Improve customer satisfaction? 3 customer experience trends to keep in mind.
28 January 2021
Improving customer satisfaction is not rocket science.
For those thinking, "That’s easy to say when you’re a customer satisfaction expert," I promise you that you don’t need any prior knowledge to get off to a good start. After all, everything begins with the simple question: "How would I want to be treated as a human being?"
A question to which the answer is likely slightly different for everyone, but where the basis is often the same. For instance, we all want safety, social contact, recognition, and appreciation. (cf. basic human needs according to A. Maslow)
However, we are often so caught up in our business processes or internal affairs that we forget our customers are people too. People who, just like you and me, have needs. Can you meet those needs or even occasionally exceed them? Then I guarantee that improving customer satisfaction will happen almost effortlessly.
To get you started, here are 3 trends that will become important (or more important) over the next two years when designing an excellent customer experience.
3 customer experience trends that improve your customer satisfaction.
According to Steven Van Belleghem (author of, among others, Customer the Day After Tomorrow), as consumers we all need more time, money, and energy. Companies that help us with this—as customers, as human beings—will certainly gain a head start on their competitors in the coming years.
But how do you actually do that? It probably sometimes seems like an impossible task for an SME to get started with this. I would like to provide you with a thought exercise for each component.
Time is the new gold.
Buying time is impossible. A day has 24 hours, and that is all we have to work with. However, you can save your customers time. For example, by providing a very well-developed FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page on your website. Or how about a simple but very effective customer portal? This way, your customer can look up and download a copy of an invoice themselves, without wasting TIME on communication. Your customer satisfaction improves, and your employees gain more time to answer more complex questions.
TIP:
Gather one employee or manager from each department within your organization. Set a timer for 15 minutes and try to write down as many ideas as possible that can save your customers time.
Are you already helping your clients generate more revenue?
This is undoubtedly the most challenging factor of the three, and perhaps a bit of a strange question. Nevertheless, this is also a way to actively work on improving customer satisfaction. When you help your clients increase their revenue or reduce their costs, you contribute to achieving your clients' objectives.
TIP:
Don't view it in black and white. Consider which objectives a number of clients want to achieve and then think about how you can help them. Perhaps you can put them in touch with the right partners? This, too, can help your client save time and therefore (often) money.
Energy management for advanced users.
Currently, few things are written about as much as managing your energy. The entire burnout and bore-out epidemic in this VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world means that we all need to learn how to better protect and manage our energy. You can support your clients with this as well. For example, by not needlessly frustrating them, as that costs energy. But also by speaking to people positively and with a smile; this gives both your employees and your clients extra energy.
TIP:
Focus on random acts of kindness to give both your customers and your employees a positive boost. How about a handwritten birthday card? Or a bunch of flowers for that one customer who just landed a great deal?
Get started on your own or improve customer satisfaction together?
Thanks to these tips, you can get started yourself to optimize your customer experience.
Would you like to gauge your customer-oriented ambitions with a discussion partner who actively thinks along with you?
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