When the pandemic hit our nation, many businesses were struggling to stay open. The entire customer experience changed, and the world could not help but notice the seismic shift from in-person experiences to digital experiences. Businesses were working quickly to adapt to the new “normal” and were not always thinking about turning their customers into brand advocates. Does it even matter in this new post-pandemic world?
In one word: YES.
Truthfully, it always has. When you provide excellent, go-the-extra-mile service for your customers, you are more likely to turn your customer base into an army of brand advocates. Not only does this mean strong customer loyalty, but it’s also great free marketing for your business and a great way to drive more revenue.
Turning Customers Into Brand Advocates
But how exactly do you turn your customers into brand advocates? And why does it matter? I’m a numbers gal so before we dive into the meat of this blog, let’s dig into the “potatoes” – and by potatoes, I mean some interesting statistics I found:
92% of interviewed consumers from varying markets were more inclined to believe people who are in their circles than direct messaging from a brand – Nielsen Report
90% of them think friends’ recommendations, and 70% of them believe consumer opinions – Hubspot
Maybe you’re a B2B company, and these stats don’t mean much to you but check this out:
92% of B2B buyers are willing to engage with a known industry thought leader sales professional. – LinkedIn
Customer Experience
As you can see, turning customers into brand advocates is essential for practically any industry. How is it done? It all starts with the customer experience (CX). At CH Consulting Group, we help our Clients optimize their workflows, processes, personnel, and technology to deliver excellent CX, which inevitably facilitates the transformation of their customers into brand advocates. See below for some recommendations we’ve made and deployed for our Clients:
- Do what you say you’re going to do – nothing loses trust more than saying one thing and then doing another. Be consistent!
- Prioritize the customer experience over efficiency – yes, average handle time (AHT) is an important metric, but an even more important metric to consider is first called resolution (FCR). You want your agents to strive for FCR rather than ending the call before a specific time. Do not sacrifice the experience to save a few dollars on efficiency.
- Provide an integrated omnichannel solution – offer your customers several ways to contact you, and make sure to make the experience seamless so that regardless of which channel they get you on, they don’t have to repeat themselves a dozen times.
- Empower your agents – give them the tools they need to succeed. Provide automation to help make their jobs more accessible and don’t allow them to be so rigid in what they can and can’t do for your customers.
- Personalization – use data to help personalize cx. Whether it’s greeting your customer on their birthday or sending a recommended product or service based on their interests, customers will love the personalized experience.
- Identify satisfied customers (ex. repeat purchases) and find out what it is about your product or service that they love. Understanding what drives them to do business with you will help you know how and why your business inspires advocacy. Ask for their feedback – just as it’s important to ask customers why they are unhappy with your service, also you need to find out why they are happy with you.
Although these recommendations may seem general and some may even seem like “common sense,” let me say that common sense isn’t so common. And what seems like an easy fix takes quite a bit of time, planning, and resources. However, I can confidently say that the investment you make in optimizing your CX is money well spent. A top-tier CX will drive customer satisfaction and loyalty, transforming your customers into dedicated brand advocates who will help build your customer base.
If you’re excited to create a strategy that will improve your CX and help turn your customers into your #1 fans, my team and I at CH Consulting Group can help. We’re proud of the network of partners and clients that we have built over the years. It has always been essential to helping our clients understand how improving the customer experience will help them grow their business while enhancing their performance. Give us a call at 218-286-4006.
I look forward to learning more about your organization and the challenges you’re facing and seeing how my team and I can support you best.
