The Exponential Customer: Always On, Always Connected And Always Expecting More
The term exponential customer may not be familiar to everyone. I was reminded of the term when preparing to be interviewed for a podcast hosted by NiCE, a major player in the customer experience (CX) world whose AI-powered offerings help companies provide amazing customer service and support.
In preparation for the podcast, the NiCE team sent the questions and discussion topics to me for approval. This was the theme of our podcast, and NiCE's interpretation of exponential customer is a customer who is always on, always connected always expecting more.
With that in mind, I'd like to share some of the topics the host, Amelia Rose Earhart, and I discussed on the podcast.
The Exponential Customer
In today's digital world, customers are as connected as they want to be. Whether it's a computer, tablet, phone or smart device, customers are usually within an arm's length or earshot of something that will connect them to a company. That's the 'always on' and 'always connected' part of the definition. Then there's the 'always expecting more.'
My take on this is something I've preached for years. Customers expect and demand more than ever. They no longer simply compare you to a competitor, but to the best experience they've had from any company or brand. That 'best experience' is what sets the bar in the customer's mind and helps define what a good or bad experience is.
Moments Matter
One of my favorite CX themes is Creating Moments of Magic®. This concept originated from Jan Carlzon's Moment of Truth principle, which states that any time a customer comes into contact with a company, however remote, they have an opportunity to form an impression. With all of these interactions, we want to create Moments of Magic®, experiences that always meet and sometimes exceed a customer's expectations. The key word is always. Every interaction must be consistent and predictable. When that happens, you've created an amazing experience. If you consistently do what customers expect, they come back. Why would they take a chance on doing business with anyone else?
Learn and Copy from the Best
If customers compare us to their best experiences, it makes sense that we should strive to provide them with a similar experience. But most of us can't copy Amazon or Apple. What we can do is learn from them. What do Amazon, Apple or any company we admire do that we really like? Is it something we can do too? These questions force us to look beyond our industry for best practices, which can give us a tremendous competitive advantage.
Keeping Up
Change is happening faster than ever, especially with AI-fueled capabilities. Just 10 years ago, the cost to create AI solutions could be hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. Today, it's affordable for small businesses. That means almost any company, big or small, can deliver an AI-enhanced experience. And that includes your competition. So, if you're not keeping up with technology, you risk falling behind in two areas. First, your competitors may pull ahead with tools that make them faster, smarter and more efficient. Second, you may lose customers to those competitors, and once they're gone, winning them back won't be easy.
The Difference Between Today's Innovations and Tomorrow's Expectations
Nothing has changed in the world of customer service and CX, particularly as it relates to addressing problems and complaints. And nothing will change in the future. The first complaint letter on record dates back to around 1750 BCE and was carved into a stone. It is displayed in the British History Museum. The customer, Ea-nasir, was unhappy. All he wanted in the end was to be happy. That's the same for today's customers and for future customers. Nothing related to customer expectations has or will change. However, the way we go about making our customers happy has changed. That's where innovation and technology come into play.
Preferences for Customer Support Are Changing
While the outcome customers want is to be happy, just as innovation is changing, so are the customers' habits for connecting with a company. Our CX research finds that nearly seven out of 10 customers (68%) still prefer to use the phone as the first way to communicate with a company. However, six out of 10 customers (62%) expect AI technologies to become the primary mode of customer service in the future. But we can't forget, in the end, they still want to be happy.
The Right Technology
Many companies have older 'legacy' systems that have not been replaced. The investment in these systems was expensive. As newer technology becomes available at a fraction of the price, it's essential to consider replacing the old with the new. Go back and read the paragraph on 'Keeping Up,' which makes the point that you can't afford to lose ground to a competitor because you didn't keep up with the technology. As mentioned, the price for the right technology is lower than ever with greater capabilities. The right solution should be able to integrate with other software, creating a hub that doesn't require employees to switch from one program to another. In addition, a new solution that is cloud-based should be easy to upgrade. This is what new technology—the right technology—offers.
Big Changes Start at the Top
Even with the latest and greatest technology, if you really want to impact CX, it starts at the top with leadership. Customer service isn't a department, and customer experience isn't just a strategy. It's philosophical and cultural. A CX initiative must be part of the company's DNA. It needs to be part of everyone's job, from the CEO to the most recently hired.
Final Words
The exponential customer isn't just a buzzword. It's a new reality. My conversation with NiCE reinforced the idea that staying ahead in customer experience requires more than just tools. It takes vision, leadership and a commitment to constant improvement to meet and exceed customer expectations. Thanks again to NiCE for inviting me to share my thoughts and dig into what that really looks like.
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