It is more important than ever to treat customers well, given the increased competition and increased uncertainty in the market. Customer experience (CX) and CRM systems are critical to the success of service leaders. However, CRM and CX strategies must adapt as the organisation, its customers, and its environment change. A failure to do so poses a risk to the organisation.
CRM strategy and customer experience.
When implementing a CRM strategy, there are two key practices to consider:
Customer-centric Outside-In CX which is an operating practice where customer insight, design, personas, journeys, and culture all play a part.
Company-centric Inside-Out CX operating practice which is more inward-looking where internal thinking is used to refine and streamline the balance of people, process, and technology (PPT to drive the action of meeting the customer's needs.
CX and CRM programs enable organisations to focus on their customers' needs, making them the centre of the organisation's decision-making process. The overall objective is to improve customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy. To get this done these four areas are key to achieving consistent personalised customer service and support.
1. Enhance customer relationships by deepening and extending them.
Without your old or new customers, you wouldn’t have a business so it’s worth knowing how you can strengthen and deepen the relationship that you have with your customers. Also, if you take care of your customers, they’ll do a lot of your marketing for you, by telling others how great you are, and this makes it worth the effort – especially when you consider that 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family more than any other form of marketing.
Speak to your customers during key moments.
Communicate regularly.
Create a sense of community.
Respect and reward loyal, regular, and current customers.
Be consistent.
Be authentic.
If you treat your customers well, you’ll be able to improve the relationship that you have with them. And your business will grow.
2. Reduce costs and minimise transaction barriers.
Because CRMs automate processes like contact organisation, sales and communication, the solution can significantly speed up daily processes and repetitive tasks for your entire team. A CRM can also reduce errors and ensure that all communications go out to the right people at the right time.
3. Make use of brand equity and enhance it.
Brand equity is the overall value that your brand adds to your products. The more recognisable your brand is, the more weight your products will have in customers’ eyes.
A crucial aspect of brand equity is brand perception. Brand perception refers to the way customers view your brand. This includes the specific beliefs that consumers hold, such as what your brand represents and the type of message it sends.
Here are four tips to enhance brand equity.
Build Brand Recognition
Build Brand Awareness
Engage With Your Customers
Build Your Brand Reputation
4. Put a high priority on customer satisfaction and value.
Here are the three major factors that most affect modern customer satisfaction. By harnessing these factors, you can provide positive, consistent customer experiences and create true customer loyalty.
Perceived Quality
Perceived Value
Perceived Service
In summary, a poor customer experience can lead to weakened financial performance and the loss of market share.
Customer-facing processes must be considered across the entire organisation when delivering a customer relationship strategy and people and technology have to be part of these processes.
A well-designed customer experience process can boost the effectiveness of your customer initiatives and a CRM solution provides innovative ways to manage, engage, and learn more about your customers because after all, the foundation of customer experience is understanding customers. Collecting direct, indirect, or inferred customer feedback allows you to critically realign your strategy to improve the overall service experience.