How do you make your business stand out against the competition? Think about it for a second, what makes you choose your favourite coffee shop, online shop or streaming service? Is it just because they have the best product or the lowest prices? Or is there something more to it?
We asked our CRM team the same question, and they all gave the same answer. It’s about how they make them feel. Netflix and YouTube are a hot topic as they both magically know what we will all enjoy next.
So what does this tell us? Well, it’s the power of great customer experience! And here is the exciting part… while your competitors can copy your products, or undercut you on your pricing, you should let them because what they can’t copy is your customer service, the experience and the unique relationship you build with each of your customers. Oh, and if you make CX a priority… You could have an 80% increase in revenue!
Customer Experience vs. Customer Service
Before diving into CX implementation strategies, it’s important to understand what we mean by customer experience and how it differs from customer service.
- Customer Experience (CX) is everything your customers go through when they interact with you and how they feel! From the first Google search, looking at your website, to how good your social media is.
- Customer Service is more specific. It’s the help and support you provide when customers reach out with questions, problems, or just need a hand with something.
Customer service is what happens when your customers need you, while customer experience is everything that happens from the moment they first hear about you until they’re telling their friends about how awesome you are (or, unfortunately, how much you disappointed them).
When it comes to customer service, it can make or break the overall customer experience. You could have the best website and amazing products, but if someone has a terrible experience, THAT will be what they remember most. So, where does CRM come in with this?
CRM becomes a strategic asset here; having it by your side, you can enhance both the overall customer experience and those critical service touchpoints. You will have all the information and automation you need to make every interaction count. Industry research shows that 73% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations, however, only 27% meet these expectations (Salesforce). A CRM system bridges that gap, and here’s how in five steps.
1. Create a Complete 360 Customer View
We like to call it the single source of truth, and for good reason. Modern CRM systems pull in data from all over: websites, social media, purchase history, support tickets, and even offline interactions. By bringing all that information together in one place, you get a complete, 360-degree view of each customer. That means your team can deliver more personalised, meaningful service every time they connect.
If you’re in the B2B space, this is especially important. You’re not just managing individual contacts, you’re building relationships with multiple stakeholders across each business. And the more data you’re working with, the more value a unified CRM can bring to your operations.
2. Deliver a Consistent Omnichannel Experience
So when you have your 360-degree view in place, next is the omnichannel experience. For example, if you worked in the hospitality or travel industry, your CRM system should connect to park visits, hotel stays, dining reservations and merchandise purchases. Whether your customers are interacting through the mobile app, website or in person, their preferences and plans are seamless across all touchpoints. Your CRM is the glue that holds these experiences together.
3. Don’t ignore Predictive Analytics
Advanced CRM platforms use machine learning algorithms to analyse customer behaviour patterns, predict future actions and can trigger automated responses that are personal and timed right! This is one of the reasons why we love AI, embrace it, and you can predict what your customers need before they even ask.
When the team brought up Netflix, we decided to look into this, and it turns out they were right! Netflix takes a close look at your viewing history, what you search for, and even how long you watch something. They go as far as tracking when you pause or rewatch content, all to better predict what you’ll want to see next. It’s clever and it clearly works! Their churn rate is among the lowest in streaming, and this is largely due to their personalisation and recommendation system. Fair play, Netflix, you’ve nailed it.
4. Identify and Resolve Potential Problems
CRM systems can flag potential issues, predict churn rates and trigger proactive interventions to prevent those negative experiences. We always recommend analysing patterns within your customer data. Remember, Data is king, and if you can identify and resolve those potential issues before they impact the customer experience and customer service, you will guarantee to keep them loyal.
American Express uses predictive analytics within its CRM system to identify fraud or unusual spending patterns. These triggers automatically contact their customers about suspicious activity before they even notice the issues themselves. It’s so proactive and has made their customer satisfaction go sky high in the financial services industry. With the amount of scammers there are out there now, it is so important to have things like this in place.
5. Turn Feedback into Continuous Improvement
If you are getting bad feedback, then it is time for you to identify what is the cause and resolve it. Time to put it to action! You can use your CRM system to trigger satisfaction surveys and track support issues. Most importantly, establish a process for acting on this so that you can make a culture of constant improvement.
What’s next for CX? What’s Trending?
Here are five key trends that we are noticing and that are reshaping how businesses connect with their customers.
Voice AI & Conversational CRM: Voice is becoming the main way customers interact with businesses. CRM systems now record and analyse conversations to understand what customers mean and how they feel.
Emotion Analytics: AI Can Read Emotions: AI can now detect when customers are frustrated, happy, or confused in real-time. This helps customer service teams respond better and get coaching tips during conversations.
Hyper-Personalisation: Customers expect recommendations that fit them perfectly, right now. CRM systems are moving from basic customer groups to smart, real-time personalisation for each individual.
Smart Bots Handling Complex Problems: AI-powered bots can now solve complicated customer issues, not just answer simple questions. The future combines bots and humans working together seamlessly.
Data Privacy & Ethical CX: With great personalisation comes great responsibility. (Spiderman comes to mind) But no, CRM strategy must now include transparent data handling, consent management, and ethical AI use.
Frequently Asked Questions: CX and CRM
Do I really need a CRM system to improve customer experience?
While you can improve some aspects of CX without a CRM, it’s like trying to remember every conversation you’ve had with hundreds of people. A CRM gives you the complete picture of each customer, tracks their preferences, and helps your entire team deliver consistent, personalised experiences. It is worth it, trust us.
Do I need AI and automation in my CRM for good CX?
We love AI and automation, and they definitely can enhance CX, but they’re not essential to start. Focus on getting clean, organised customer data and consistent processes first. Advanced features work best when you have solid CRM foundations in place.
How do I measure if my CRM is improving customer experience?
Track metrics like customer satisfaction scores, response times, resolution rates, customer lifetime value, and retention rates. Also monitor CRM-specific metrics like data completeness, user adoption, and process efficiency.
Do You Want to Grow Revenue by 80%?
It starts with better customer relationships. Let us show you how CRM makes it happen. WeDoCRM is your dedicated CRM agency partner, here to help you win more business and deliver standout customer experiences.
We specialise in helping brands unlock the full potential of their CRM systems because we know that a great customer experience doesn’t just happen. It’s built strategically and intentionally.
That’s why we focus on putting customer experience at the heart of everything we do. With WeDoCRM, we can support with:
- End-to-end personalised journeys
- Smart data integration
- Built-in automation and AI
- Custom forms and workflows
Book a call with us and let’s talk about how you can use your CRM to improve the customer experience! In just 30 minutes, you could discover exactly how your customer relationships could transform. No sales pitch here, just insights and advice from our team.
Get in touch! We look forward to hearing from you.
