Earning customer loyalty is incredibly valuable for the success of an organization, especially since customers looking for any product or service have so many options to choose from. According to Gartner, customer experience (CX) now drives 66% of customer loyalty, more than price and brand combined. A loyal customer means better customer satisfaction and retention.
The right CX technology is key to creating a customer experience that builds loyalty – the best technology will enable exceptional customer journeys and drive loyalty. Here are some of the major types of technology organizations should look for as they consider their CX technology options and which platform can best impact their customer loyalty.
Conversational AI Technology Encourages Customer Loyalty
Customers increasingly rely on chatbots to get an issue resolved or get information about a product. The quality of those conversations is a major factor in customers' overall CX. As technology makes more natural conversation possible with a chatbot, preprogrammed chatbots no longer have the same impact on CX. Customers expect more.
Conversational AI uses machine learning technology and allows the bot to learn and improve its responses over time. With this continuous learning capability, companies can feel confident that the more the bot interacts with customers, the better it will be at fostering a positive CX – ultimately making customers more happy with a brand and less likely to abandon it. In fact, 86% of consumers will leave a brand they were once loyal to after two or three bad experiences, while 54% of customers who say they feel valued say they would forgive brands that make mistakes.
A well-developed conversational AI is especially important because even though a majority of customers find human interaction key to positive CX, these customer interactions are increasingly being managed without a human. The more seamless and comfortable the technology, the more customers will enjoy their experience with conversational AI.
Look for Omnichannel Features in Your CX Technology
Different customers have different preferences on what channel they use to interact with a brand – including various social channels, the company website and the company app, among others. Moreover, the same customer often interacts with a brand across channels, and they frequently expect a consistent and seamless experience across everything. That’s why omnichannel is so vital for successful CX now. Strong omnichannel capabilities directly impacts CX, brand loyalty and the bottom line.
One of the major channels customers use is social media – including Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and more. According to a 2022 TELUS International survey, 75% of consumers said they're likely to leave a review or post on social media if they have a positive customer experience. Conversely, inappropriate content can negatively impact a brand's reputation. The same survey found that 40% of respondents will disengage from a brand's community after as little as one exposure to toxic or fake content, while 45% say they will lose all trust in a brand. This is just one example of how content on one channel can impact people’s perception of the brand overall and deter them from interacting with the brand anywhere if they have a negative experience.
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Personalized Content Pleases Customers
Customers increasingly expect personalized digital experiences, and so this is a top priority area for marketers – and, significantly, an opportunity to delight the customer and earn more loyalty. Loyalty is something that can come through a formal customer loyalty program or something more informal. Either way, as invested customers interact with the brand and share personal information and preferences, companies can get valuable insights on the types of experiences that help them satisfy and keep customers.
The vast amount of data organizations collect can help them improve their personalization efforts and attract new customers, as well. Data helps organizations decide which messages get sent to specific audiences, when they will receive that message, and through which channels they’re most likely to interact with the content. This provides a great opportunity for organizations to continually improve their CX and delight customers, but that also means they need the technology in place to collect data, organize data and seamlessly use data in personalization efforts.
Good CX Technology, Good CX Results
Choosing the right CX platform has an impressive impact on customer loyalty. Finding a technology that allows for seamless conversation AI interactions, easy omnichannel capabilities and engaging personalized experiences makes a huge impact on CX overall. For example, technology like Interactions' conversational-AI-enabled Intelligent Virtual Assistant uses AI to create effective dialogue with customers and improve CX. Start future-proofing your CX strategy now to earn customer loyalty and stay relevant to customers as their expectations quickly grow and change.
Learn more about Interactions AI technology solutions at interactions.com.
