customer satisfaction

The Power of Real-Time Feedback in the Digital Age

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Real-time feedback

In the fast-paced digital age, customers expect businesses to listen, respond, and adapt instantly. Real-time Feedback has shifted from a nice-to-have to a critical component of any successful customer experience (CX) strategy. It’s no longer enough to wait for annual surveys or occasional feedback forms—businesses must be in tune with their customers at every moment.

Join us as we explore why real-time feedback is essential and how it can transform your business into a responsive, customer-focused powerhouse.

Table of Contents

  1. Why Is Real-Time Feedback Essential in the Digital Age?
  2. How Can Businesses Capture Real-Time Feedback?
  3. What Are the Challenges in Promptly Responding to Feedback?
  4. Why Should Businesses Invest in Feedback Solutions?
  5. How Can Businesses Measure the ROI of Feedback?
  6. How Does insight6 Help Companies Leverage Feedback?

Why Is Real-Time Feedback Essential in the Digital Age?

In today’s digital landscape, the speed at which information travels has transformed customer expectations. Customers are no longer content to wait days or weeks for a response—they want their voices heard and addressed immediately. Real-time Feedback allows businesses to capture the pulse of customer sentiment, providing the agility to make swift adjustments and improve the customer experience and service.

Moreover, with social media and online reviews, one negative experience can quickly become public, potentially damaging a brand’s reputation. Real-time Feedback helps brands proactively manage customer relationships, turning potential issues into opportunities for improvement before they escalate.

How Can Businesses Capture Real-Time Feedback?

Capturing real-time feedback and meaningful insights begins with understanding the entire customer journey. By mapping out touchpoints, businesses can identify the moments that truly shape the customer experience. It’s not just about surface-level questions—it’s about diving deep into the journey’s key aspects that drive satisfaction and loyalty.

Tools like insight6’s instant insight platform can analyse feedback from your customers and team in real-time. Viewing your operations through your customers’ eyes improves satisfaction and loyalty. Gathering critical input in this way can help your business remain agile, identifying opportunities for improvement before issues arise.  

It’s also essential to make the feedback process easy and accessible. By offering multiple channels—through apps, websites, or in-store kiosks—you can capture the complete picture of the customer experience. Collecting feedback throughout will help you address gaps, enhance the overall journey, and boost profitability.

What Are the Challenges in Promptly Responding to Feedback?

Responding to real-time feedback can be challenging, especially for businesses with large customer bases or multiple locations. One of the biggest obstacles is ensuring that the right people have access to the feedback as it comes in, allowing for quick decision-making and action.

Another challenge is maintaining consistency in responses. Clear guidelines and team training are essential to ensure that feedback is handled professionally and efficiently, regardless of the situation. Using a platform like insight6’s instant insight can help centralise input, making it easier for teams to respond promptly and consistently.

Why Should Businesses Invest in Feedback Solutions?

Investing in real-time feedback solutions is no longer optional—it’s essential for staying competitive. By implementing these solutions, businesses can:

  • Enhance Customer Satisfaction: Address issues before they escalate, leading to happier customers and better reviews.
  • Improve Operational Efficiency: Identify and resolve operational bottlenecks in real-time.
  • Boost Customer Loyalty: Show customers their opinions matter, fostering long-term loyalty and trust.

With consumer expectations higher than ever, real-time feedback can be the difference between a loyal customer and a lost one.

How Can Businesses Measure the ROI of Feedback?

Measuring the ROI of real-time feedback involves looking beyond immediate metrics and understanding the broader impact on your business. One of the most critical strategies for increasing ROI in today’s competitive market is making your customers happy.

When customers are happy, they are more likely to return, refer others, and become loyal advocates for your brand, driving sales and boosting ROI. Businesses that deliver exceptional customer experiences create a foundation for long-term success.

Potential customers often measure your service quality against top-rated organisations like Timpson (86.0), Nationwide (85.2), and John Lewis (85.0), which lead the UKCSI—The state of customer satisfaction in the UK—July 2024. These companies’ high standards set a challenging benchmark for delivering an exceptional customer experience.

Businesses can also leverage real-time feedback to create social proof—an invaluable tool. By capturing positive customer experiences as they happen and using them strategically in marketing, you can influence potential customers and reinforce trust. Social proof converts customer satisfaction into a tangible business asset.

Customer feedback tip sheet from insight6

For more insights on increasing ROI through exceptional customer experience, please read our detailed blog on the critical role of CX. If you want to boost sales using social proof, explore our blog leveraging customer feedback.

How Does insight6 Help Companies Leverage Feedback?

At insight6, we offer more than just feedback tools—we deliver an end-to-end customer experience solution designed to transform your business from the inside out. We support businesses nationwide through our network of local CX specialists, each bringing a wealth of experience and deep knowledge of customer experience strategies.

What Sets insight6 Apart?

End-to-End Solutions: From gathering feedback to implementing actionable insights, we cover every aspect of the customer experience journey, helping you build strong, loyal customer relationships.

Local Expertise: With a dedicated CX specialist in your region, you receive hands-on support tailored to your business needs. Our specialists bring an invaluable mix of business acumen and CX expertise, equipping your team to make impactful changes.

Real-Time Feedback: Our instant insight platform provides immediate access to customer feedback, enabling your business to respond quickly and effectively. This agility boosts customer satisfaction and positions your brand as a leader in customer experience.

Comprehensive Support: Whether you want to enhance your online reputation, improve your products and services, or benchmark against competitors, our solutions will deliver measurable results.

At insight6, we don’t just help you gather feedback—we help you transform it into a powerful tool for growth and customer satisfaction. Our combination of advanced technology, local expertise, and tailored solutions makes us the ideal partner for businesses looking to elevate their customer experience.

Real-Time Feedback: Conclusion

In the digital age, real-time feedback is more than just a tool—it’s a strategic necessity. Businesses that effectively harness the power of immediate customer insights can respond to issues as they arise and proactively shape their customer journeys for sustained satisfaction and loyalty.

By leveraging real-time insights, companies can turn feedback into a competitive advantage, fostering deeper customer connections and driving long-term success. Are you ready to transform your business? Connect with your local insight6 specialist today and take the first step toward a customer experience like no other. To find your local CX Specialist, call +44 (0) 800 970 8987 or visit www.insight6.com.

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Customer Reviews: Learning from Tourism and Hospitality

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Customer reviews are a powerful tool for any business. As the summer holidays approach, the tourism, leisure, and hospitality sectors offer invaluable lessons on harnessing customer feedback. Here, we share six lessons on how these industries excel at gathering and using reviews to enhance their services and boost customer satisfaction.

Table of Contents

  1. Understand the Importance of Customer Reviews
  2. Create a Memorable Customer Experience
  3. Elevate Customer and Employee Experiences
  4. Encourage Guests to Leave Customer Reviews
  5. Leverage Reviews for Marketing
  6. Use Feedback to Improve Services

6 Lessons from the Tourism and Hospitality Sectors

These sectors excel at gathering customer feedback because they focus intensely on their guests. They constantly interact with guests, aiming to provide exceptional experiences. Importantly, they recognise the critical role of their staff in delivering these experiences. By prioritising feedback, they continually improve and adapt to changing needs.

Let’s look at six key lessons from the tourism, leisure, and hospitality sectors on customer reviews to enhance service and satisfaction:

1. Understand the Importance of Customer Reviews

Positive reviews shape a business’s reputation and success. Reviews can make or break a destination’s appeal in tourism, leisure, and hospitality. Prioritise customer feedback to gain insights and make informed decisions.

2. Create Memorable Customer Experiences

To receive positive reviews, focus on creating wow moments. Personalised services, attention to detail, and exceeding expectations are key. The hospitality industry often excels in offering unique experiences that leave a lasting impression on guests.

3. Elevate Customer and Employee Experiences

To truly excel in customer satisfaction, focus equally on employee engagement. Happy, engaged employees are more likely to deliver exceptional service. Invest in regular training, recognise and reward outstanding performance, and create a positive work environment. Read below to learn how we work with Bluestone National Park on its employee survey.

⭐ Read our client success story: Bluestone: Elevating Guest and Employee Experiences.

4. Encourage Guests to Leave Customer Reviews

Actively encourage guests to leave reviews. The tourism and hospitality sectors use incentives like discounts or small gifts to motivate customers to generate more positive reviews. Simple reminders during checkout or follow-up emails also work well.

5. Leverage Reviews for Marketing

Use positive reviews as social proof in your marketing. Highlight testimonials on your website, social media, and promotional materials. Sharing reviews builds credibility and attracts new customers. Publish reviews and responses openly to demonstrate transparency.

Customer reviews feedback tip sheet from insight6

6. Use Feedback to Improve Services

Continuous improvement is crucial. Actively seek feedback through customer reviews and mystery shopping to identify areas for improvement. The hospitality industry frequently updates services based on this feedback, ensuring high satisfaction. Implement changes based on the insights gathered to enhance the customer experience consistently.

Conclusion: Customer Reviews

Customer reviews offer a wealth of knowledge that can help businesses enhance their services and customer satisfaction. By learning from the tourism, leisure, and hospitality sectors, you can effectively harness the power of customer feedback. Remember, happy customers lead to positive reviews, which drive business success.

Ready to improve your customer reviews? Contact us today to learn how we can help you gather and leverage feedback to boost your business.

Like what you’ve read? Sign up for the insight6 newsletter to stay ahead of the competition and receive the latest insights and strategies to enhance your customer experience.

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Customer Feedback: Boosting Sales with Social Proof Strategies

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Customer Feedback Social Proof

It takes work to stand out, but customer feedback can help. With abundant options available, customers often turn to the experiences of others to guide their decisions. Social proof is a powerful tool that can sway consumer behaviour in your favour.

In this post, we’ll explore social proof, how to get it, and how to use it to win more business. By leveraging customer feedback effectively, you can boost sales and build trust with your audience. Let’s start and discover strategies for harnessing the power of social proof.

Table of contents:

What is social proof, and how can it be obtained?

Social proof is the idea of copying others’ actions to make decisions. Robert Cialdini first coined the term in his 1984 book Influence.

Essentially, social proof is customer feedback shared publicly. In marketing, social proof includes customer reviews, recommendations, and media coverage, which influence purchasing behaviours.

Do you know what people are saying about your business? Fear of negative reviews can hold you back. At insight6, we see feedback as valuable data, not judgment. We’re here to guide you.

Understanding customer feedback is crucial. It’s not just about collecting reviews but using them to improve and grow your business. Let’s explore why customer feedback is so important.

Why is customer feedback important?

Customer feedback is essential for making informed decisions and improving your business. It helps you understand what works, what doesn’t, and where to focus your efforts for maximum impact.

Six reasons why customer feedback is crucial:

  1. Improves products and services: Feedback highlights areas for enhancement.
  2. Measures customer satisfaction: Understand how happy your customers are.
  3. Empowers business decisions: Data-driven insights lead to better strategies.
  4. Builds loyalty: Shows customers you listen and care.
  5. Creates better experiences: Use feedback to tailor interactions.
  6. Increases staff satisfaction: Recognise and reward good behaviour.

The statistics speak for themselves:

  • 83% of consumers recommend a brand they follow on social media to friends and family.
  • 72% of customers use Google reviews to find businesses.
  • Star rating matters more to shoppers than the number of reviews.
  • 34% of shoppers say they always read online reviews
  • Businesses with 200+ reviews generate twice as much revenue.

Proactively seeking feedback is crucial in developing organic, cheerful customer reviews online. Continuous feedback lets you monitor your business performance and understand real-time customer sentiments. Tools like our instant insight feedback solution offer the quickest and most efficient way to spot any blips in your customer experience.

Customer feedback and satisfaction

Customer satisfaction measures how well an organisation meets or exceeds customer expectations. It’s the outcome of either a good or bad experience.

Studies show that 81% of consumers repeat purchases after a positive experience. However, 61% of customers would switch to a new brand after just one bad experience.

Customer feedback and retention statistics

Positive feedback can affirm what you’re doing right, while negative feedback highlights areas for improvement. Listening to and acting on this feedback is crucial for maintaining high satisfaction levels and continuously enhancing the customer experience.

Creating ‘WOW’ moments will take your customer experience (CX) to the next level. Check out our Blog on creating ‘WOW’ moments to learn how to elevate your customer interactions to leave a lasting impact.

Companies focusing on solid customer experiences report a 75% higher retention rate. Additionally, loyal customers recommend brands to friends and family, with 66% writing positive reviews after a good experience.

Generating positive reviews should be a crucial part of your marketing strategy. Let’s explore how to use social proof in marketing next.

How to use social proof in marketing

Incorporating social proof into your marketing strategy can significantly boost your business. Here are some effective methods:

  • Testimonials and Reviews: Display positive customer feedback on your website and social media.
  • Customer and Client Case Studies: Highlight success stories that showcase your impact.
  • Showcasing Logos of Existing Clients: Display logos from well-known clients or customers to build credibility.
  • Awards and Accolades: Promote any industry awards or recognitions you’ve received.
  • User-Generated Content (UGC): Encourage customers to share their experiences with your products or services.
  • Expert and Influencer Endorsements: Leverage these figures’ trust and authority to influence potential client and customer decisions.

Where to collect customer feedback

Gathering customer feedback is crucial for enhancing your business. Here are some key points in the customer journey and effective methods to collect feedback:

Why They Came to You: Ask customers what drew them to your business. This insight helps you understand your strengths and what attracts customers.

Check-In After Key Moments: Collect feedback after critical customer journey stages like sign-up, onboarding, purchases, and departures. This timing ensures you capture relevant experiences.

Ask for Reviews: Encourage customers to leave reviews online. Positive reviews boost your reputation, while negative ones offer insights for improvement.

Request Case Studies: Contact satisfied customers for detailed case studies. These stories showcase your success and build credibility.

Surveys and Questionnaires: Use these tools regularly to gather broad insights, tailoring them to specific touchpoints in the customer journey.

Follow-Up Calls or Emails: Personal follow-ups show you value their opinion and can provide deeper insights than automated surveys.

Focus Groups: Organise focus groups to gather detailed feedback on specific topics. This method provides in-depth insights and allows for interactive discussions.

These strategies can help you gather comprehensive feedback to drive improvements and enhance customer satisfaction. At insight6, our tailored solutions ensure you get timely feedback to boost your business.

Want more customer reviews? Tips to get going!

As CX specialists, we believe the customer experience is everything. Moreover, positive reviews are essential for boosting loyalty and profits. To start, read our essential guide on  ‘How to Generate Positive Customer Reviews Online’.

At insight6, we have a cutting-edge feedback system supported by local experts. We ensure you get the right survey to the right customer base the first time, every time, with exceptional reply rates. No more seeking answers online—get instant local support over the phone.

Using instant insight will:

  • Gather and analyse feedback.
  • Gain real-time insights.
  • Increase positive online reviews.
  • Publish to public review sites
  • Improve your products and services.
  • Benchmark against competitors.

WATCH: See how instant insight will help you to generate more positive customer reviews.

Conclusion: Harness the Power of Customer Feedback

Customer feedback is more than just reviews—it’s a powerful tool for improving customer experiences and boosting business success. Integrating social proof into your marketing strategy can enhance trust, drive sales, and build lasting customer relationships.

Partnering with insight6 gives you access to cutting-edge feedback systems and local expertise, ensuring you gather the right insights at the right time. Ready to transform your customer experience? Contact insight6 to boost your reviews, increase satisfaction, and drive growth. Request your free instant insight demo or CX consultation today!

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The Christmas Experience: Tips For CX-Mas Delight

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Christmas experience.

‘Tis the season to go beyond transactions and craft an unforgettable Christmas experience. During the bustling holiday rush, expectations soar, and your approach to managing them is vital. Beyond retail, every sector plays a role in shaping memorable festive moments. Our six tips are your guide to creating a positive impression by exceeding expectations that resonate long after the tinsel is packed away!

Christmas Experience: Declining Satisfaction

No matter the season, delivering ‘WOW’ moments in customer experiences is key to business success. Yet, The UK Customer Satisfaction Index notes a dip, hitting the lowest since 2015, across all sectors. With 60% of employees in customer-facing roles and 80% of GDP from services, outstanding customer service is vital for our collective well-being.

Christmas Experience: Squeezed incomes

Amidst a cost of living crisis, pressure on incomes intensifies, casting a shadow over homes and businesses. The impact of a subpar customer experience is felt more keenly, with customers enduring longer wait times and heightened frustrations. For those with low financial well-being, empathy and exceptional service are crucial.

Recognising and responding to unique situations isn’t just good practice; it’s essential. How you make people feel is this season’s smartest strategy to deliver an exceptional Christmas experience to win and keep customers. At insight6, we partner with hundreds of happy clients to transform the customer experience. As we dive into the holiday spirit, our six tips are your trusted guide, adding a sprinkle of magic to make this season a CX-Mas delight.

Six Tips To Enhance The Christmas Experience

CX-Mas Tip 1 – Dive into the Data

Begin your journey by mining gold from past seasons. Scrutinise enquiries, sales, returns, and reviews to spot trends. Quantitative data, like demand metrics, offers strategic foresight but doesn’t neglect the qualitative side. Do you know how your customers feel about your products and services? Asking for and acting on regular customer feedback is critical to business success. 

Implement online feedback or mystery shopping to see through your customer’s eyes, and regularly seek feedback to uncover areas for improvement. Remember, data is powerful only when put into action. Learn how to turn customer feedback into actionable insights.

CX-Mas Tip 2 – Ignite Your Team’s Passion

Fuel the holiday spirit within your team by articulating a shared vision for the season. Communicate the organisation’s goals and emphasise the desired customer experience. As the busy season approaches, ensure your team understands the collective mission: to make it easier and more joyful for customers. Employee engagement is the linchpin of business success, and training them on the customer experience process is pivotal. Instil in them the ability to see through the customer’s eyes.

However, tread carefully— an ill-conceived customer experience strategy can be more detrimental than having none. Managing and implementing feedback is integral, making the choice of a reliable customer experience partner crucial. At insight6, we recognise that feedback is data, not judgment. We harness this data, coupled with the expertise of our local customer experience specialists, to conduct workshops that inspire and motivate teams. Discover how our workshops can empower your team and enhance the customer experience.

CX-Mas Tip 3 – Navigate Complaints with Empathy

Prevention is the best strategy—anticipate and address issues before they escalate. When things do go awry, resist defensiveness. Acknowledge the problem, listen attentively, and express genuine empathy. Your customers want to be heard. Emphasise your commitment to making things right, and ask them directly how you can restore their experience. In handling complaints with empathy, you turn challenges into opportunities for connection and resolution. Talk to us to explore our approach to empathetic complaint resolution.

CX-Mas Tip 4 – Forge Emotional Bonds for Lasting Impact

Emotional connections are not just sentimental—they’re powerful drivers for customer loyalty and business success. Studies show that emotionally connected customers are more likely to spend more time and money with a brand and become vocal advocates, influencing others. Ensure your teams understand the impact of emotional connections on purchase decisions.

The key is in the details—encourage your teams to serve with a genuine smile, whether in person or over the phone. A positive emotional connection during customer interactions leaves a lasting impression, fostering loyalty and encouraging positive word-of-mouth. Learn how mapping your Customer Journey and understanding touchpoints can shape remarkable experiences.

CX-Mas Tip 5 – Build Trust Through Openness and Authenticity

Trust is the currency of customer relationships. Deliver on promises, whether it’s meeting delivery times or keeping customers informed. In an era marked by concerns over greenwashing and ethical practices, transparency is non-negotiable. Showcase your commitment to authenticity and ethical conduct.

A simple rule applies—be nice. Treat your customers the way you’d want to be treated. The authenticity of your interactions leaves a lasting impression, fostering a sense of trust and loyalty. When customers feel they’re getting the best from you, they become your strongest advocates. Discover how customer satisfaction and a strong CX strategy can help your business succeed.

CX-Mas Tip 6 – Craft Unforgettable ‘WOW’ Moments

Elevate your customer experience by weaving in ‘WOW’ moments that transcend the ordinary. In today’s dynamic business landscape, exceptional customer experiences aren’t just a luxury—they’re essential. A ‘WOW’ moment is that extraordinary interaction that makes customers pause, smile, and remember. It occurs when your service or product goes above and beyond, creating a positive, memorable experience.

Creating ‘WOW’ moments demands a proactive stance. Begin by mapping your customer journey and delving into feedback from your clients. Identify touchpoints and pain points to uncover opportunities for ‘WOW’ moments. Additionally, engaging and empowering your employees is essential to consistently delivering exceptional service.

As we wrap up this festive journey, armed with six invaluable tips to enhance your customer experiences, let the spirit of the season guide your interactions. At insight6, we’re dedicated to helping businesses like yours elevate customer interactions and create lasting impressions.

Ready to embark on a journey of customer experience transformation? Get in touch for a no-obligation chat or request a demo of our online feedback tool, ‘instant insight.’ Let’s make this season one to remember for you and your customers!

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Customer Loyalty vs. Satisfaction: What’s the Difference?

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Customer loyalty - a customer giving feedback.

Welcome to the world of relationships, where two key players take the stage: loyalty and satisfaction. Often used interchangeably, these terms pack distinct punches. Think of loyalty as the rock-solid bond you build and satisfaction as the smile you put on your customers’ faces. Building customer loyalty is critical to business success. Why? So you can drive revenue, cost efficiencies, brand advocacy, and long-term growth. Here, we uncover the differences between the two, enabling you to make the most of their impact on your business. 

What is the difference between loyalty and satisfaction? 

Customer loyalty and satisfaction are crucial for businesses to do well. They contribute to the customer experience, adding different things to how customers feel. Satisfaction is about making customers happy with every interaction. Loyalty is more profound – it’s about the strong connection between customers and a brand. Customers stick with one brand because they trust and like how they feel about it: positive experiences, trust, and emotional engagement fuel loyalty. Satisfaction is more about feeling good right after an interaction.  

While a satisfied customer may be content in the moment, a loyal customer becomes a brand ambassador, repeatedly recommending and returning to the company. Therefore, understanding and enhancing loyalty and satisfaction are essential for businesses to forge strong relationships, drive revenue, and ensure sustained growth. 

Why is customer loyalty important for business success? 

Customer loyalty lies at the core of business success but is often overshadowed by the lure of gaining new customers. Yet, embracing customer retention is pivotal for growth, with statistics indicating that acquiring new customers can cost as much as five times more than satisfying and retaining current ones. 

Retention is the art of nurturing meaningful connections with existing clients that repeatedly keep them engaged – and loyal. More than an accessory, it’s a pivotal driver of business success. By nurturing loyal customers or clients, you solidify your bottom line and unleash many positive outcomes, from word-of-mouth advocacy to candid feedback that can be turned into actionable insights. 

How do you measure customer loyalty?

In pursuing business success, understanding and measuring loyalty is paramount. Customer feedback is a vital source of insights into these experiences, expectations, and pain points. Research shows that a staggering 84% of customer’s expectations are unmet, and 6% say they would cease doing business after just one bad experience. By actively addressing feedback, companies can establish trust and strengthen relationships, increasing loyalty, revenue, and differentiation from competitors.  

Businesses should leverage various touchpoints along the customer journey to effectively measure customer loyalty, employing tools like surveys, feedback forms, and experience reviews (Mystery Shopping). The insights gathered improve products and services and position businesses to stand out, ensuring long-term growth and success.  

When should I survey or gather feedback to measure customer loyalty?

To build customer loyalty, the timing of gathering feedback is critical. The ideal times to get essential insights are at key customer touchpoints. After buying something, getting support, or finishing a service, these moments give a chance to understand how customers feel. By smoothly asking for feedback during these times, businesses show they care about understanding and enhancing customer experiences immediately. 

Where can I get insights to measure and improve customer loyalty?

You can gather insights to measure and improve customer loyalty by focusing on critical touchpoints throughout their interactions with your business.  

At insight6, we partner with our clients to create and deliver customer experience (CX) strategies tailored to their needs. Whether it’s understanding your customer’s journey to improve the experience and operational efficiencies or training, mentoring and coaching teams to implement change and skill development, we can help you. We are one of the UK’s leading customer experience specialists and the only one to offer end-to-end solutions backed up by a team of local experts. 

Using our total feedback solution instant insight, you can seamlessly gain actionable insights from customers and employees. Our bespoke tool is cost-effective and quick to implement, allowing you to analyse real-time feedback, benchmark against competitors, and improve your offerings. You can drive continuous improvement and achieve business growth by consistently measuring customer satisfaction and loyalty. 

Using instant insight will:  

  • Help you gain customer feedback.  
  • Allow you to acquire employee feedback.  
  • Analyse/report on real-time feedback.  
  • Obtain actionable comments.  
  • Improve your products and services. 
  • Benchmark against your competitors.  
  • Increase positive online reviews. 

 

instant insight is your total feedback solution – book your demo today!

At insight6, we’re all about helping businesses build strong customer loyalty for real and lasting growth. Partner with us to understand and boost your customer experience (CX) – a game-changer for your business success. Don’t ignore unhappy customers’ impact on your profits! Let’s chat or book a demo of instant insight to see how quick insights can transform your business! 

Customer Journey: Understanding Touchpoints 

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Customer journey mapping - Customers viewing a business on a mobile device.

Mapping the customer journey gives valuable insights into touchpoints and interactions that shape the overall experience. Many businesses believe they offer a good customer experience, but research shows that only a small percentage of these customers feel the same way. Seeing your business through the customers’ eyes is essential. Why? So, you can improve satisfaction, build loyalty, and boost profitability. Here, we explore the benefits of the mapping process in shaping remarkable experiences.

What is customer journey mapping, and why is it important? 

It is a powerful tool to learn the hidden gems of customer interactions with your business. Tracing the customer’s steps and illustrating their journey gives you invaluable insights into their trials, delights, and frustrations. Armed with this knowledge, you can proactively find areas where they may stumble and take decisive action to improve their experience. 

Personalised customer journey maps allow you to laser-focus your efforts, addressing pain points and implementing strategies to deliver a seamless experience. The result? Enhanced customer satisfaction, reduced churn, and exponential business growth. You can unlock remarkable experiences and forge lasting customer connections with customer journey mapping.

How can the mapping process benefit businesses? 

The customer experience is everything. Mapping the journey will give you insights to transform your businesses. Effective implementation based on real insight will improve the overall experience, enabling you to win new business, increase satisfaction, foster loyalty, and drive profitability. A well-crafted map should reflect the customer’s reality.

In contrast, meaningless maps hinder progress. Despite billions spent on customer experience technologies, customer satisfaction is declining, according to the latest ICS UK Customer Satisfaction Index. Getting an independent third-party review is important to avoid bias and to protect your investment.

What is involved in creating a customer journey map? 

Creating a journey map involves turning customer feedback into actionable insights. You can overcome common pitfalls and identify improvements with mapping workshops. A customer experience solution like this will enable you to visualise scenarios based on customer interactions with your business.

Customer journey mapping – a step-by-step approach:  

  • Conduct thorough research: Gather data to gain profound insights into customers’ experiences.
  • Develop detailed personas: Capture the goals, needs, pain points, and behaviours of your target audience.
  • Detail touchpoints: Find where customers interact with your business online and offline.
  • Break it down: The customer journey into stages, outlining key actions, emotions, and expectations at each step.
  • Visualise the journey: Use diagrams or infographics, aiding effective communication and understanding.
  • Analyse the map: Find pain points and areas for improvement.
  • Prioritise improvements: Base these on impact and feasibility, focusing on areas that influence the overall experience.
  • Implement targeted changes: Monitor and measure their impact and refine the map accordingly. 

Following these steps, businesses can create comprehensive and actionable customer journey maps, resulting in remarkable experiences and heightened customer satisfaction. 

How can mapping improve the overall experience? 

With a holistic view of the customer experience, companies can explore pain points and identify ways to improve the customer experience. These insights enable businesses to make informed decisions, helping them to increase efficiencies and deliver seamless interactions. Customer journey mapping is pivotal in creating remarkable experiences that exceed expectations by addressing common pain points and ensuring consistency across touchpoints. Ultimately, this leads to increased customer satisfaction, improved loyalty, and a competitive edge in the market. 

How do touchpoints affect the customer journey? 

Touchpoints play a crucial role. These interaction points, whether digital or physical, directly affect the customer’s experience and perception of a company. Positive touchpoints can create moments of delight, build trust, and strengthen the overall journey. On the other hand, negative touchpoints can lead to frustration, dissatisfaction, and even customer churn. By effectively managing touchpoints, businesses can create a positive and cohesive journey that leaves an impression on customers. 

What are some common customer touchpoints? 

There are several common touchpoints appear across various customer journeys. These touchpoints can occur at various stages and through various channels. Here are some examples:

  • Website: Customers visit to gather info, explore, buy, or seek support.
  • Social Media: Engage for communication, feedback, and updates.
  • Physical Stores: Browse, get help, and buy in-store.
  • Customer Service: Address enquiries and resolve via phone, email, and chat.
  • Mobile Apps: Access services, track orders, and engage loyalty via apps.
  • Email Communication: Newsletters, promos, updates, offers.
  • Online Reviews: Influence others via platform or site reviews.
  • Post-purchase Follow-up: Feedback, cross-selling, and support after purchase.

By recognising these common touchpoints, businesses can focus on optimising each interaction to give a seamless and consistent experience across various customer journeys. 

Mapping is a powerful tool that empowers businesses to see through the eyes of their customers. By gaining valuable insights into the genuine customer experience, companies can bridge the gap between their perception and reality.

At insight6, we partner with thousands of companies to transform their businesses by delivering a world-class customer experience. We bring teams together through the journey mapping process to understand what happens for your customers. Enhancing how your customers see and interact with your business will improve satisfaction, encouraging advocacy and repeat business. You work hard and spend money to find and attract new customers. Do not let the cost of unsatisfied customers affect your reputation and bottom line. Get in touch today for a no-obligation chat to see how we can transform your business. 

Sign up for the insight6 newsletter to keep updated with everything you need to know to improve the customer experience.

Read more: Customer Journey: Understanding Touchpoints 

Christmas CX: six ways to shine

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Christmas CX

The holiday season is a time for connection, celebration, and creating memorable moments. It's also a golden opportunity for companies and brands to strengthen customer relationships by delivering exceptional customer experiences (CX). How you make customers feel can set you apart and create loyalty beyond the festive season.

Customer experience is now a leading factor in why people choose to buy from a business. It’s often more important than price or product quality. Yet, many businesses overestimate how well they’re doing—while 80% of companies believe they offer superior service, only 8% of customers agree. That’s a big gap, but it’s also a huge opportunity.

Want to make your customer experience sparkle this holiday season? It’s not just about delivering great service; it’s about creating moments that make customers feel valued and remembered. After all, Christmas isn’t just a season—it’s a feeling. Let’s make sure your business delivers it. 

Christmas CX: Six ways to sprinkle some magic

1. Engage and empower your team 

Your employees play a pivotal role in service delivery. Have a clear service plan and communicate it regularly to your team. 

The festive period can be a stressful and busy time. Understand the work pressure that squeezed deadlines, increased footfall and sales can bring on service delivery. Regularly check in on staff well-being.

80% of the UK's workforce work in customer-facing roles. Sadly, research shows that more than half of customer-facing staff have faced abuse from customers since the start of the pandemic. 

Consider what to do when things go wrong. Empower your staff to act, fix problems and handle complaints cheerfully.  

Disengaged staff do not go the extra mile for your customers. Think about the best ways to recognise and reward great service.  

2. Manage customer expectations  

Christmas is a busy time of year for everyone. Encourage frontline staff to be honest to avoid overpromising and under-delivering.  

Handling new enquiries effectively can make or break a sale. Understanding your customer journey will help you to engage staff, prepare for the unexpected and polish your frontline service. 

Customers may look for alternative ways to get in touch or complain, such as webchats, email and social media during busy periods. Make sure your staff and outsourced service providers are ready.  

Delays can't be helped but you can turn a potentially frustrating experience into a pleasant one. Make hanging on the telephone joyful, and switch traditional hold music to upbeat festive favourites.  

After a busy year, everyone looks forward to a break. Be clear about your opening hours, ability to deliver and shipping deadlines. Don't forget to put your out-of-office on and include a seasonal sentiment. 

The festive season brings unique CX challenges and opportunities. Read our blog for key CX considerations for B2B businesses over Christmas.

 3. Create WOW moments 

WOW moments are memorable experiences that you create for your customers by exceeding their expectations. Delighting your customers will help turn them into loyal fans and keep them coming back. 

First, do what you say you are going to do. If your service delivery falls short, you can still WOW customers when they complain. Empower staff to tackle issues, say sorry and offer suitable compensation. 

Christmas is the season of giving. Offer something your customers didn't know they needed. Look for ways to WOW with an upsell or make small gestures that show you pay attention.
 

Examples to create WOW moments: 

    • Send handwritten Christmas cards. 
    • Carry their shopping bags to the car. 
    • Remember the names of spouses and kids. 
    • Donate to a cause close to their heart. 
    • Offer discounts or free delivery. 
    • Send a bottle of their favourite tipple.

4. Draw on past experiences 

An effective way to prepare for the holiday season is to draw on past trends. Review data and customer feedback from past seasons. 

Look at enquiries, sales, returns, complaints, reviews. Spot when you first saw an uplift and when things started to return to normal. Demand data such as this can help you prepare and plan for what might come. 

The more data you have, the better prepared and more strategic you will be. Don't just consider quantitative data. To improve the customer experience and create WOW moments you need qualitative data. 

Mystery shopping is a wonderful way to see the business through the eyes of the customer. Repeatedly asking for feedback will enable you to understand what you are doing well and show what can be improved. 

Remember, if you've invested in data and customer feedback, be sure to use it. Many businesses collect valuable information but many more fail to act on it. 

5. Optimise self-service for higher satisfaction 

Self-service is about enabling customers to answer their questions whenever possible.  

One of the easiest ways you can do this is through the content on your website. Make sure your content is correct and easily accessible. Spread some holiday cheer by adding festive imagery. 

Create seasonal FAQs which can be added to your homepage to quickly answer specific Christmas-related questions. 

Another fantastic way to help with customer self-service is a conversational virtual agent. Live chat and outsourced telephone answering services can support you to meet increased demand. 

 6. Commit to service excellence 

Engaging your employees is critical to business success. Training and developing your staff on the customer experience process is essential so that they can see things from the customer's perspective. 

A word of caution, having an ill-thought-out customer experience strategy can be more damaging than not having one at all. Managing and implementing feedback is a crucial part of the process, therefore working with the right customer experience partner is imperative. 

At insight6 we understand that feedback is data, not judgment. We use feedback and the experience of our local customer experience specialists to deliver workshops that inspire and motivate teams. 

Are you ready to transform your business? 

Giving an exceptional customer experience can be challenging during the peak periods like Christmas. 

Unfortunately, customer demands and expectations don't decrease during this busy time. They are far more likely to skyrocket! 

With the tips shared in this article, you can take essential steps to make your customer experience shine this holiday season. 

But the customer experience is for life (if done right), not just for Christmas. Repeatedly asking your customers, clients, and staff for feedback is critical to building loyalty and driving profitability. 

And that's where insight6 comes in. 

Our total feedback tool, instant insight, along with our team of local experts, will transform your customer experience. 

By analysing feedback from your team and customers in real time, instant insight will provide you with actionable comments. You will also be able to generate positive customer online reviews. 

In addition, instant insight enables you to benchmark your business against others within your sector.  

The more feedback you receive, the more confident you will be in making great decisions for your business. 

So, what are you waiting for? Book your instant insight demo with us today and take the first step to delivering a world-class customer experience.  

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