The rise of services such as Netflix, which allows users to move seamlessly from one device to another without skipping a beat, has helped create a growing expectation of ease and continuity from all brands.
Customers will want you to be where they are, so brands will need to go virtual as well as maintain the human touch, blending approaches to offer truly rich and pain-free experiences. In the new normal, seamless and delightful customer journeys will be essential.
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6 Top Tips
1 Reimagine customer journeys
Many brands need to redesign their customer journeys, especially when it comes to online ordering and delivery processes. People might have started using a service during lockdown out of necessity; they will need a great experience if they are to stick with it. Think about new routes to providing access to physical products, and ask whether staff can engage with consumers in new ways – not just in stores and showrooms but also on social media.
2 Keep listening
Understanding people’s emotions and their reactions to new journeys is crucial, so demonstrate empathy, and keep communication short and relevant. People are busy and stressed, and brands are rarely as important to people as brand managers hope they are.
3 Seek out customers who’ve gone quiet
Some industries like utilities and telecoms have a large yet silent mass of consumers who don’t have contact with their provider for months, but might have found time during lockdown to check bills and make comparisons. Remind customers you’re there, using additional channels like chatbots and WhatsApp, and show you care.
4 Go beyond sympathy
Actions speak louder than words. What consumers most expect from brands now is practical help in their everyday life. It’s often the seemingly small things that matter most.
5 Monitor the actions you’ve put in place
Brands need to understand the impact of what they’re doing to engage consumers and adjust the experience they offer accordingly.
6 Celebrate your staff
Customers are delighting in once again having in-person interactions. Empower employees to decide what’s best for the customer right now. And remember that this spirit is not a once-off result of the crisis, but the start of a new normal.
