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Customer experience management: a holistic approach

For a successful customer focus, companies need optimal customer experience management. Behind this term lies the individual customer experience. This refers to the overall perception of the company from the customer’s point of view. Product benefits in terms of functionality are just as important as emotional aspects for the purchase decision and the quality of the customer approach at every point of contact.
The emotional aspects concern design, aesthetics and values associated with the product or service. The decisive factor is not what the company says about its own products, but how the customer perceives and interprets the marketing messages and advertising statements about a product.

Until the purchase decision is made, the customer goes on a journey of touch points to the company. The so-called customer journey. The customer experience at every step of the journey puts the focus on need fulfillment. If the approach, the design, the content, the product does not meet the customer’s needs, prospective buyers leave the path and look for another way. It is often seconds in which a potential customer decides whether the customer experience is suitable or not.

Holistic approach with customer focus

Customer experience management ideally aligns all interactions and processes in a customer-centric way. In addition to the individual touchpoints, emotions such as expectations, loyalty and trust are included. The goal of this customer focus is long-term customer loyalty through maximum satisfaction.
Marketing, sales and customer service focus on customer needs and are closely linked. Tailor-made personalized offers, marketing messages with added value, optimal service offerings, and innovative as well as intuitive interaction options are valuable unique selling points of companies that will gain in importance in the markets of the future.

Intuitive website design, optimal technical functionality, appealing design and powerful customer service are equally important aspects. Apps and websites should work flawlessly.

Outlook:
Artificial intelligence, algorithms and Big Data analytics will have an impact on holistic marketing concepts. Powerful interface management via APIs (application programming interface) enables cross-platform functionalities and communication options. In perspective, online and offline worlds are to be built up perfectly on one another through coordinated processes. This allows companies and brands to reach new dimensions of customer experience.

Tip from Faktor K:

To understand the factors influencing the customer experience, they must be made measurable. The Net Promoter Score (NPS), for example, indicates whether customers would recommend the company to others. Feedback forms and reviews also provide information about customer satisfaction.

Involve your customers and employees in the process. Customer opinions are valuable and help to discard the internal view. The more employees are involved, the greater the willingness to change.