Q&
EDITOR’S
HOW CAN CHANNEL
COMPANIES ENSURE
THEY DELIVER THE
RIGHT CUSTOMER
EXPERIENCE?
G
artner reports that 89% of companies
in the overall economy say they
compete primarily on the basis of
the customer experience (CX) they deliver
and that CX is often the main reason clients
decide to stick with a brand.
This is mainly happening in the retail
space, but also across all industries. The
IT channel ecosystem is no different.
Technology practitioners selling products, IT
services, or consulting are all trying to find
ways to improve the experience they provide
from initial recruitment of a customer,
through the sales process, technical and
business support, and renewal. The report
takes the pulse of today’s CX efforts among
the tech channel.
KEY POINTS
Customer support is just one
element of a CX strategy
While customer service has historically been
the most notable piece of the CX puzzle, it is
not the entire pie. Every company engages
in a broad amalgam of customer-related
activities, from onboarding and training
to recruitment and renewal. Each step in
the customer engagement process factors
into their impression of the provider and
influences, ultimately, whether they decide
to stick with the brand, product or service.
Metrics matter
For modern-day CX assessment, there
are a wide variety of metrics vehicles that
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS
INTELLIGENT
TECH CHANNELS
Issue 27
channel firms are using. The age-tested
customer satisfaction survey still reigns
as the preferred feedback tool, with four
in 10 respondents saying they issue an
annual one.
But other measurement techniques are
in play. For example, 37% of respondents
are judging their CX performance based
on the level of engagement they have with
individual clients.
Others (35%) are paying attention to
what their customers are saying about them
online and to other consumers.
Omnichannel approach is where
channel is heading
Three in 10 respondents said they have
moved to an omnichannel approach for
interacting with customers in the last year.
These firms offer a variety of
engagement options ranging from an i
n-store experience to traditional
e-commerce to online customisation of
products or services.
They enable purchasing and support via
chat or video chat, email, social media and
other platforms.
Communications are transferrable across
multiple devices, including in the midst of a
transaction. Personalisation, fuelled by data
analytics, is also gaining a foothold.
A Genesys study found the top three
reasons to improve CX are to boost
customer retention, elevate customer
satisfaction and increase cross and up-
selling opportunities.
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