Customer Experience: A critical factor for achieving success

Panel discussion at Pitney Bowes sponsored event Xplor
Corporate Staff Writer Executive Vice President, Chief Innovation Officer Pitney Bowes
10/05/2016 Customer Experience

Customer experience has been an important topic at Graph Expo 2016. At the Xplor event, sponsored by Pitney Bowes, Matt Swain of InfoTrends moderated a panel focused on the importance of delivering exceptional customer service by understanding customer expectations. This panel included several panelists that discussed the challenges in customer experience and the perception that drives customer satisfaction.

Panelists included:

  • Mark DeBoer, Director of Customer Service at Darwill
  • Patrick Maurer, President of Apex
  • Bill Reboul, Senior Vice President of Product Management and Strategy of Fiserv
  • Michael Miller, Senior Vice President of Client & Business Solutions at Broadridge

The discussion delivered remarkable feedback on how to use relevant personalization on every channel to build client trust. I was intrigued with the specific responses on what the customer experience means and the demands of preferences that shift the impact on customer satisfaction. Looking ahead for the future of customer experience, there will be a continued challenge to deliver a unified customer experience using big data. Here are a few of the things learned:

Personalization Builds Trust

Demonstrate the values that matter the most to your business with relevant information delivered to your customers. Execute these values by taking advantage of mixing and matching personalization across multiple channels. This is a unique opportunity to understand what is working to build customer trust by focusing on each channel and their challenge. Customers experience different services on each channel, so find out what is working for future business growth.  “Provide a convenient way to collect customer experience using a 3-click process on a website. List key questions that your business would like to know about the customer experience.” recommended Michael Miller, Senior Vice President of Client & Business Solutions at Broadridge.

Customer experience is taking an important role in presenting a positive experience to those who interact with your business. Providing a good customer service experience will increase repeat customers and lifelong relationships. Mark DeBoer, Director of Customer Service at Darwill said, “Deliver constant customer satisfaction and use marketing to deliver a new experience each time.”

Print still plays an opportunity in improving specific touch points. Some individuals prefer having a tangible item that delivers the right message at the right time. “There is still a strong role for print in customer experience.” said Matt Swain of InfoTrends. More than 51% of customers benefit from a “reminder to pay” statement in the mail.* according to InfoTrends.

You Can’t Be A Single Channel Provider

There are different approaches to building and maintaining the right customer to develop customer advocacy, satisfaction and loyalty. Customers want to be in control. “The customer drives the where, when and how of communication.” – Michael Miller, Senior Vice President of Client & Business Solutions at Broadridge.

To retain the lifetime value of a customer and repeat business; you must pay attention to the customer experience. This is the single most differentiator to setting yourself from your competition. By providing exceptional customer experience, you will know your customers better than ever before.