Customers expect the same level of service, the same responses, and the same tone of voice whether they contact you in store, online or through social media. Consistent
experiences create trust in an organisation, with each interaction contributing to your overall user experience.

The majority of organisations find it incredibly hard to deliver on this expectation. The good news is that this represents an opportunity: exceptional and effortless customer experience will give you a competitive edge in today’s marketplace.

A journey between your channels needs to feel seamless. Customers don’t care that
your website only syncs every three hours with your complaints handling system – if
they follow up a web enquiry with a call, you need to have answers.

In the 2017 State of Global Customer Service Report by Microsoft:
• 66% of global respondents said they actively use 3 or more channels to contact businesses
• 72% of respondents expect agents to already know who they are, what they’ve
purchased, and have insight into their previous engagements
• 56% have stopped doing business with a brand due to poor customer service
experience

These are more than just statistics. There are real financial benefits here for those
organisations who get it right, with 86% of buyers happy to pay more for a better
customer experience.

Research by Medallia also shows the impact good customer experience has on
sales:

Customer experience drives sales.

In a transaction-based business, sales are driven by good customer experience.

There are multiple things to consider when closing the gap between your organisation’s channels and your customers, but we suggest you start with our five essential factors.