Customer Insights to Improve Customer Experience (CX)

Here's a story about the time a client handed me a $300,000 120-slide UX report. As a former consultant, I typically followed the revolving door of the big consulting groups. Naturally, my onboarding consisted of reading expensive paperweights. One of them really stuck with me. The group utilized “best practices in UX,” so you knew it was legit. 😉 Their process involved flying HBS grads to Hong Kong, Paris, and Houston to conduct focus groups. Once onsite, they paid “real customers” to answer "unbiased" questions about how they shopped. I can picture the sheer authenticity of that room. After reading the report, I ran a little experiment and found out that the marketing team (yes, the one that commissioned this $300k UX report) had not talked to the CX team in over 6 months. So let’s get this straight… They pay a consulting firm to manufacture conversations with their customer. Meanwhile, actual customers are reaching out daily, and the marketing team is uninterested. I'm picking on them right now to make a point, but I saw this all the time. Marketing teams that put customer service teams in a vacuum and their customer service data in a silo. It's gotta stop. Where do we go from here? 1) UX research must include a deep dive into customer service tickets. At scale, a deep dive into CX tickets requires proper tagging. Even with platforms like Gorgias that make this easy, I find that marketers don’t view or leverage this data enough. Take advantage of it! 2) UX includes CX. When we talk about multi-channel user flows, a user reaching out to customer service counts. 🙄 A CX agent should know everything about a user that marketing knows and vice versa. 3) Customer service fills the gaps that the product team missed. Your customer service tickets are a key data point in finding opportunities to optimize your user flows. Set up alerts by ticket tag, similar to how you set up your product analytics alerts. 5) Be wary of UX surveys and 120-page decks. Only a small percentage of users will fill out the survey, and that sample is rarely random or truly reflective of the broader user base. Instead, ask where we can gather data that is least biased, in real-time and reflects the largest percentage of user activity. Think about platforms like Fairing that embed feedback into the customer journey with high response rates. To close it out... Marketers, your customer service team is one of your greatest resources. They have a direct line to your most eager customers, and they are your final line of defense. Talk to them. Be nice to them. Find projects that allow their team and their data to come out of their silos. They often hold the answers to questions you’ve been looking for, and they're not only free, but they've been waiting for your call for a long time now.

If your CX Program simply consists of surveys, it's like trying to understand the whole movie by watching a single frame. You have to integrate data, insights, and actions if you want to understand how the movie ends, and ultimately be able to write the sequel. But integrating multiple customer signals isn't easy. In fact, it can be overwhelming. I know because I successfully did this in the past, and counsel clients on it today. So, here's a 5-step plan on how to ensure that the integration of diverse customer signals remains insightful and not overwhelming: 1. Set Clear Objectives: Define specific goals for what you want to achieve. Having clear objectives helps in filtering relevant data from the noise. While your goals may be as simple as understanding behavior, think about these objectives in an outcome-based way. For example, 'Reduce Call Volume' or some other business metric is important to consider here. 2. Segment Data Thoughtfully: Break down data into manageable categories based on customer demographics, behavior, or interaction type. This helps in analyzing specific aspects of the customer journey without getting lost in the vastness of data. 3. Prioritize Data Based on Relevance: Not all data is equally important. Based on Step 1, prioritize based on what’s most relevant to your business goals. For example, this might involve focusing more on behavioral data vs demographic data, depending on objectives. 4. Use Smart Data Aggregation Tools: Invest in advanced data aggregation platforms that can collect, sort, and analyze data from various sources. These tools use AI and machine learning to identify patterns and key insights, reducing the noise and complexity. 5. Regular Reviews and Adjustments: Continuously monitor and review the data integration process. Be ready to adjust strategies, tools, or objectives as needed to keep the data manageable and insightful. This isn't a "set-it-and-forget-it" strategy! How are you thinking about integrating data and insights in order to drive meaningful change in your business? Hit me up if you want to chat about it. #customerexperience #data #insights #surveys #ceo #coo #ai

The line between brand loyalty and migration is razor-thin. Understanding customer sentiments in real-time isn't just a 'good to have', it's a necessity. Real-time CX analysis paves the way for brands to resonate with their audience on a personal level. 🤝 Attached are insightful graphics from Clootrack on real-time CX analysis advantages and best practices. 📌 It's an absolute game-changer. Let me break down the "why" and "how", taking cues from a previous customer journey where we leveraged our Smart Insights platform. Not so long ago, a client of mine faced a puzzling decline in repeat customers. While their brand was strong and their offering robust, something was amiss. Enter Real-time CX Analysis. 💥 Here's how we turned things around. 🎯 Instantaneous Feedback Collection We implemented a feedback system on their website. In real-time, we could pinpoint issues - was it the payment gateway? The UX? We acted swiftly. 🎯 Dynamic Personalization By analyzing browsing patterns, we predicted products that a visitor might be interested in. Making the experience personal increased the time they spent on the site and, eventually, their likelihood to purchase. 🎯 Predictive Analysis for Proactive Solutions Utilizing Smart Insights, we mapped out a customer's typical journey. If at any point they deviated (like abandoning a cart), we’d send an instant email or notification. 🎯 Boosting Engagement with Real-time Adjustments During a flash sale, we noticed, in real-time, that customers were leaving due to slow load times Within minutes, we sent out an apology email with an extended sale duration, salvaging potential lost sales and trust. 🎯 Real-time Risk Mitigation Whoops, a glitch wrongly priced an item. ☠️ The error was spotted in real-time and resolved before it could escalate into a PR nightmare. Implementing real-time CX analysis isn't just about problem-solving on-the-fly. It's about enhancing each touchpoint a customer has with your brand. 🚀 How do you leverage real-time CX analysis? 💬 Germain UX - Boost UX in real-time, 24x7 #Automation #Performance #CustomerExperience #UX Source: Images by Clootrack P.S. If you're serious about transforming your GX game in real-time, check out Smart Insights. 👉 https://lnkd.in/e9vvwZRH It's an incredible tool that’s redefining how we understand and respond to our customers.

As an analyst, I was intrigued to read an article about Instacart's innovative "Ask Instacart" feature integrating chatbots and chatgpt, allowing customers to create and refine shopping lists by asking questions like, 'What is a healthy lunch option for my kids?' Ask Instacart then provides potential options based on user's past buying habits and provides recipes and a shopping list once users have selected the option they want to try! This tool not only provides a personalized shopping experience but also offers a gold mine of customer insights that can inform various aspects of a business strategy. Here's what I inferred as an analyst : 1️⃣ Customer Preferences Uncovered: By analyzing the questions and options selected, we can understand what products, recipes, and meal ideas resonate with different customer segments, enabling better product assortment and personalized marketing. 2️⃣ Personalization Opportunities: The tool leverages past buying habits to make recommendations, presenting opportunities to tailor the shopping experience based on individual preferences. 3️⃣ Trend Identification: Tracking the types of questions and preferences expressed through the tool can help identify emerging trends in areas like healthy eating, dietary restrictions, or cuisine preferences, allowing businesses to stay ahead of the curve. 4️⃣ Shopping List Insights: Analyzing the generated shopping lists can reveal common item combinations, complementary products, and opportunities for bundle deals or cross-selling recommendations. 5️⃣ Recipe and Meal Planning: The tool's integration with recipes and meal planning provides valuable insights into customers' cooking habits, preferred ingredients, and meal types, informing content creation and potential partnerships. The "Ask Instacart" tool is a prime example of how innovative technologies can not only enhance the customer experience but also generate valuable data-driven insights that can drive strategic business decisions. A great way to extract meaningful insights from such data sources and translate them into actionable strategies that create value for customers and businesses alike. Article to refer : https://lnkd.in/gAW4A2db #DataAnalytics #CustomerInsights #Innovation #ECommerce #GroceryRetail

"We want to do customer interviews, but we're already asking our customers for a lot. How can we get customer insights without asking for more of their time?" I hear this a lot! I think we all get the importance of getting a bit of customer empathy and valuable feedback, but it's a struggle to navigate their busy schedules (and, if we're honest, ours too!) Here's a few ideas to get customer insights without using up too much of their time: ⚡ Work with AM, CX, Support or Sales teams to add just one question to their normal flow. My favorite? "If you had to describe our solution to someone like you, what would you say?" Your preferred question might change depending on what you're after. Maybe you need more competitive information or you want to understand the biggest problem their solving. Either way, just pick one question and listen to the call recordings for insights. ⚡Do a push for G2/Capterra reviews Not only will you boost your rating, but you'll also get insights from customers. You'll be surprised how detailed customers get in their comments, and how useful their feedback can be. ⚡Mine call recordings or ask to be a fly on the wall for specific calls Depending on your goal, you might start by listening to renewal calls (I love these for what current customers love/don't love, and why they choose to renew), discovery calls (good for pain points and initial questions) What's your favorite way to get customer insights when you can't speak with customers directly? #productmarketing #b2bmarketing

We talk a lot about Customer Experience. But what is CX, really? Customer Experience refers to the overall perception and feelings that customers have about their interactions with a company throughout their entire journey with that brand. Thats a mouthful. Here’s how I think of it: The layers and layers of experiences that a customer has throughout their journey, positive or negative, that form their opinions and decisions. The CX includes everything from interactions with marketing content, sales experience, onboarding, automated emails, webinars, meetings, product, support issues…. You get it. But how do we take all of these layers of experiences and actually make an impact? How do we ensure we are creating positive moments when it matters most? Brad Davis spoke at Pulse about a psychological premise referred to as “the peak-end rule”. 🏔️ Here’s the gist: - People judge an experience largely based on how they felt at its peak (the most intense point) and at its end, rather than based on the total sum or average of every moment of the experience. So in theory, creating peak moments throughout the customer experience can impact a customer’s feelings towards the collective experience. Here’s some examples to try: 🍪 Personalized Gifting: Customer achieved something big? Send cookies with a personalized note from Grove Cookie Company (they do the notes for you!) to celebrate a milestone or accomplishment. 📝Thoughtful Message: Perhaps a customer mentions that their son is graduating college. If you don’t have gifting budget, send a simple nice note without any agenda or ask. “Hey Sara, Hope you had a great weekend celebrating your sons graduation!” Stick out by showing up in a more human way. 🎥 Send a Video: Have an important Exec Business Review coming up? Send a video ahead of the call with the agenda and some highlights so you can get their input and make the best use of your time. Video has a ton of applications, I love when CSMs use video to answer questions instead of assuming a call is best. 🤩 Give Them The Spotlight: Invite your customer to be on a Customer Advisory Board, an upcoming customer panel, or to share their experience and business impact during an internal all-hands. Including them drives advocacy by allowing them to feel like they are part of what you are building. Taking the extra effort in a proactive, intentional, or even a just-for-fun way can help create peak moments that leave a lasting impression. Brad helped create a peak moment for me last week. During his presentation, he unexpectedly invited me to join him on stage to share my insights and experiences. This surprise gesture not only made me feel incredibly valued, but also showed a real-time example of creating memorable, impactful experiences. What cool examples of peak moments have you experienced or created?????

"The answer does not lie in data, but in the stores."  - Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks At first glance, this quote from the CEO who built Starbucks into a #CustomerExperience powerhouse might seem contradictory, but it is not. We live in a world awash with data, and although the solution to being #CustomerCentric may demand better uses of customer data, you can't merely data your way to a better #CX. One of the key problems I see with client CX programs is not that they lack data. They often have voluminous amounts of customer feedback, digital signals, purchase data, and other customer data, but they don't make good use of it. I've grown to hate the term "customer 360" when it comes to data topics because it focuses attention more on adding ever more data sources and less on what data is most useful and how to use it. If you can't use the data you have today, chances are the solution to improving your CX isn't to find yet more sources of data. I think the Pareto principle is a great one to apply here--what is the 80% of value you can deliver from 20% of the "360-degree view of the customer"? Instead of pretending your organization is able to collect, analyze, and use more data, why not identify the 72 degrees (20% of 360 degrees) of data that is most useful and powerful? Which brings us back to Schultz's comments about Starbuck's disappointing results. He said, "The stores require a maniacal focus on the customer experience." That doesn't mean ignoring data, but it means starting with the customer experience and then figuring out what data you most need to understand and deliver the CX. Schultz also said that "senior leaders—including board members—need to spend more time with those who wear the green apron." Seeing the CX from the perspective of both customers and frontline employees is vital. Data is a part of the answer, but so is being willing to spend time observing, listening to, and acting as a customer and a frontline employee. Data is essential, but in my experience, few brands need MORE data to improve their CX. Instead, they simply need to make better use of the data they have, and that means starting with the customer (and not the bottom line), understanding the customer and employee experience, and leading with customer-centric strategies. https://lnkd.in/gHqHxWqB

Customer Support: Data Hiding in Plain Sight Customer Support, Service, Care, or Experience - regardless of the title, it's a critical department reflecting your entire company. Here's why: it's a direct line to your customers. Now, the question is: what are you doing with the valuable data your support team gathers through daily interactions with your customers? Many businesses fail to take advantage of this rich resource. Do customers share valuable product insights during conversations? (Yes!) Do they reveal potential upsell/cross-sell opportunities? (Absolutely) Do they offer valuable feedback on your support team's performance? (Definitely!!!) The challenge lies in capturing these insights effectively. Traditional methods like QA spot checks only cover a limited percentage of cases. Surveys - well only small % of customers take those. Here's where Large Language Models (LLMs) come in. These AI models can analyze 100% of your support conversations, uncovering: Product improvement opportunities: Identify recurring issues and areas for product optimization. Customer needs: Gain deeper understanding of customer pain points and aspirations. Support team performance: Recognize exceptional support interactions and identify areas for improvement. LLMs unlock the full potential of customer support data, enabling you to proactively address customer concerns, enhance your product, and empower your support team. This way, you turn customer support into a powerful engine for growth and customer satisfaction. No more hiding in plain sight. #customerinsights #customerservice #llm #ai #dataanalysis #cx

Where do most companies get it wrong when serving their customers? And why is a marketing leader talking about the customer experience? Let me answer the second question first. Marketers deeply study human behavior. After all, we're trying to get people to take action. Customers tell us how we're doing. They also know our next customers and will tell them about us when we serve them well. Customer experience is a key growth strategy this year. But it's often misguided for companies because they forget the "serve" part of customer experience and move straight to grow - trying to upsell and cross-sell. Getting this wrong means failing to solidify our value proposition or build a relationship. It's the equivalent of a marriage proposal on the first date. To serve means to meet your customer's expectations. Here are some of the key takeaways: • Talk to your customers...a lot: The simplest yet most overlooked step. Engage in conversations to understand their expectations about your service. Only they can confirm if your product/service meets their expectations. • The handoff issue: Bridge the gap between sales and delivery to ensure you deliver what the customer expects. • Perfection isn't key; transparency is: Customers value honesty over perfection. Be forthcoming when issues occur, and build trust that you know about and will correct the problem. • Walk the customer's journey: Experience your process objectively from the customer's perspective to identify and understand friction points. . Remember, serving your customers means meeting their expectations. Don't skip this step! Only when you serve them can you expect to retain them, which is the subject of my next video.    Ready to elevate your customer experience? I would love to chat. #customerexperience #customergrowth #marketing #marketingstrategy

Do you observe a sudden drop-off in the customer journey on your SAAS platform? How can this be addressed effectively? If you detect any dead spots while analyzing the customer journey on your SAAS platform using FullStory or a similar tool, what's the optimal approach to rectify these gaps while ensuring a superior customer experience? Consider implementing CTAs at common dead spots. This approach not only helps diagnose why the customer journey is disrupted but also signals to your customers that their feedback is valued. Why is this important? Imagine overseeing a superstore where 80% of customers never venture beyond the first four aisles. Wouldn't you want all customers to fully experience your store? How can you tackle such a challenge? To begin, you must accurately identify the underlying issue. It could stem from various factors, such as the store's size, the concentration of commonly sought items within the initial aisles or a confusing layout. The most effective strategy is to seek insights directly from customers. Consider establishing a help desk at the fourth aisle to gather feedback and pinpoint solutions. Similarly, introduce help desk via relevant CTAs on your SAAS dead spots - that should help improve customer journey and deliver seamless customer experience. What do you think?