Technology underpins customer experience. Here’s how.

Excellent customer experience (CX) is crucial for brands to survive, especially in a world where consumers expect consistent communication across multiple channels. As product offerings have become increasingly similar, the only way to differentiate and create loyal ambassadors is to be more relevant and responsive to people’s needs. Digital technologies are at the heart of customer interaction, and rather than being a barrier to personal connection, they offer exciting opportunities to engage more deeply through the channels buyers prefer. Some of the main areas where technology can be leveraged to forge better connections in an experience economy include:

Opt-in mechanisms
Getting people to opt-in to share their details and receive content is crucial to building a long-lasting personal relationship from day one. Opt-in places the consumer in control of the decision-making, allowing to engage them in a smoother digital dialogue. The latest online engagement tools can create suitable opt-in components that provide something of value in exchange for the person’s time and interest, as well as to develop comprehensive strategies designed to increase opt-in ratios (and retain them) across different communication channels.

Meaningful data
As digital adoption has increased, so too has the desire for personalisation. 91 per cent of consumers are more likely to shop with brands who recognise, remember, and provide them with relevant offers and recommendations. The only way to know your customer is to maximise the data gathered in an omnichannel environment. This means having digital systems in place to collect, maintain, and analyse information shared at every interaction, in order to create meaningful insights and address their pain points.

Customer support
Technology plays a huge part in enhancing customer service, which has expanded significantly now 24/7 online contact is the norm. Customer care automation offers a wide range of opportunities to respond with relevant notifications and guidance, resulting in faster turnaround times and better outcomes overall. Agentless engagement reduces human involvement at critical points, but it also equips customer service reps with the ability to work smarter for the benefit of consumers.

Asking for feedback 
Customer needs continuously evolve, and while data can help you make predictions about behaviour, feedback is still necessary to validate these assumptions. Various satisfaction metrics are available depending on the industry and different tools allow you to create a picture that combines qualitive and quantitative findings. From surveys, review functions, social media comments and customer service dialogue, honest feedback is the most valuable asset, enabling to make informed customer-centric decisions.

End-to-end engagement 
Multiple contact points and communication channels present plenty of ways to create stand-out during the customer relationship. However, all of these elements need to work together to streamline the entire ‘phygital’ experience throughout. Customer engagement platforms allow the creation of a comprehensive framework based on the specific needs of the business, that unifies the different channels and connects the dots for a simpler more fulfilling journey incorporating everything from initial discovery to after-sales.

Ahmed Hamdan is the co-founder and CEO at Unifonic

Read: How digital self-service can enhance customer experience?