The rise of digital technology has fundamentally changed the way customers interact with businesses. Things move fast in the digital age, and, to stay competitive in this ever-changing landscape, customer service teams must prioritise digital customer experience (DCX).
Cue the emergence of CCaaS.
CCaaS (or cloud contact as a service) software such as our Virtual Contact Centre signals a revolution in what a customer journey can be. To customer satisfaction and business growth, it is what the jet engine is to travel: faster, stronger, smoother, better.
Using technology to improve customer experience means businesses in the charity, retail, public and construction sectors – and beyond – can foster increased customer loyalty and optimise customer interactions at all touchpoints.
What is Digital Customer Experience?
Digital customer experience (DCX) refers to the interactions between customers and businesses through digital channels, such as:
- Websites
- Social media
- Web chat
- Mobile apps
In today’s digital age, DCX has become a critical aspect of customer service, with customers expecting quick and easy access to information and assistance.
CCaaS software providers play a crucial role in improving DCX by providing technology, like our VCC, that allows customer service teams to optimise customer experience management across multiple channels.
By utilising CCaaS solutions, you’ll provide a seamless and personalised digital customer experience that fosters customer loyalty and drives business growth.
Customer Expectations
Smooth and seamless omnichannel digital customer interactions are more important than ever: they improve customer satisfaction, build loyalty, and ultimately drive business growth.
Consider the following statistics:
- 88% of shoppers will continue browsing eCommerce sites if they receive a personalised experience, including 96% of Gen Z and 97% of Millennials. (Elastic.)
- Over two-thirds (68%) of users either currently use or want to use social media to ask pre-purchase questions. Additionally 59% expect to access customer support via social media following a purchase. (Emplifi.)
- Though channel usage rates are constantly shifting sands, email is still one of the most commonly used – over half of users (54%) seek support by email. (Forrester.)
By utilising omnichannel technology to manage user touchpoints, businesses can provide a velvety-smooth customer experience.
Moreover, data collection and customer feedback can be used to continually improve DCX, meaning companies can maximise the benefits of a strategic customer experience management platform.
DCX & the Customer Journey
Digital customer experience is not just about providing good customer service; it’s about creating a seamless journey for consumers across all touchpoints.
By utilising our Virtual Contact Centre to empower an omnichannel journey, businesses can ensure that customers have a consistent and positive experience – leading to increased satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, business growth.
Boosting Customer Satisfaction
DCX plays a pivotal role in driving customer satisfaction. By leveraging CCaaS technology and omnichannel functionality, businesses can create digital experiences that exceed customer expectations.
For example:
- Personalised interactions,
- Fast response times,
- Seamless transitions across touchpoints,
- And self-service tools, such as chatbots,
all lead to increased customer satisfaction.
Furthermore, by using customer feedback and customer experience management tools, businesses can continuously improve their DCX and create even more satisfied customers, increasing loyalty and business growth.
Increasing Loyalty
By providing personalised, seamless, and efficient digital experiences, businesses cultivate trust and establish a deeper connection with their customers.
Loyal customers are more likely to return for repeat business. Continued positive experiences may see those users become brand advocates and champions of your service, making recommendations to friends and family, and even defending you in the face of negative reviews.
It’s all built upon a solid foundation of loyalty.
By continually improving DCX through our Virtual Contact Centre technology and customer experience management tools, you’ll foster strong relationships with your customers and create the conditions for long-term success.
Why You Need to Prioritise Digital Customer Experience
Providing exceptional digital customer service has become more critical than ever. With customers increasingly relying on internet-enabled channels to interact with businesses, it’s essential to prioritise your DCX to maintain a competitive edge and build lasting relationships.
Business-Boosting Benefits
Customer interactions are increasingly taking place online, making DCX a key differentiator for businesses: tellingly, over two-thirds of companies compete primarily in terms of experience (Super Office).
But what exactly are the benefits of exemplary DCX, and how do they complement your wider operations?
- Improved customer satisfaction and loyalty
By providing efficient and effective service across all digital touchpoints, you can ensure that your customers are happy and loyal. A positive DCX can lead to increased customer retention rates and positive word-of-mouth recommendations.
- Increased business growth
Satisfied customers are more likely to recommend your products or services to others, which can help drive new business and revenue. By streamlining your digital customer service processes, you also free up time and resources to focus on other aspects of your business.
- Enhanced omnichannel customer service
The Virtual Contact Centre provides a single platform for managing all customer interactions, whether they occur on social media, email, or your website. This makes it easier for your customer service team to provide a smooth and seamless service to your customers.
- A more rewarding customer journey
By using data and analytics, CCaaS software can help you identify key touchpoints in your customers’ journeys and optimise them for a better experience. Again, this can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Streamlined customer experience management
A virtual contact centre can integrate with social media platforms and other digital channels, making it easier to manage customer interactions across the board. This can help you provide a more consistent and efficient service to your customers.
- Increased operational capacity
By streamlining your customer experience management and providing an optimal DCX, you increase what it’s possible for your entire team to achieve. For instance, with customer interactions handled more efficiently, your agents can deliver that next-level service to more users; or, with AI-powered data reporting minimising the time needed for managers to collate data, they can focus on alternative business priorities, like marketing and strategy.
With the right technology and customer experience battleplan in place, you can provide a game-changing service to your customers – and achieve unprecedented business growth.
Reputation, Sacrificed: The Negative Impact of Poor DCX
The flip side of all this, though, is considerably less rose-coloured.
A poor digital customer experience (DCX) can have a devastating impact on a business’s reputation and bottom line: here are just a few examples.
- Negative word-of-mouth
In today’s digital age, customers are quick to share their experiences on social media and review sites. A poor DCX can lead to negative reviews and comments, which can damage a business’s reputation and lead to decreased customer acquisition and retention rates.
- Decreased customer loyalty
A sub-par DCX will lead to decreased customer loyalty and retention rates. Customers who have a negative experience are more likely to switch to a competitor.
- Reduced revenue
Negative experiences mean customers are less likely to make repeat purchases or recommend the business to others; in some cases, a particularly shoddy DCX can even lead to legal action or regulatory fines.
- Increased customer churn
Customers these days have little patience. Those who don’t enjoy their experiences with you are likely to churn, or stop engaging with your business altogether.
- Damage to brand image
Image is everything. Poor DCX causes sometimes-irrevocable damage to a business’s brand image and reputation, making it harder to attract and retain customers in the future. This is particularly damaging for businesses in competitive industries, such as the retail, charity or construction sectors.
Successful Virtual Contact Centre Implementations
Done right though, DCX can have stunning implications for your overall customer service efforts.
The digital space is the battleground of modern customer relationships – this is the arena where you must surpass your competitors – and smart implementation of the right technology will see your organisation win the day.
STAMMA, for instance, has implemented our VCC to completely revolutionise its CX.
Where once, things were inefficient, bottlenecked or unwieldy, the registered charity’s new centralised communications system resulted in a platform that:
- Optimised efficiency
- Enabled remote work
- Yielded actionable data
All of this has been harnessed by the STAMMA team for real-term DCX improvements – and their clients are enjoying the benefits.
Similarly, Topps Tiles were able to boost their DCX, CSAT and service level thanks to our CCaaS technology. In the words of customer insights manager Sarah Kite: “The solution has without doubt improved the levels of service that we provide to our customers on a day-to-day basis and has created efficiencies across the team.”
We’ve created full industry reports detailing both of the above use cases, and, as a reader of the Call Handling blog, you are entitled to free access. Simply get in touch for your no-obligation download link.
Ready to Start Using Technology to Improve Customer Experience?
Using technology to improve customer experience – digital customer experiences especially – is something of a no-brainer if you’re looking to boost both your retention figures and satisfaction rates and future-proof your customer engagement strategy.
CCaaS software, such as our VCC, represents an integral part of your digital transformation strategy. Implementing this streamlining technology, and using it effectively, enables your organisation to:
- Reliably meet customer expectations
- Personalise and cater to customer preferences
- Make DCX a competitive advantage
- Elevate your digital transformation efforts
- Use customer data for ongoing improvements
Above all, cloud contact software technology solutions allow your business to offer a seamless customer experience in the digital realm; and, in this day and age, that’ll go a long way to exceeding your core KPIs and achieving your long-term business goals.
To find out more about utilising technology to improve customer experience, request a free demo of our software, or simply chat about your communications and where you see them going, don’t hesitate to contact us now.