The idea of the customer experience being human-centered is nothing new. For years, many businesses have been trying to make people’s lives easier, more enjoyable, and more efficient. From the invention of the wheel to the smartphone in your pocket, these technologies are what inspire the innovation and creativity required to keep up with as well as delight, an ever-evolving customer. This is why most businesses are focusing on technology to make their business more successful today and there is nothing wrong with that.
However, the idea that a business being more human may seem a little fluffy, but it has become more important today than technology alone. How exactly can your business be more human? It helps to remember that all businesses have one thing in common: they’re run by humans. One of the major reasons that sets small businesses apart and makes customers chose to continuously buy from a small business is the ability to see the human at the other end of the product and get more personal attention in the experience.
No one likes the experience of going to the DMV or passport office because people are quite literally treated like numbers. The products and experiences that stick with customers are from the people that serve them.
“Customers will always remember people over product or service”
What do successful small businesses do? They bring the human element back into the experience and focus on meeting customer wants as the most important driver for achieving their goals and the bottom line.
In a recent 2020 Customer Experience (CX) Industry Survey reveals that despite the clear importance and impact of a great CX, there’s still work to be done when it comes to making a business more human. The opportunity for your business to step up to meet the wants and needs of your customers, by supporting a business that’s more human can’t be overstated. Understanding your customers behind every product and experience brings your business closer to your customers and empowers and inspires your staff and teams to be more engaging and grow.
85% of business owners say that the customer experience they provide is good, yet only 8% of their customers agree.
Further more, only a third of employees surveyed said that the business they work for has a proactive approach to the Customer Experience. They also felt that their managers only react when there’s a problem, or worse, have no strategy at all.
Here are some strategies you can incorporate in your business or team to become more human in the customer experience.
- Be interested not interesting – spend more time being interested in your customers first rather than worrying about the sale.
- Empathy– Making customer empathy a priority by all employees towards customers from the start by putting yourself in your customer’s shoes.
- Seek out and resolve customer problems before they become larger.
- Spend time listening to your customers and incorporate insights from their feedback into the customer experience. Make your business more human by scaling customer feedback in ways that give your customers a seat at the table when business decisions are being made.
It’s difficult to predict what technologies and experiences will emerge in the coming years, but one thing is certain: human insight and human interaction is the key to staying connected with your customer’s needs and ever-changing trends. I do not have a crystal ball in telling you what will capture the hearts, minds, and dollars of your customers in the coming years. But what I do know what drives customer loyalty, repeat business and an abundance of referrals for your business is the human connection.
If you can provide human interaction, personal attention, demonstrating that you care and make me feel important as a customer, I will always come back to your business, spend more money and tell others. That’s how you build a successful business. It’s not that hard. Want proof? Go ask any of my successful clients. They will tell you how important the human connection is to their small business’s success. It is Magical!
Need help making a human connection in your business? Contact Coach John Today for a FREE Strategy Break Through Call at info@johnformica.com or (704) 965-4090. I would be delighted to help you.