In the digital era, customers expect more from brands than simple transactions.
- They expect personalized experiences.
- They expect ongoing relationships.
- They expect to be heard.
In a Microsoft survey,
- 90% of respondents indicated that customer service is important to their brand loyalty.
- 58% said they will sever a relationship with a business following a poor customer service experience.
Customer experience matters – period. And great customer experience always starts with great customer communications.
That’s why fostering effective customer communications should be an integral part of your business ethos.
That’s why you need to formalize your communications processes, workflows, and best practices into a comprehensive Customer Communications Management (CCM) program.
What is CCM?
CCM is a unified strategy that enables organizations to:
- Address customers’ challenges quickly with high-quality support
- Close more sales faster
- Develop meaningful customer relationships, and thus garner their long-term loyalty
Here are 3 proven ways to make CCM work for them–and for you!
1. Build an Omni-Channel Communication Strategy
Companies with the strongest omni-channel customer engagement strategies enjoy:
- 10% YoY growth
- 25% increase in close rates
To design one that works for your customers and for you:
- Identify which channels your customers use most
- Design an engagement strategy for each channel
- Make sure everyone in your organization is trained to deliver a consistent experience across each channel
2. Provide ‘Always-On’ Support with Chatbots
A recent Walker survey found that by the end of 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator.
If you want your brand to set itself apart from the fluff and noise, you must provide exceptional customer experiences.
And one great way to do this is by automating customer communications with chatbots.
Chatbots deliver these advantages for your organization’s CCM strategy:
- Quicker 24×7 support even when your (human) support team is unavailable
- Faster responses mean faster solutions and happier customers
- Support across multiple stages of a customer’s journey
Tip: Avoid over-automation. Many customers prefer speaking to a live human, so ensure human backup is available–at least during business hours–if a chatbot cannot resolve a query.
3. Use a Feature-Rich, Intuitive CCM Software Like OpenText Exstream
Today’s customer communication landscape is complex and interconnected. It’s no longer sufficient to provide a single call center number or support email address.
Your CCM strategy must be robust and comprehensive. The right tools can help you:
- Create and deliver responsive, interactive digital communications
- Improve customer experiences through personalized and automated interactions
- Drive profitable customer engagement through multiple channels and touchpoints
With OpenText Exstream, you can:
- Automate document creation
- Streamline user experiences
- Track customer engagement analytics
- Maximize customer lifetime value
Additional Benefits with OpenText Exstream
With accelerator packages, OpenText Exstream integrates with core systems and third-party applications like ERP and CRM tools, helping you effortlessly achieve your CCM objectives.
SingleStone, with our experienced CCM consulting experts, can design a powerful CCM strategy for your customer-facing organization with OpenText Exstream.
If you’re looking for a customizable solution that transforms ordinary communications into highly-personalized, engaging customer experiences, schedule a call today with one of our experts.