Why good customer experience pays and bells and whistles don't
It's about quality of service - customers want to know that things won’t become harder than they need to be.
Customers today simply don’t tolerate bad service. In a market where every brand is competing on price, organisations that also compete on customer experience (CX) are the ones that succeed. Research confirms that 86% of customers are willing to pay more for better customer experience, regardless of the product or service.
But what does this “better service” actually look like? The answer isn’t in bells and whistles or flashy hype, but in a simple promise: peace of mind.
Most of us can recall a time when we ended up paying more for something than usual, but which made us go: “So this is why people pay more!” In those moments, what we are really paying for is the confidence that things will simply work as they should.
Good CX removes friction from the journey and provides people with a reason to return. Customers want to know that things won’t become harder than they need to be — and this is just as true for resolving a fibre issue at home as insuring your car.
The real story behind the 86% statistic isn’t about luxury; it’s about a deep-seated frustration with fighting to get what people paid for. In a tough economy, this willingness to pay more for a seamless, empathetic experience is a key to business success. Brands that deliver on this promise are rewarded with loyal customers who stay, spend more and tell their friends about their experience.
The truth is, customers want five core things: speed, convenience, knowledge, consistency and a human touch. This means that issues need to be fixed quickly, self-service portals need be functional and employees need to have the knowledge to help.
It also means that the quality of service should feel the same whether a customer is on the phone, sending a WhatsApp message or writing an e-mail. This consistency across all channels is what builds a reputation for reliability.
Ultimately, CX is not an afterthought, a platform or a help desk upgrade. It is a company-wide mindset that brings the right people, tools and technology together to meet customers’ specific needs, especially when those solutions are built with local realities in mind.
The businesses that succeed are those that view a great CX as an integral part of their brand. When customers choose to pay more, they are simply choosing businesses that value their time, reduce their stress and give them a reason to return. The question is whether organisations are truly listening.
The big take-out: Providing a great customer experience CX is not about fancy extras, but about delivering on the basic promises of speed, convenience, knowledge, consistency and a human touch.
Bruce von Maltitz is CEO of 1Stream as published in the Financialmail
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