Being Intentional!

“Intentional we choose to be,

With fresh eyes we truly see.

A step forward with a heartfelt smile,

To make the world a better mile.”

The idea of customer experience may seem complicated, but it’s really about creating a business that’s easy and enjoyable to deal with at any time. We all want to feel valued and heard as customers, to be respected, and to have our needs taken into account. As a business owner or employee, you understand that the customer is the lifeblood of your company.

We’ve all been there, waiting in line or on hold, receiving poor service, or feeling like our needs weren’t being met. But what if we could change that? What if we could create a customer experience that was truly unforgettable?

This is where being intentional comes in! As a businessowner or CX Practitioner, being intentional means taking the time to understand your customers’ wants and needs, going the extra mile to create an exceptional experience, and putting yourself in the shoes of the customer.

Think about what you would want as a customer interacting with your business. Would you want to be treated with kindness and respect? Would you want your needs to be prioritized? Would you want an enjoyable and memorable experience? How can you achieve this?

When you’re intentional, you can create an experience that leaves a lasting impact on your customers. An experience that they’ll want to share with others and sets your business apart from the competition.

Take small steps towards improving your customer experience, but be consistent in your efforts. Identify areas for improvement and make deliberate efforts to design an unforgettable experience. Creating an exceptional customer experience is not just about the business, it’s about creating a meaningful relationship with the people you serve.

Here are five practical tips to guide your CX efforts:

• Know your customer: Take time to understand their needs, wants, preferences, and pain points. For example, if you own a restaurant, you may gather feedback from customers to learn about their favorite dishes, service expectations, and ambiance preferences.

• Set clear goals: Define specific, measurable, and attainable customer experience goals that align with your overall business objectives. An e-commerce business may set a goal of reducing cart abandonment rates by 10% within the next quarter.

• Optimize touchpoints: Evaluate all customer touchpoints, such as your website, social media channels, physical store, or contact center, and identify areas for improvement. It will be prudent for a retailer to redesign their website to make it more user-friendly, add live chat support, and enhance their return policy.

• Empower your team: Train and equip your employees to deliver exceptional customer service consistently. For instance, a hotel may train their staff to handle customer complaints promptly, offer personalized recommendations, and show genuine empathy.

• Monitor metrics: Use metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS), customer satisfaction (CSAT), and customer effort score (CES) to measure the effectiveness of your CX efforts. Identify areas for improvement and adapt to changing customer needs. A telecom company may analyze customer feedback to improve their billing process, offer more flexible pricing plans, and improve network reliability.

Remember, it’s about the people, not the sale,

That’s what makes CX truly prevail.

Do you want to know more about customer experience? Check out more content here or take the bold step to join our association.

Yvonne Quashie

Head of Customer Experience, UBA Ghana

National Organizer, CXP Ghana