EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
The pandemic has reshaped organisations in Australia and the wider Asia Pacific ’ s priorities , financial planning and spending . The uncertainty and emergence of Omicron has not made planning any easier . Although the impact of the pandemic varies by sector , the one conversation among C-level executives and senior leaders that have stayed constant is – customer retention and growth .
The customer experience ( CX ) is now a whole-of-business conversation as organisations know that tackling CX with a piecemeal approach no longer works . The pandemic and the viral evolution have accelerated the need for increased focus on delivering faster CX . Here are what we think organisations should consider when planning for the next 12 months .
Changing customer behaviour
Customers are constantly looking at new avenues to satisfy their wants and needs whether it is through social commerce , alternate sourcing or different channels of customer service to get what they need . Choices are plenty for customers , but the real battleground for businesses to gain customers ’ attention is through providing good CX especially during a wearisome pandemic . Building trust and brand confidence with customers are imperative to maintain good customer relationships and business sustainability .
Take advantage of AI and its capabilities
The assumption of AI today that it is used primarily for prediction is only half of the story told . Using AI , organisations can understand the new and the now . Organisations could address the need for speed and build trust with customers through making better decisions , reducing blind spots , busy work and roadblocks . Advanced AI could help handle customer relationships with care and understanding , deliver real-time knowledge and advantage and maintain customer data relevancy .
Using automation to transform CX
To enhance the speed of customer interactions in the on-demand economy , organisations that invest in CRM applications can streamline various activities and have a better chance in managing employee experience , helping them to manage the increased demand on them in their daily work . For example , automating customer-facing processes and tracking customer interactions provides a rich view of the customer ’ s journey from marketing to sales and service and offers deep insight into the customer ’ s status .
Create tighter cross-functional collaboration
There is a new dimension of what a fully aligned cross-functional collaboration can do to provide a complete view of customers for organisations that want to improve their strategies in CX and delivery . Making use of a platform that can help form reference points for customer engagement and communications across members in an organisation can create much more powerful omnichannel customer engagement .
Rethink customer service strategy
Customer service is critical , especially in increasing customer retention and loyalty . As more organisations start listening and embracing the feedback and views from customers , value-creation becomes more progressive . Customer alignment will lead organisations towards better ideation , problemsolving , performance improvement as well as product innovation . In addition , customers develop a healthy brand preference and loyalty and become advocates extending brand reach . �
JASON DU PREEZ , SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT – ASIA PACIFIC , SUGARCRM
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