By: Guillermo Salazar • 13 September 2022

Customer experience isn’t a cost center. It’s a growth engine.

Customer expectations have outgrown traditional customer service.When we say ‘traditional customer service’, we’re referring to the way customer service has always been done. Something breaks, the service team tries to fix it as quickly as possible. Case closed, on to the next one.The phrase “the way it’s always been done” is a dangerous one. It’s usually meant with good intentions, but it can gloss over serious issues and dismiss potential solutions in favor of playing it safe.

Traditional customer service isn’t impressing anyone

Customer service leaders have traditionally viewed customer service as a cost center, not as a valuable touchpoint to enhance customer relationships.In order to keep those costs low, legacy metrics have always served companies more than their customers. For example, handling time doesn’t give much context to the quality of the resolution or the overall customer sentiment.Not only that, but most companies are still struggling to meet those legacy metrics. According to Salesforce, this is the percentage of companies that reported they are excelling in the following areas:

Response times – 29%
Handling times – 26%
First-contact resolutions – 22%
Hold/wait times – 20%

These stats don’t form a very compelling argument for the current state of service. Automated phone support, chatbots, and knowledge bases were designed with deflection in mind, not experience. Although they are effective at deflecting simple questions, they don’t effectively solve complex issues which leaves customers feeling frustrated.

Customer experience as a growth engine

Customers want more authentic engagement opportunities. From choosing a product, to setting it up and supporting it, customers want personalized experiences. It’s important for companies to view customer experience as a differentiator, not just a risk management tool.Below are three areas where your team can make an immediate impact.

Customers crave human interaction

Ten years ago we saw a shift to automation (chat bots). A short while later we discovered that providing most communication through artificial intelligence left customers craving human interaction. Yes, customers got a faster response, but they also left the interaction feeling frustrated because they couldn’t solve their issue.With virtual CX, service teams can set a quick appointment with customers to walk them through a consult over video. This immediately creates a stronger rapport and a more personalized experience than customers are used to.

Customers want service on their terms

Traditional service often leaves customers waiting for a callback or a home visit during work hours. A study found that, on average, consumers had to miss two full working days of every year to wait for service, mainly due to long hold times and service windows. This is easy enough for those working at home, but is quite unfair for someone whose income is impacted each time they leave work.Instead, service teams should provide scheduling and self-assessment options so that customers can access service on their terms. This way, customers can connect immediately at their appointment time, complete a virtual session, and get back to their lives without losing time to service windows.

Customers want personalized service

There’s nothing more frustrating as a customer than repeating yourself multiple times as you’re passed to different customer service representatives. You’re already capturing customer data, it’s time to start creating a cohesive picture with it.Traditional service methods offer transcripts and minimal insights, but they miss a lot of key contextual information that you can get from video. With a visual CX solution, you can get insights into product trends, customer behavior, past interactions, and customer sentiment.

Smart video is the next step for CX

If previous attempts at digital transformation have made anything clear, we need to avoid the desire to implement new technologies just for the sake of it, and instead focus on the select few that will drive more value for customers.IrisCX uses smart video to resolve consumer problems faster. Our smart video platform allows consumers to either self-assess their issue, schedule a time to talk to a service expert or show a service expert what their concern is to receive help in real-time.With Iris, you can apply the data generated from video sessions to create a more cohesive understanding of your customers and start delivering the service they want to receive.

#awareness #customerexperience #homeproducts #warranty

Our mission is to simplify the homeowners & home builders customer experience. Let Iris do the work.

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The importance of online product reviews [+3 ways to get more]

By: IrisCX • 19 September 2022

Online reviews are impactful because they reach people with purchasing intent – a total of 93% of new customers consult reviews before purchasing a product or service. With virtual CX, your team can start receiving and leveraging better quality reviews.