Customer Experience Optimization : 7 Myths to Deconstruct

In many areas of expertise, big myths influence corporate ideology and strategies. This is especially true in the age of the web, in which a large amount of false information circulates constantly. 

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Unfortunately, the topic of customer experience is no exception. Many Internet users call themselves customer experience experts, but this is actually a complex and constantly evolving field. With that in mind, how can you differentiate between true and false to optimize your customer experience based on real advice?

In our article, discover 7 myths to debunk, as well as valuable tips to optimize your customer experience!

Myth 1: Customer experience is intangible and cannot be measured 

By definition, the customer experience is defined as the set of emotions and feelings a customer feels before, during and after the process of purchasing a product or service. In this sense, it can be complex to measure, since its main variable is composed of personal human feelings. However, it is possible to measure and optimize your customer experience with the right techniques and tools.

While it is very complex to analyze the entire components of the customer experience in real time, a solution like InputKit will give you a good overview of the situation. This allows you to base your customer experience decisions on real facts and data. InputKit allows you to collect written feedback from your clients and translate it into key metrics. For example, after each customer satisfaction survey you send out, you will be able to compile the results automatically in order to analyze the trends of your main performance indicators. To shed light on this topic, here are 3 key metrics of the customer experience and their definition: 

• Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT): Overall customer satisfaction with your products and services. For example, ask: “How satisfied are you with our products and services?” Next, propose answers in numerical scale format ranging from “Very Satisfied” to “Very Dissatisfied”.
• The Customer Effort Score (CES): The degree of effort made by customers to access your services or information. For example, ask: “On a scale of 1 to 5, how much effort have you made to access our services?”.
• The Net Promoter Score (NPS): The probability rate a customer recommends to their entourage. For example, ask: “How likely would you recommend us to family or close friends?” Next, propose answers in the form of a numerical scale from 1 to 10. 

With these performance indicators, you will be able to analyze in depth the strengths and weaknesses within your customer experience in order to continuously optimize it. With the right tools, it’s easy to translate the customer experience into key metrics for analysis. That’s why InputKit is a must-have for creating an exceptional customer experience!

Myth 2: One bad customer experience won’t impact your business

With the increasing influence of the web and fierce competition between companies, it is more important than ever to care for your customer experience. Did you know that according to Moz’s study, a single negative review could result in you losing up to 22% of your potential customers? This statistic definitely shows the importance of a great customer experience for your business!

A single bad experience can translate into negative comments on the web and gain visibility, which is harmful for your company. Dissatisfied customers will not hesitate to leave you a negative review, or even to express themselves on online review websites. As a result, their bad experience is likely to discourage many potential customers from doing business with you. You may even be at risk of causing a scandal or having a bad brand!

To avoid the snowball effect, take care to ensure the quality of your customer experience. At the end of each experience, send a personalized and automated satisfaction survey to ensure the well-being of your customers. As soon as customer dissatisfaction occurs, take the time to apologize and then follow up proactively to rectify the situation as quickly as possible. This will allow you to optimize your customer experience while having the opportunity to turn your detractors into promoters of your brand!

Myth 3: No news is good news!

In terms of customer experience optimization, one of the most common myths is that a customer who doesn’t complain is necessarily happy. However, that’s not true!

According to the study conducted by Mindful, 96% of dissatisfied customers don’t complain about a bad experience. But in that percentage, 91% would never come back to your company. Interesting, right?

Few companies can avoid negative reviews. Beyond criticism, these complaints are gold mines in information to help ensure your customer experience’s optimization. To this end, take care to regularly question your clients to ensure their complete satisfaction.

With tools such as InputKit’s satisfaction surveys, proactively commit to finding areas for improvement in your business. Through these exchanges with your clients, you will be able to better identify the causes of churn of your clients and rectify the situation quickly in case of dissatisfaction. By showing that you care about your clients’ well-being, your detractors will be more likely to give you a second chance, and may even be willing to change their negative review into a positive one. In addition, the reviews will allow you to continuously optimize your customer experience to better satisfy your customers. With that in mind, it’s necessary to get constructive feedback from your customers to create the best possible experience!

Myth 4: A satisfied customer’s loyalty is earned

The customer experience is constantly evolving and has a direct impact on customer loyalty. In this sense, no one can guarantee that customers will always have a positive customer experience. The relationship is constantly being rebuilt. One bad experience, one wrong interaction, and your customers might as well head to one of your competitors! 

With this in mind, it is important not to take your loyal customers for granted. Be sure to create an exceptional and personalized customer experience to ensure their complete satisfaction. In addition, stay tuned for new trends in your field for a consistent experience. This will allow you to show up as an expert in your industry while ensuring your customer experience’s optimization. This way, you will benefit from a higher customer loyalty rate!

Myth 5: Customer experience starts after purchase

Some might think that the customer experience is after a transaction, when a product or service is received. However, it starts well before, as soon as the customer first contacts the company.

To optimize the customer experience, you need to think about optimizing your processes early in the customer journey. So, from the very first searches, you need to take care of your contact points and optimize your local referencing (SEO) to attract and retain potential customers within your company. For example, if you don’t appear in the search engine’s first results or have little information about your products, there is a good chance that your prospects will go to a competitor. 

To optimize your customer experience, keep in mind that you need to improve the experience before your customers are even referred to your website or branches: 

• Be sure to create a welcoming, clean and up-to-date sales venue; 
• Test your products and services to simplify the use your customers will make of them; 
• On the web, optimize your positioning in search engines;
• Use local keywords to improve your local SEO;
• Create benchmarking grids to position yourself as the best choice for your customers;
• Feed your blog to better inform users about the benefits of your products and services;
• Create a product page with beautiful images and detailed descriptions;
• Bring your ambassadors forward with case studies, video clips and an Online Review Widget posted on your website;
• Have a chat box available on your website;
• Be sure to provide the necessary support to Internet users and customers in store when the need arises.

With these valuable tips, you can ensure your customer experience’s optimization throughout the phases of your customer journey. This is definitely a great way to win many potential customers and increase your sales!

Myth 6: Customer experience is customer service 

While customer service is an essential component of the customer experience, it is nonetheless a unique element in an entire concept. Several other departments contribute to your customer experience’s optimization: 

• The research and development team, to analyze the competition and create a unique product and service offering.
• The product development team, to develop an interesting product and ensure it’s functioning properly.
• Marketing team, to promote how the solution/services meet the needs of the target audience.
• The finance team, to determine the products’ prices and ensure the company’s financial health.
• The Human Resources team, to support employees to optimize their engagement and performance at work.

With this in mind, many departments are working towards a common goal: placing the customer at the center of the business strategy in order to create an exceptional experience. To achieve this, prioritizing team building and innovation rather than individualism is a must. This will ultimately allow you to improve your customer experience based on areas of expertise as well as individual perceptions!

Beyond excellent customer service, here are 6 tips to optimize your customer experience: 

• Involve employees from all departments in your business decisions;
• Give everyone the opportunity to express their opinion on current and future projects;
• Take care to avoid working in silos by prioritizing group meetings and team spirit;
• Build an attractive brand image for your target clientele;
• Position your branches strategically.

Myth 7: Customers always give their true opinion 

Some entrepreneurs believe that customers always give their true opinion. However, this is not always the case, especially face-to-face!

There are many reasons why your customers may not express their true opinion. In the branch, this can be because you are afraid to confront your employees or to look bad. Online, this may be due to fear of reprisals or a desire to please the company. So, sometimes, some customers will not dare to express themselves authentically, out of fear of getting bad service or being judged by your satisfied customers.

However, in order to ensure your customer experience’s optimization, it is crucial to get real feedback from your customers. With this in mind, we propose to set up online review application processes to reduce the pressure experienced by your customers. For example, with a software such as InputKit, send satisfaction surveys with anonymous responses functionality. In this way, your customers can confide in you in complete confidence, anonymously, without fear of reprisals from the company. In the same vein, why not use QR codes instead of face-to-face interactions at your branches? This will allow your customers to leave their reviews at the right time, with confidence, without having to face your employees! 

While all of these initiatives are beneficial to optimizing your customer experience, remember to resist any incentive influences. Organizing contests, paying a user or offering promotions to win positive reviews are practices strictly prohibited by Google. Do not buy reviews on the platform. We invite you to engage in a transparent and authentic exchange with your customers to gain their trust and benefit from their true opinion. This will allow you to gain many positive reviews while getting many tips to optimize your customer experience!

InputKit helps you debunk myths within your business 

Do you want to ensure your customer experience’s optimization? If so, InputKit’s solution is for you!

Thanks to our personalized and automated surveys, you can proactively ask the customer for their feelings, without having to wait passively for news. Schedule your surveys at the ideal time, 1 to 2 hours after a lived experience, to get hot reactions and detailed feedback. Our surveys also have an anonymous responses functionality, which will encourage your customers to give you their true opinion. This is a must to save time while improving your customer experience on an ongoing basis!

Did you know that our solution also has a centralized and ergonomic dashboard? With our performance indicators (KPIs) and real-time notifications, you’ll know everything about your customers’ satisfaction. Within a few clicks, you can follow the evolution of many data, such as: 

• Your Customer Satisfaction (CSAT);
• Your Net Promoter Score (NPS);
• Your Customer Effort Score (CES);
• The performance of your employees;
• The quality of your services and products;
• And more!

As things evolve, you can make informed and proactive decisions to continuously optimize your customer experience. Definitely, InputKit Customer Experience is a must to stand out as a company!

Plan my InputKit demo to improve my customer experience

How can you ensure your customer experience’s optimization? What myths do you need to deconstruct for the coming year? Follow our expert advice to advertise yourself as the best company in 2023!

• Customer experience can be measured with appropriate tools, such as InputKit’s customer satisfaction surveys and performance indicators.
• One bad customer experience can cost you many potential customers. Make sure you consistently live up to your customers’ expectations. 
• The majority of customers don’t complain. They’ll just stop coming back to your business. Be proactive! 
• Loyal customers can turn to a competitor after a bad experience with your business.
• All departments are involved in the success of your customer experience.
• The customer experience starts with the first search of a prospective customer.
• Clients don’t always give their true opinion. This is why it is important to offer anonymous answers and to question them optimally.

Now that you know the importance of the customer experience, do you need help to optimize it? If this is your case, we invite you to schedule a free and personalized InputKit demo at your convenience. Our team will be happy to contribute to your customer success!

To conclude, we offer you a video featuring Svetlana Zolotareva and Esteban Kolsky, two experts in customer experience. In this video, starting at 23:23, they address the various myths experienced by companies and different ways to overcome them. On this, good viewing!