Have you ever wondered why so many companies struggle to deliver a seamless customer experience? Is it technology? Is it long-term strategy? Or is it a combination of factors that lead to unmet expectations? While it’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason why this happens, it is safe to say that companies need to do more if they want their customers to stick with them. In a world where customers expect instant access and a frictionless experience across all channels- online and offline, companies should step up their game if they want to thrive in this brave new world. It is your duty to attract and keep customers, to make them believe in your mission, and to ultimately turn them into brand advocates and ambassadors. But how can your company achieve that? Just like any other worthy endeavor, it takes time, persistence and patience.
Customers expect more and more from companies. Competition is fierce. People now have plenty of choices; if they don’t find what they’re looking for from you, they will find it elsewhere, maybe from one of your competitors. Customers want to engage with brands through multiple digital channels, and the experience has to be seamless and highly personalized. You may have complex and advanced communication channels, but if they don’t deliver a frictionless and personalized customer experience, they won’t be of much help to your business.
One of they key aspects of delivering a seamless experience across all channels is familiarity. It goes without saying that people are more likely to buy from you when you remember specific details about them. Would you rather buy from a store where the cashier remembers your name, or from a shop where you’re just another customer? If you’re like most people, you’d most certainly buy from the first shop. The more personalized the relationship becomes, the more likely you are to keep buying from them, to trust in them. If the store you purchase from delivers the same seamless and personalized experience across digital and non-digital channels, you slowly turn into a brand advocate. In an era where customers can get what they want in a blink of an eye, you need to be consistent across every channel – online or offline. If you meet and exceed customers’ expectations, they will be happy to buy from you.
Customers may engage with your company through various digital channels, and that’s a great thing. But what if these channels are not properly integrated? In that case, the channels would, in a way, represent different data for the same customer. Needless to say, customer experience would suffer from this. Fortunately, Flexie CRM has all the right tools to help you deliver a seamless customer experience across all channels. You no longer have to worry about customer data being fragmented or different, since Flexie can be easily integrated with third-party apps and/or systems. Thanks to its flexible nature, you will have a 360 degree view of the customer. By building a strong digital identity, you can easily create an accurate and complete view of the customer- no matter how many systems they may have. Enter Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM).
Customer Identity and Access Management is nothing more than the sum of efforts put into capturing and managing customer data, as well as controlling customers’ access to this data. It can take many forms such as authentication, access management, customer registration, etc. Since customers can choose whom they do business with, it is up to you to offer them a personalized, seamless and consistent experience across all channels and devices. Easy and secure customer access shouldn’t just include web apps, but also mobile, social media and other channels. A simplified access and complete customer profile enables companies to engage with their customers across multiple channels, offering a personalized experience. Customers should have easy and instant access to every channel. Let them in, but make sure that they know how and where they information is stored and used.
Since companies gather all kind of information about customers, using different techniques and tools. However, if this information is isolated, i.e, located in different repositories, it’s hard to make something useful out of it. By using Flexie CRM, you no longer have to worry about it. All customer data will be stored into one single place, and customers can access it any time they need through SQL queries. This is beneficial to your organization as well, because you can easily identify a customer and offer a personalized experience across every channel. To build a strong digital identity, you need to always be on research mode. Done the right way, it can dramatically increase customer experience and engagement. A useful tip is to look for potential gaps. Have your teams and individual members use your product and/or service. Identify what doesn’t work properly and act accordingly. You have to make sure that everyone inside the organization has his/her say about the product. That way you can make improvements where and if needed.
When you build a strong digital identity, you pave the way for an improved customer experience and engagement through every channel. It may take time, huge efforts and persistence, but the payoff will be absolutely worth it. Ready?
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