Here’s a look back at Talkdesk’s Opentalk event held in San Francisco.
The event was a huge success! While many concepts were shared throughout the event, there were a few customer experience elements that seemed to come up time and again. When you see the same themes repeated by a variety of smart, savvy customer experience professionals, you know you should be paying attention.
Here are the five elements of customer experience you need to get right, according to the speakers at Opentalk.
1. AI Is Coming…and Fast
According to Nicole Granucci, Senior Director Product Marketing, Salesforce Service Cloud, we’re heading towards 85% of customer interactions being handled via digital channels. But most customer experience experts are working hard not to be taken by surprise.
We’re heading towards 85% of customer interactions being handled via digital channels. #CustomerSupport #CustomerService
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Time and time again, questions arose around how businesses could best utilize AI and how to reassure employees that their jobs aren’t in peril. However, while it does seem clear that many basic Tier One customer service questions will eventually be handled by AI…
2. The Human Experience Isn’t Going Away
The human-to-human experience isn’t on its way out at all. According to Ari Hoffman, Head of Customer Success Marketing at MindTouch, “Automation can supplement customer service jobs rather than take over the jobs.”
The best way to prepare customer care agents for the changes to come is to provide them with education and deeper knowledge. Customer service agents will be the ones to handle complicated, emotional, multi-tier questions and concerns.
As Marlene Summers, Zuora Vice President, Customer Support Services and Communities says, “We have to recognize that AI is an opportunity. Give your customer care agents training to grow so they can leave Tier One support to AI and take on more complex issues.” This leads us to the fact that…
3. Happy Employees Provide A Better Customer Experience
Aaron Bata, Head of Customer Experience at Tuft and Needle, said, “Putting employees first means they’ll put customers first.” That’s why it’s critical to empower customer success team members and keep them engaged. Some suggestions from Megan Miles, Customer Service Manager at Zumiez, on how to accomplish this imperative include:
- Teach your agents to understand and embrace the why of providing good service
- Make sure your corporate culture translates to your contact center
- Allow employees to fall in love with your company by providing engagement, forums, competitions, and fun
Ultimately, treating your employees with empathy leads to them treating customers the same way. And that’s vital, because…
4. A Good Customer Experience Is Critical
According to Tiffani Bova, Global Customer Growth and Innovation Expert at Salesforce, 57% have stopped buying from a company because a competitor provided a better experience. Yes, customer experience is that important.
How do you create a top-notch customer experience? Lynn Hunsaker, Chief Customer Officer at ClearAction Continuum, says, “We need to ask for the right feedback from customers. What are they aiming for? What are their goals? That knowledge gives you insight into what to start, stop, and continue in order to provide a great customer experience.”
“The most beloved companies create a positive relationship between customer, employee, and business.” —Jeanne Bliss #CustomerSupport #CustomerService
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Bringing together all of the elements we’ve discussed so far, Jeanne Bliss, Founder and CEO of Customer Bliss, stated, “The most beloved companies create a positive relationship between customer, employee, and business.” When you can successfully integrate these elements, you can truly…
5. Put Customers At The Center Of EVERYTHING
“The only way to stand out in a highly competitive industry is to center your business around customer experience and loyalty,” says Annabel Chang, Vice President, Bay Area, Alaska Airlines. Brad Olson, Senior Vice President, Member Experience at Peloton, adds, “Emotional loyalty transcends transactional loyalty every time.”
“Customer success is a long game. There are no quick hacks.”
— Russel Lolacher
How can you capture that customer loyalty? It takes hard work where you consistently keep customer experience top of mind. Justin Robbins, Senior Manager of Content Marketing at Talkdesk, shared that, “You always need to be evaluating your customer experience. Technology and expectations change over time.” And, as Russel Lolacher, Internationally Recognized CX Consultant and Speaker said, “Customer success is a long game. There are no quick hacks.”
Not sure if you have the resources to provide the high-quality customer experience your clients are demanding? Maybe it’s time to bring in a little help. That’s what we at GlowTouch are here for! Consider outsourcing to supplement your capabilities to meet your customers’ needs across a multitude of channels. After all, customer experience is the center around which your entire business revolves. You only get one chance with your customers – so listen to the experts and do it right!
