Driving customer experience

Modern businesses now have many more channels through which they can interact with their customers.

However, this requires a major effort from the entire company. When all these channels work together perfectly, the result is a perfect customer experience (CX).

Beyond the browser

To meet these high expectations, companies need to look beyond the browser because consumers expect excellent service and inspiration throughout the entire customer journey.

Websites and apps are only a minor part of this experience. It is for this reason that modern businesses look beyond the browser if they want to offer added value throughout the entire customer journey.

According to a survey, 30 percent of Fortune 500 companies in 2017 completely reorganised their operations with the customer experience as guide.

New technology

With new technologies like self-learning software, sensors, augmented and virtual reality and conversational interfaces, they can offer their customers added value, inspiration and extra service. Products and services are no longer separate entities, they are embedded in extra services and experiences and give user experience an extra dimension.

User experience experts are looking beyond the browser and are working with data-driven marketers to enhance the user experience. With disciplines such as customer journey mapping and service design, they translate customer wishes into better products, services and experiences.

Their findings create a profound insight into the underlying requirements and motives of their customers. More importantly, with this insight, one can redesign the customer experience based the key question – what value does this add to the user.

Amazon breaks new ground

Amazon is by far the leader in this customer-oriented approach. In its quest to improve the buying experience, the world’s largest online retailer opened its own supermarket chain last year. For customers, the new Amazon Go supermarkets represent the ultimate offline buying experience.

It allows one to log in at the entrance with a mobile phone and every product one chooses, automatically shows in the virtual shopping basket. And because Amazon already knows its customers’ preferences, the company can lead them to what should be the most relevant in-store offers for them.

In exchange for personalised recommendations and services, more and more consumers are willing to give up some of their privacy.

With sensors at the exit, payment is automatic. The days of standing in queues at the checkout, probably the biggest irritation of most consumers, is a thing of the past.

To make this seamless shopping experience possible, Amazon combines the possibilities of RFID and other sensors with self-learning algorithms and mobile payment options.

This makes Amazon an inspiring example of the power of the Internet of Things (IoT). This rapidly growing data network encompasses more and more products and environments, and enables them to interact with the network, each other and the user. As a result, the physical and digital customer journeys are increasingly merging.

This development offers great opportunities to marketers who focus on the user and customer experience. With the help of the IoT network, they can develop new possibilities to respond faster and more efficiently to the needs of the customer.

With the data generated by these new services, they can further refine their customer experience. Ultimately, marketers can also respond proactively to the needs of the customer, building up a one-to-one relationship with each individual.