm for marketing and customer service teams. The number of touchpoints that customers engage with a brand throughout their journey is enough to create "silos" that, if not carefully coordinated, can negatively impact the customer experience.
Mitto and Demand Metric recently partnered to understand how marketing and customer service teams are creating loyal customers and how they will improve the customer experience they deliver in 2022. The report examines the state of the customer experience and the relationship between omnichannel maturity and three core strategic elements: people, processes, and technology.
Our hypothesis: a highly mature response to these strategic elements will lead to an increase in customer loyalty and revenue impact. The results of this study confirm the validity of the hypothesis: brands that engage with customers in an omnichannel environment perform "better" than those that offer limited, disconnected touchpoints.
The following report summarizes this year's findings and shares insights from more than 600 study participants.
Core discovery
-
Customer demand is on the rise
More than half of the customer service and marketing teams believe that customers will be more demanding in 2022.
-
The communication environment is changing
SMS and Google Business are the preferred channels that customer service and marketing teams will adopt in 2022.
-
Most teams lack visibility into customer interactions
Nearly two-thirds of marketers and three-quarters of customer service teams say they have limited or zero visibility into other team members' interactions with customers.
-
SMS is the best channel to deliver results
More than three-quarters of study participants said text messaging was better at driving customer engagement than any other channel they used.
-
Very few companies have achieved a mature omnichannel strategy
Less than a quarter of customer service and marketing teams have implemented a strategy that allows them to keep all touchpoints in sync and consistent throughout the customer journey.
-
Omnichannel maturity is associated with improving preparation for the holiday season
Customer service teams with proven omnichannel strategies are more than twice as likely to improve self-service and optimize support processes before the holidays. There is also a strong relationship between omnichannel maturity and the ability to implement new communication channels.
-
Omnichannel is producing results
Companies that have implemented a complete, unified omnichannel strategy compared to companies that have almost no omnichannel strategy:
They are also more likely to indicate: better effectiveness of channels of communication; the use of AI chatbots and automated information flows; higher average customer satisfaction scores (CSAT); and higher net referral scores (NPS).
Customer Experience Survey Results
Customer demand is on the rise
More than 90% of study participants believe that customer demand will increase or remain unchanged. However, marketers are more likely than customer service professionals to report that customers will be more demanding next year.
Shifts in consumer habits and the rise of digital communications have had a significant impact on their expectations. As the chart shows, few customer service and marketing teams expect customers' requirements to be lower by 2022.
The holiday season is equally challenging
Most customer service and marketing teams face multiple challenges during the holiday season. On average, participants in this study chose 2-3 challenges listed in the survey.
For customer service and marketing teams, the holiday season can be the most stressful time of the year. As the chart shows, the number one challenge for customer service teams is handling a lot of support consulting, while marketers strive to stand out from the competition.
Customer service and marketing teams use a variety of channels to connect with your audience
As customers continue to use new channels, businesses that want to deliver exceptional customer experiences must monitor the digital communication environment and have a strong presence on the channels of their customers' preferred choice.
In today's digital world, there are countless ways for customers to connect and engage with businesses. Email, voice, and text messages are the number one channels for customer service teams to connect with customers. The primary communication channels marketers use for holiday promotions are email, social channels, and text messaging.
The needs of customers are increasing, and there are more communication channels than before. To meet these needs, brands must coordinate communication across channels. Overall, marketers are more likely to increase the number of channels they will use in 2022, especially when it comes to social, voice, and text messaging. Almost a third of the customer service teams that don't currently use text messaging plan to use it next year. In 2022, Google Business ranked first in adoption among marketing teams and second among customer service teams.
Few teams operate in a truly unified environment
The unification of customer service and marketing channels is an important part of an omnichannel strategy because it enables 360-degree observation of customers. However, less than a third of customer service and marketing teams have fully unified channels for customer interaction.
Connecting and unifying the technology environment within an organization can be a difficult and daunting task. While most teams have achieved some degree of uniformity, marketers are more likely to report that the systems they use are fully unified, as shown in the chart.
Most teams have limited or no visibility into customer cross-platform interactions
Cross-functional visibility and collaboration are an important part of delivering a superior customer experience. Unfortunately, nearly two-thirds of marketers and three-quarters of customer service teams say they have no or limited visibility into other team members' interactions with customers.
Ownership of the customer experience strategy remains unclear
According to the survey, the top three owners of the customer experience are the CEO, the marketing executive, and the customer service executive. Surprisingly, nearly 10% of study participants said ownership of the customer experience was unclear.
There is a lot of debate and uncertainty surrounding ownership of the customer experience, as shown in the answer distribution in the figure. However, more than a third of participants said the CEO would ultimately make the final decision on the customer experience strategy.
There's a lot to do with omnichannel maturity and CEO ownership of the customer experience. Organizations that want to deliver a superior customer experience must have clear ownership of the function.
The impact of omnichannel maturity
Most businesses have implemented an omnichannel strategy to some degree. However, when looking at the consistency and synchronicity of the experience they deliver throughout the customer journey, maturity varies widely. As the chart shows, less than a quarter of the study's participants have implemented a complete omnichannel experience strategy.
The maturity of an omnichannel strategy affects revenue growth
Companies that have implemented a full omnichannel strategy are more than three times more likely to have significant revenue growth over the past year than immature companies.
Most participants in this study reported that their incomes had only grown slightly or flat over the past 12 months. However, as the chart shows, there is a strong relationship between the maturity of an omnichannel strategy and revenue growth.
Companies that implement a complete omnichannel strategy are able to deliver a better customer experience
Companies that have implemented a full omnichannel strategy offer a great customer experience compared to immature companies that are worthy of an "A" rating nearly three times more likely than other companies.
This study asked participants to rate the customer experience their company currently offers. As the chart shows, there is a strong relationship between the maturity of an omnichannel strategy and the level of customer experience that respondents self-reported.
A proven omnichannel strategy leads to customer loyalty
Companies with a full omnichannel strategy are more likely to have nearly 4 times more loyal customers than less mature companies. They are also unlikely to report any brand denigrations.
The customer service and marketing teams strive to create loyal customers as it paves the way for sustainable revenue growth. As the chart shows, there is a strong relationship between the maturity of an omnichannel strategy and customer loyalty.
A proven omnichannel strategy has led to an increase in customer experience investment
Customer service and marketing teams must have the resources they need to deliver a superior customer experience. Companies with immature omnichannel strategies are the least likely to know what will happen to their budgets, making it difficult for them to plan future investments. Conversely, companies that have implemented a complete omnichannel strategy are more than 3x more likely to invest in the customer experience.
Nearly three-quarters of companies that have implemented a mature omnichannel strategy say they will increase their investment in customer experience next year, while less than a quarter of immature organizations will increase their investment.
Proven omnichannel strategies result in faster response times
The maturity of an omnichannel strategy has a direct impact on the customer experience. In fact, more than half of companies that have implemented omnichannel strategies can react to customers in real time or in less than an hour, compared to less than a third among immature companies.
When it comes to delivering a superior customer experience, responsiveness is key. As customers become more demanding, one factor that influences their perception of the experience is the expectation that the customer service team will respond in real time. There is a strong relationship between customer response time and the maturity of an omnichannel strategy.
Most customer service and marketing teams have adopted AI chatbots and automated feeds
When used effectively, chatbots and feeds can improve the productivity and performance of your team. Further analysis of the data reveals that companies that have already implemented a complete omnichannel strategy are more likely to use them. More than half of customer service teams and three-quarters of marketers are already using AI chatbots or automated feeds.
Companies that have implemented a proven omnichannel strategy achieve a higher Net Promoter Score (NPS)
There is a close relationship between omnichannel maturity and NPS. On average, companies that have implemented a full omnichannel strategy have an NPS of 8.5, compared to 5.8 for less mature companies.
Customer service teams with proven omnichannel strategies achieve higher average customer satisfaction scores (CSAT)
CSAT's relationship with omnichannel provides a compelling case for implementing an omnichannel strategy. Participants in this study provided an average CSAT score of 69%. The gap between the full survey sample and the sample that has implemented a mature omnichannel strategy is 8 percentage points.
Action plan
Step 01 | Ensure clear ownership of the customer experience
Most functions in an organization usually have a clear person in charge — marketing, sales, finance, human resources — and these departments usually have a single person responsible for achieving the company's goals. However, when it comes to final decisions about customer experience strategies, nearly 10% of companies can't identify the person.
The data from this study suggest that a lack of ownership can have serious consequences for an organization. Among the study participants, organizations that could not determine owners had the lowest average customer experience scores and net referral scores, the least mature omnichannel strategies, and the least likely to invest in customer experience next year.
Conversely, the study participants who said the CEO had a higher NPS had a more pronounced revenue increase over the past 12 months, a higher than average level of customer experience, and higher customer loyalty.
Since everyone in an organization has a responsibility to deliver a superior customer experience, identifying a clear owner can be a challenge. But not doing so can mean the difference between success and failure. Organizations that want to ensure the best customer experience must assign ownership to a senior leader who understands the customer and omnichannel strategy.
Step 02 | Optimize your team
Regardless of the size of your company, finding the best balance of resources can be a challenging task. It's especially difficult for customer service and marketing teams to get the right mix of resources during the holidays.
The study found that nearly a third of teams are understighted and need more manpower, but further data analysis shows that nearly two-thirds of omnichannel-mature companies report that they have enough manpower to survive and thrive.
Granuling processes into teams, continuous optimization is the key to success. One of the strategies for many companies to alleviate stress is to use AI chatbots and automated messaging.
Not only is the performance of AI chatbots and automated messaging closely tied to the maturity of an omnichannel strategy, but the customer service team achieves a high degree of uniformity across systems that communicate with customers, and they also report the best results from using these mediums.
However, these tools are most valuable when it comes to enhancing the customer experience, not reducing the number of people. Organizations should ensure that repetitive tasks and conversations no longer take up valuable bandwidth, implementing these technologies to free up time so that team members can focus on more strategic initiatives.
step 03 | Communicate with customers where they are
As the number of digital channels continues to expand, marketing and customer service teams need to determine where customer conversations are taking place to stay ahead of the curve and expand presence.
Unfortunately, the days of simply activating these channels are over. The activation of new channels must be driven by strategy in a thoughtful and well-planned manner. For those who will adopt new channels in 2022, this study found that sms and Google Business are the top choices for customer service and marketing teams. More than three-quarters of respondents said text messaging is better at driving customer engagement than other channels they use.
Organizations that want to deliver the best customer experience must monitor customer conversations and uncover new opportunities across the technology landscape. When activating new channels, be sure to provide your team with the training and education they need to make effective use of them.
Step 04 | Unified connection view
The final step in delivering a superior customer experience is to realize the potential of omnichannel through unified and integrated technologies.
Creating a holistic customer experience, from customer acquisition to retention, reduces customer friction, which inevitably leads to stronger loyalty and better brand reputation.
Unfortunately for many organizations, the cross-functional nature of the customer experience becomes an island that stands in their way. The right path includes ensuring a high degree of visibility between teams, which requires uniformity.
The study's data shows that 83 percent of participants are fully aligned across channels of communication with their customers, and they can see all conversations across platforms or locations in one place. Achieving harmonization is the final part of this puzzle and a key component of a mature omnichannel strategy.
Because of the positive relationships that exist between the implementation of the omnichannel strategy and revenue growth, NPS, CSAT, response times, etc., customer service teams and marketers have a strong incentive to achieve this goal. However, this is only possible if people, processes, and technologies are unified across the entire connected environment.
Original address:
https://info.mitto.ch/customer-experience-report
This article was first published on the Pelicans Comprehensive Customer Experience Management public account, unauthorized, please do not reprint.