Michael Podolsky, co-founder and CEO of PissedConsumer, has shared insights on the importance of customer experience (CX) and how it can be a valuable tool for businesses looking to gain an edge on their competition. He highlights the impact that positive customer service outcomes can have on a business’s reputation, with 89% of consumers citing negative customer experience as a determining factor in their purchasing decisions.
According to Podolsky, brands that invest in listening to, understanding, and engaging with their customers outperform those that neglect to prioritize CX. Successful customer experience requires meeting and exceeding customer expectations with every interaction, which demands a customer-focused company culture utilizing data and analytics.
To improve customer experience, brands must first understand their customers’ wants and needs by actively gathering qualitative and quantitative insights. This includes encouraging customers to share their experiences on online review platforms and soliciting all types of feedback, including less than stellar reviews. Learning from customer feedback can empower customer service staff to resolve issues efficiently and anticipate customer needs.
Seamless interaction across popular platforms, with consistent messaging, is essential for a customer-experience-savvy strategy, as consumers have become less patient and expect quick responses. Speedy resolutions, apologies, and follow-ups are key when mistakes occur, and AI and automation can help address simpler customer requests, allowing human agents to focus on more complex inquiries.
Businesses that invest in training their team to understand and anticipate consumer issues without fuss can significantly outperform their competitors. Brands that establish a customer-centric core value and view customers as collaborators in their progress are more likely to succeed in the long run. By listening carefully, addressing root causes of consumer issues, and strategizing around real customer insight, businesses can set themselves up for long-term resilience and growth.
