The Importance of the Customer Experience

With intrusive social media marketing as the new norm and information availability at the click of the finger, consumers are looking for more before purchasing a new product. To be successful in pushing your brand and gaining market share, it is now, more important than ever to create a great customer experience for those interacting with your company.

Aside from creating big-picture marketing campaigns, Chief Marketing Officers (CMO), now have to follow through the entire buyer’s journey. The late Steve Jobs set the stage for us all. From the very first contact click or verbal interactions with sales, through to the purchase and beyond to the testimonials and feedback, the CMO is responsible for the customer’s experience from start to finish.

What is the customer experience? Defined by Business Dictionary: The entirety of the interactions a customer has with a company and its products. Understanding the customer experience is an integral part of customer relationship management. The overall experience reflects how the customer feels about the company and its offerings. Surveys, feedback forms and other data collection techniques help a company determine the customer experience.

Why customer experience is important

The customer experience has become the new defining factor of a company. Consumers are in control, and all the new millennial start-ups know it. According to Bill Gates, customer experience has become the new competitive battleground. Why is that? Here are the top reasons for the importance of the customer experience.

• Creates a competitive advantage
• Improves customer satisfaction
• Fosters repeat customers and customer loyalty
• Increases revenue and sales
• Builds stronger customer relationships
• Increases customer advocacy and referrals

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It's everyones job

Customer experience needs to be everyone’s job. Every interaction from the receptionist to the sales person, every email from marketing, every line on the website needs to drive a positive user-friendly experience. From delivers to returns, it all needs to run smooth to the customer’s satisfaction.

If you run an auto repair service, returning a cleaner car to the customer than the one they drove in makes for a good customer experience. If your company runs hotels, every customer need has to be met to the fullest, even if the client can do the task him or her self. This makes for a more enjoyable stay and ensures the willingness for a return stay. If your company is a furniture or appliance store, the quality the product, the delivery and return policy will make or break the user experience. Whatever the product or service the business provides, every touch point of the company brand needs to provide above and beyond satisfaction. Your customer advocacy depends on it.

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Recovery from mistakes

Although, mistakes will happen, it is the recovery that makes the difference to the client and builds trust with the company. In a stressful world of many tasks and responsibilities, these small tokens of appreciation and ease of use experiences will practically sell the your products and services for your company.

The next steps

Today’s CMO are tasked with it all. They have to understand what their customers are thinking, what problems they face and how will their products and services align with the customer’s needs. Every brand and company will provide a different customer experience and it is the responsibility of the CMO to make it personalized and cohesive. Their job is all-encompassing in that they are in it from the beginning to the end. Their responsibilities drive the process of breaking down the inner workings of the company, as well as uniting employees to build a better system that results in a strong customer experience. This process is ever changing and never ceasing, to stay ahead, the CMO consistently anticipates the next steps.

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