The customer experience is never a static endeavor. It requires constantly looking at the available technologies to improve the user interaction with your product. This year proves that the customer experience is dependent on a range of tech options to guarantee your consumers get the most out of their journey with your company. Take a look at what 2019 has in store.
Creating Communities with Premium Apps—Premium apps are a great way to further engage loyal customers. This customer base may already be oversaturated by the perks offered by your company and coming up with new ways to improve their experience can be a challenge. One great answer involves premium apps that create communities for these loyal customers. Take the Adidas Tango app, for example. Brand followers can post and create soccer challenges for other users on the platform. The app is geared toward a segment of the Adidas family likely to bring new converts to the brand. In the Adidas case, it’s about more than buying a great shoe. It’s about an experience that captures your enthusiasm for sports. Ultimately premium apps foster a sense of association and a better overall customer experience.
Linking Strategies Across Platforms with Omnichannel—Another customer experience trend shaping 2019 is the omnichannel. Whether it’s online or in-store, the omnichannel is a sales approach that uses a cross-channel content strategy to provide an effortless shopping experience. An example would be a customer who starts a conversation via webchat then decides to speak to a live agent. All the information that was documented during the web chat can be seamlessly transferred to the agent. The Omnichannel can also help achieve a contemporary supply chain by getting a product to the customer by creative and alternative methods. This means breaking down barriers between online and brick and mortar stores, where mobile apps, social media, and websites help unite these two shopping experiences.
Improving Customer Service with Virtual Assistants— It’s expected that the use of virtual assistants will increase tenfold in upcoming years. This is especially relevant for companies working to handle the growing need for customer support. To create a better customer experience, virtual assistant software can answer simple and brief questions, saving the company time and money. For example, Allstate uses a chatbot named Amelia who works in tandem with support agents to help customers. While the agent is on the phone with the customer, Amelia will look up insurance policies. The customer gets exactly what they desire. Human interaction with the speed of robotic automation. At least 25% of customer service procedures will involve chatbots or virtual assistants by 2020. This will result in greater satisfaction for customers seeking fast problem solving and efficient customer service.
Raising Expectations for Data Privacy— As people are becoming more aware of how their information is being gathered and used, brands must readjust to protect this data. This inevitably impacts the customer experience as consumers are raising their expectations of businesses’ data security and disclosure protocols. The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) came into effect last year and represented a major shift for how companies handle personal information. For EU residents, the legislation meant that brands had to reevaluate how they processed and managed personal information for their customers, including disclosing that data collection was taking place. Although the GDPR specifically protects the privacy of EU citizens, it has set a worldwide precedent, reshaping expectations and practices globally. Last year California signed into law the California Consumer Privacy Act, which guarantees consumers new rights regarding the collection of their personal information. It’s only time before the rest of the country adopts similar measures. This is something customers are demanding more and more. For many businesses, improving the customer experience will involve increasing privacy protection practices and data collection transparency with more robust tools and technology.
Creating a great customer experience is the end goal of most companies. Reaching this milestone requires a constant commitment to technological change. Whether it’s supporting your agents with chatbots or creating premium apps, the customer experience is as much a software revolution as it is one that requires a human touch. This trend is here for 2019 and for years to come.
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