Providing customers with a consistent, positive experience no matter how they interact with a brand is extremely important. Unfortunately, recent research indicates that customers often find their experience lacking. According to the 7th Annual CX and Communications Consumer Insight study1 by Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc., consumers’ perception of their experience has reached a new low.
Here are a few highlights from the study that shed some light on how customers are feeling and steps businesses can take to improve.
First, the bad news. More than 70 percent of consumers agree that most companies need to improve their customer experience. This number has more than doubled since 2019. Additionally, almost 60 percent of respondents say they have lost trust in a company that delivers a poor experience or provides unclear communication. Almost half (45 percent) have gone so far as to stop doing business with a company after a poor experience.
One specific area that many consumers feel needs improvement is communication. Only 41 percent of consumers rate company communications as excellent. This same percentage says they often struggle to locate the key information they need about a company. These customer experience missteps can have real repercussions. For example, more than 60 percent of consumers say poor communication has caused them to lose trust in a brand. It’s clear that customer communication is much more than an operational touchpoint. These interactions represent make-or-break moments for creating or destroying trust, retention and brand value.
Fortunately, there are several steps businesses can take to improve customer experience. Here are the top three areas the Broadridge study recommends companies should prioritize to build consumer trust and create meaningful experiences.
- Honor customers’ preferred communication channels. Almost all respondents (90 percent) expect brands to honor their preferred channel. Companies can do this by offering customers options, such as whether they prefer email, traditional mail or a combination of both. Remember to make it easy for customers to update their preferences at any time.
- Provide a simple way for customers to engage across channels. In our increasingly mobile world, it’s very common for customers to use multiple channels to interact with a company. For example, they may scan a QR code from a direct mail piece or start a purchase on their phone that they later complete on their laptop. Almost every American switches between multiple devices every day, and reaching them across those touchpoints can increase conversion rates by as much as 65 percent.2
- Make it easy to work with your business. At the end of the day, consumers desire a simpler way to interact with companies. Taking a customer-centric approach that removes friction from their experience can go a long way towards increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
With perceptions of customer experience on the decline, it’s more important than ever to provide proven, personalized communication solutions. Matrix can help you create the experience your customers crave. From e-solutions to transactional communications and direct mail, we have the tools and expertise to simplify the customer experience across channels while catering to their communication preferences. Contact us today to get started.
1 7th Annual CX and Communications Consumer Insight study
2 KeyPoint Intelligence 2024
