The modern consumer is not a trusting one. The flashy gimmicks of old retail are dated and have proven unsuccessful in contemporary consumer culture. Instead, today’s consumer responds much more to authenticity, innovation and personalization. How can companies combine each of these strategies into one unique solution that garners the trust and loyalty of their audience?
The answer: hyper-personalization.
Let’s explore the ins and outs of hyper-personalization, ways to integrate it throughout your CX strategy, and its benefits as a tactic.
What Is Hyper-Personalization?
Hyper-personalization is a tactic that combines the power of artificial intelligence (AI), real-time data, and the insights of your CRM to significantly improve the customer experience (CX).
Great customer support is the fast track to gaining customer loyalty. In a world so heavily reliant on digital technology, how do you make your customer experience stand out?
Studies show that modern customers are increasingly vocal about their unique needs and wants from the companies with which they engage. The desire for more authentic relationships and communication within their favorite companies is at the top of the list. In fact, 74% of customers have expressed dissatisfaction when agents use a script, and 85% have indicated appreciation for more conversational support.
Robotic, ingenuine customer support interactions can leave customers feeling like they are only valued for their wallets. A true CX strategy should ensure that every touchpoint with every customer should be rooted in empathy and respect. Both of these traits will go a long way with your customers.
Hyper-Personalization Customer Service Examples
Thanks to evolving technology, integrating hyper-personalization into your strategy is becoming more and more attainable. Personalization in customer service can take on many forms. Let’s take a look at our top five practices for getting started.
1. Intelligent Routing
Your call center hub can be the first line of defense when an existing or prospective customer reaches out to your company. Intelligent routing uses the power of AI to more accurately predict customer issues as they come in and route that issue to the appropriate agent or department. Not only does this form of hyper-personalization customer service kickoff the customer journey in a positive way, but it also improves first-call resolution, or the ability to resolve customer issues the first time they call. This is a critical piece in improving support.
2. Conversational Support
Ditching the script and keeping support conversational is a pivotal form of hyper-personalization. Modern consumers are looking for authentic connections with the brands. Simple practices like greeting your customers by name and asking about their day can make them feel valued and offer an opportunity for more genuine relationship building. Every customer is unique, so why shouldn’t every conversation be as well?
Build confidence in your agents by building conversational support into your training from day one. Empower them to have more human interactions by lifting the expectation that they must follow a detailed script. While a script can be helpful at times, your agents should be trained to know your company inside and out – if they don’t know the answer they should know exactly where to look to find it. Build up your agents’ confidence in their own work and empower them to extend that confidence into their interactions with customers.
3. Customer Preferences
Be mindful of customers’ communication preferences. Some might want to hash out any issues on the phone, others might exclusively communicate via email or text. Being proactive in your means of communication can greatly increase the chance of positive customer service experiences.
This is another component where your CRM can do the work for you: whether the customer self-identifies their communication preferences or your agent infers it, making notes within that customer file can make every future interaction all that much more impactful.
4. Same Customer, Same Agent
Following the rule of ‘same customer, same agent’ could be the difference between a one-time and a repeat customer. Interactions with agents are the most direct route to fostering long-term relationships. If customers have to re-explain issues to their agents, which nearly 50% of customers say they’ve had to do, they could get frustrated and leave for a competitor.
To avoid this, leverage the tools you have working for you. Set up your CRM to ensure every agent’s first name is customer-facing, connect each agent to specific customers, and utilize that connection to follow along with those unique customer journeys, personally engaging at every step.
5. Implement Customer Feedback
Gathering and implementing customer feedback is a mutually beneficial practice. A customer’s feedback is only as good as the company’s initiative to enact real change based on that information. That initiative starts with how a business views feedback; don’t think of it as a customer complaining, but rather, think of it as an opportunity to improve your customer experience to create more satisfied customers and greater conversion rates down the line.
More information means a greater ability to make productive changes. Customer needs and expectations are always changing, so it’s essential for businesses to stay on top of these changes and adjust their CX strategy accordingly. Making your customer feel like they had an impact on your business operations or strategy can keep them engaged and happy – increasing the impact of your relationship with them. Here are some ways you can show your customers they’re being heard:
- Discounts: Providing a percentage off the next purchase is a great way to show your customers their value, while also encouraging them to be repeat buyers.
- Loyalty Programs: Who doesn’t love watching their rewards points build? Customers know that those points mean money in their wallet, and companies know it means a loyal customer for life. Giving customers rewards for purchases and providing feedback is a great way to ensure engagement.
- Early Access: There’s a reason engaged customers are also often repeat customers. Show them you value their feedback by granting them early access to new features or products. Plus, you know that this group of customers will give you their honest opinions early on, information that could be beneficial to improving a new launch.
- Referral Coupons: A referral is just another form of customer feedback; your customer was so satisfied with their experience that they went out of their way to recommend your product or service to a friend. Don’t let this important action go uncelebrated, reward referrals with a discount coupon and keep the referrals flowing.
Once their feedback is implemented, it’s important to follow up with your customer. Studies show that 97% of consumers are more likely to be loyal to a company that implements their feedback. Re-engaging your customer in communication to show that their feedback was appreciated will have a direct impact on customer experience. Something as simple as a follow-up, letting customers know their thoughts will be shared with the appropriate department, can make all the difference.
Benefits of Implementing a Hyper-Personalization Customer Strategy
Hyper-personalization within your CX strategy isn’t just beneficial for your customer — it can also have major impacts on your bottom line. Here are a few ways in which hyper-personalization improves your business operations as a whole:
- Better retention: With personalization, you’re building better relationships. Every positive interaction with a customer fosters trust in your brand, and customers stick with brands that they trust.
- Increased sales: Personalized CX can lead to prospective customers investing in you, and existing customers to spend more with you.
- More conversions: No single customer journey looks the same. Engaging in a personal way can lead to purchases down the road, and grow both your customer base and your profits over time.
- Long-term loyalty: Increased conversion of prospects into customers is just the beginning. The real proof of success is turning those one-time customers into not only repeat customers, but loyal advocates of your brand whose word-of-mouth provides more successful advertising than ads ever will.
- In-depth data: Hyper-personalization demands a strategic use of data. While this can take some work upfront, the implementation of this personalization can lead to clear insights into your customer’s preferences and behaviors to be used in future communications and marketing.
Get Started With Hyper-Personalization Strategies
Hyper-personalization works. From training your agents to chatting with customers, adding these five tactics into your larger strategy will garner guaranteed results. Plus, with the evolving world of AI, there will always be new strategies to implement and more customers to gain. Interested in learning more about hyper-personalization strategies? Download Kustomer’s guide to Delivering Data-Driven Personalized Support at Scale.
