Humanising the customer experience
Every successful customer experience relies on real human connection. Whether they’re your customers or employees, they’re driven by uniquely human qualities – like emotion, self-awareness and empathy. And whether we like it or not, emotions play a powerful role in decision making, which means if you’re working with people, you’d do well to understand who they are and what they need.
WHAT YOU PUT IN, IS WHAT YOU GET OUT
While we may be living in an information age, on the cutting edge of technology, real customer experience management can’t be replaced by automatons. Rather, by humanising each connection on its multi-channel and multi-device journey, the result is a people-focused experience that fuels long term relationships and loyalty (while helping grow your NPS and long term customer and employee loyalty).
7 HUMAN QUALITIES/ BEING HUMAN/ THE BUSINESS OF BEING HUMAN
Powerful technology and efficient processes enable easy interactions, but it’s all too easy to lose sight of the humans we’re connecting with. By understanding the qualities that make us human, we’re better able to put our customers and employees front and centre.
Emotion – humans bring emotion into relationships, where positive feelings create positive memories.
Empathy – being able to empathise with the position of a customer helps you understand their needs.
Social – people want to connect with and relate to other people on a human level.
Sincerity – trust in any relationship depends on authenticity, transparency and honesty.
Passion – a real desire for success creates an energy and hope for a positive future.
Intuition – a more instinctual sense that’s relied on when quick decisions and actions are needed.
Self-awareness – the sense of self that informs individual character, views and motives.
HUMAN BE-ING – 3 TOP TIPS
Putting people first in everything you do sounds good on paper. But how do you show your human side in a customer experience?
- Encourage empathy: by being aware of your customers’ feelings, you’re better able to see things from their perspective. Take more time to listen and understand, then communicate well to foster long term relationships with your customers and employees.
- Build positive memories: emotions form the basis of our memories. Get rid of scripts, and focus on creating moments with customers through personalised service that strengthens trust.
- Act with integrity: loyalty is driven by trust, where customers want to know they’re not just another transaction. Align your goals with theirs, and encourage staff to come up with creative ideas that benefit customers.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
At the end of the day, our basic need for connection is what drives our human experience. Customer experiences are no different, and simple gestures go a long way to helping you achieve your sales and service goals. And the beauty of a simple, people-focused solution? A team that’s invested in your success, with customers who feel appreciated, tell their friends and come back again.