According to the results of a quick internet search, „the focus is on Customer Experience (CX) on the customer relationship and thus the Experience between a company and its customers. Every single interaction counts, no matter how brief – and even if it doesn’t lead to a sale.“*
Every interaction, every touchpoint, creates specific perceptions and feelings in customers. This influences the customer experience. We've all had experiences with customer service – both good and not-so-good. Each one gradually shapes and ultimately influences a relationship with a company long-term. Companies generally have to constantly strike a balance between customer expectations and their own human and financial resources.
We used to call that „customer service“. Nowadays, „Customer Experience Excellence“ sounds cooler and more modern. But no matter what we call the child, it must not, as the saying goes, „fall down the well“! Once the sum of a customer's experience turns negative, it becomes difficult for the company in question. Either the customer is lost as a result, or no new customers are gained in the first place. Unhappy customers switch to the competitor in the blink of an eye.
However, significant investments in exceptional – that is, consistently excellent – customer experiences do pay off. Many companies that have been very successful with this strategy for years, across a wide range of industries, show us this. I'm thinking, for example, of brands like Singapore Airlines, AIDA Cruises, and SAP. Their secret is the emotional connection they forge with their customers. These customers feel taken seriously and valued at all times through the best service! In the B2B sector, what happens during direct interaction is particularly important. Is customer service perceived as competent and can it even be reached through the desired communication channel? If not, the customer gets annoyed, and the relationship account fills up with negative points.
No matter how high the quality of products and services, or how attractive their prices, if the customer experience doesn't align, sales will be lost at least in the medium term. Outstanding customer service, on the other hand, is a clear competitive advantage.
The most common reasons for negative customer experiences:
- Lack of appreciation
- Long waiting times on the phone
- Rude and incompetent staff
- No solutions to problems
- Too many different case officers
- No redirection to the correct contact person
Does your company ensure that these negative customer experiences do not happen? Do you know the touchpoints of your potential and existing contacts with your organisation, and do you know their expectations and ideas for a positive customer experience? If not, a thorough analysis is worthwhile.
What touchpoints between advertisers or agencies and your company can typically occur in audio marketing? Is it ensured that your clients receive the best possible sales experience at every single stage of the buying journey, from receiving marketing materials through the actual sales process to customer service after the sale? You should always review the following contact points with your advertisers and check for optimisation potential.
- Social Media
- Search results on the web
- Visit the broadcaster's and/or the marketing websites
- Contact via email or chatbot, letter
- Visit to the Radio House: Is there a route description? Parking spaces? Signposts?
Welcome screen at reception? Cloakroom? Seating in the waiting area?
Drinks selection? Writing materials and pens? Wi-Fi code in the conference room for guests? - Trade fairs, networking events, radio station events
- Sales material
- Quotations, order confirmations, invoices
- Congratulatory cards, welcome letters, thank you letters
- Processes for meetings with advertisers and agencies, including with other departments within one's own company.
- Video conferencing
- Field visits
- Customer events
- ... specific points of contact with your company
Using the examples of „Visit to the Radio Studio“ (see above) or „Telephone“ as touchpoints, it becomes clear how many opportunities there are for poor, mediocre, or indeed excellent customer service in each case.
- Telephone call
Where is the number communicated?
Is it subject to a charge?
When is the phone busy?
How competent and friendly are those who take calls?
Is the reception/head office always kept up to date on the comings and goings, responsibilities, and availability of all employees?
Will landline phones be diverted to colleagues or mobile phones when you are away?
Is there an answering machine?
Who is responsible for listening and responding?
Is there an internal commitment to recall deadlines?
Is there a concept that prevents callers from being connected multiple times?
Is your own channel on hold?
Seemingly small things can already lead to customers feeling unappreciated. Many years ago, we once had a visit from the marketing department of a regional mineral water supplier at a broadcasting station. Everyone arrived on time, the reception greeting was friendly, and the conference room was invitingly prepared with snacks, drinks, notepads, and pens. When pouring the first glass for the guests, it became clear that the meeting would get off to the wrong start: we had subscribed to the station’s drinks supplier for the competitor's mineral water brand, and this was also on the table that day.
If we had gone to the trouble of sending someone to the nearest supermarket to buy our guests' preferred brand, it would certainly have been received more positively.
Pitfalls can also easily arise in the following cases:
- Complaints
- Customer accounting inquiries
- Press releases from advertisers
- Spot productions about further service providers
- Emergencies outside of 9-to-5 hours, e.g. at weekends
Creating a visual map of your customers' typical buying journey helps to ensure no touchpoints are missed, potential pain points are uncovered, and then ideas for your unique customer service can be gathered.
Criteria for your customer experience should be:
- Reaction rate
- Response capability
- Customer focus
Your team should formulate expectations for your own service and the experiences that potential and existing customers should have with your organisation. These should be realistic and affordable.
It's not always possible to exceed expectations at every touchpoint. However, obvious gaps and errors must be rectified. If you then succeed in implementing new service ideas at one or two points, or in offering customers an exceptional or new, positive experience, you will increase your competitive advantage. An analysis of competitors and a customer survey will help you get there.
The current buzzword Excellence in Customer Experience For me, it's neither a revolutionary development in marketing/sales nor „old hat“. An excellent customer experience has always been a crucial building block for business success, and it will always remain so! If anything has changed, it's at most the increased expectations of customers. Focusing on this topic is definitely worthwhile.
Sources
Google search results for „customer experience excellence definition”: https://www.handelsblatt.com/adv/firmen/customer-excellence.html#:~:text=Customer%20Excellence%20beschreibt%20das%20authentische,dann%20eine%20optimale%20Customer%20Experience.
https://blog.yuutel.at/emotionale-kundenbindung
Yours, Andrea Anders
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