Data has become power, and using it effectively is one of the best ways for companies to elevate customer experience. But even in 2019, some enterprises are still not capitalizing on this key area of modern business that can provide such a competitive advantage.
Ultimately, what is more important than keeping customers happy? Yes, brand loyalty has always been important, but the stakes have only gone up in recent years now that all consumers have the entire world of commerce — quite literally — at their fingertips. The digital age of smartphones and social media mean that finding an alternate option takes all of 10 seconds.
This same reality, however, is what is empowering companies to collect and analyze the data that can uplift their business. This new age allows for a new level of intelligence and insight that was never before possible. This is particularly powerful when it comes to improving the omnichannel experience for customer support that enterprises can provide.
But, oddly enough, there can be a problem of too much data. Or, rather than purely “too much,” this can become an issue of “too broad.” If you try to actually use it all, you may just get lost in the noise. Instead, companies should try to figure out what is the most valuable data and use this to formulate a strategy.
So which data is the best data? There is no universal answer. It can vary significantly depending upon your sector, mission and product or services. But the following categories of customer data represent a great start for most companies that are looking to elevate the omnichannel experience.
1. Identity Data
The foundation of omnichannel is the ability to seamlessly serve any customer. This must apply no matter where they are or where the initial engagement comes from. To do this optimally, a company representative should be able to identify who they are immediately. Doing this requires companies to know their customer across all these channels, including social, phone, emails and any other source of contact. The more you know about your customer and can call up on command, the better.
2. Historical Data
After identification, the biggest key to omnichannel success is actually understanding the person you are serving. If someone with a credit card calls a financial services company, they will get frustrated if they have to sit through a big pitch intended for checking account holders. From a revenue-generating standpoint, it is just as important to know if a customer has bought the same product over and over and is therefore likely to be reaching out about that specific item. You need this history to appear in your representative’s dashboard through your call center software to provide easy access for instant insight. This way, they can provide laser-targeted customer service, promotions and offers.
3. Personality Data
Though some aligned with ID data, there is another type of information referred to as personality data or descriptive data. This goes beyond simply allowing you to know who they are and start to understand the customer on deeper level. This will include factors like their profession, homeownership status, university location and degree. You can also know if other members of their family are also customers in your database and what types of vacations they may take. While none of these factors tell you something definitive about them, it starts to paint a clearer picture that helps representatives relate to them more.
Unleashing the Power of Data
To provide a true, seamless omnichannel experience, you need to have good data. And unleashing these insights requires you to understand how to separate the wheat from the chaff.
While it can differ on the margins depending upon your specific business, there are a few types of customer data that can benefit any company. Make sure you have everything you need to identify your customer, understand your customer and personality data.
Remember that just having reams of data is not enough. You need to have to know which data is actually valuable and you must analyze it and arrange it properly so that it is actionable. Once you do recognize what can really help you and how to organize it all optimally, that is when you can really take the omnichannel experience to the next level.
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