Ever wonder why some customers might switch to different businesses? As it turns out, a new report by Vonage says 8 out of 10 Asia–Pacific (APAC) customers might discard a business because they didn’t like their experience there. For more than half, customers will not tolerate any bad experience. It is said that they will go out of the shop right away after one or two encounters.
Think of the moment when you had a bad experience due to terrible treatment from a boutique or any shop. Are you willing to purchase their items after being treated in such a way?
Customer Preferences Revealed
Businesses should know their customers wants and needs so that they can cater their products and services perfectly to their preferences. Knowing their pain points and preferences helps with their purchasing decisions. The global data reveals that customers prefer:
- Various communication channels, including phone calls via apps, messaging/non-SMS apps, and phone calls via apps, rank highly in preference.
- Technology integrated with AI to enhance their shopping experiences. Chatbot and video chat usage is expected to more than double within the next year.
- APAC consumers cited frustrations such as long wait times to speak to an agent, no way to speak to customer service via voice or phone, a lack of 24/7 support availability, and a lack of self-service support.
The impact of poor experiences
It has been revealed that customer experience does matter. Every single interaction produces a great customer experience. With this, it will have an impact on their purchase decision and even make them loyal to the business.The report found that 80% of APAC customers are likely to take their business elsewhere as a result of poor experiences, and 61% of consumers will not tolerate bad experiences and will walk away after just one or two bad encounters.
What are the solutions?
Leverage in AI Technologies
With AI, it will provide quick and efficient solutions, reduce customer frustrations and accurately deliver a targeted and personalized experience for users. Leveraging AI-driven platforms across communication channels will help businesses create personalized, timely messages according to their customers needs.
Vonage emphasizes that businesses leveraging AI in communication channels have the ability to facilitate meaningful conversations, strengthen loyalty, build lasting customer relationships, and boost sales.
Adding more insight, Metrigy’s CEO, Robin Gareiss, emphasizes the growth of AI-enabled technologies and the increasing acceptance of AI in customer experience (CX), noting that companies not using AI in an omnichannel environment are at a competitive disadvantage.
Implement Omnichannel Strategies
The report highlights how important it is for businesses to adopt omnichannel strategies. It is a way for businesses to try to make shopping easy for their customers. No matter if they are in a store, using their phone, or online,. they want better experiences everywhere.
According to Konnect Insights, the key aspects of omnichannel marketing are customer experience, context, content and collaboration. Another important thing to note is that a business should strategize efficiently. Hence, choose the right channels online for effectiveness as a starter. A business should never try to use many platforms all at once from the start.
Provide Positive Customer Experiences
Positive experiences create valuable brand ambassadors, with consumers indicating they are likely to offer positive survey feedback, share their experiences with friends and family, and demonstrate heightened brand loyalty following great encounters.
A positive customer experience could include fast waiting times, being able to speak to customer service over voice or phone, having 24/7 customer support and giving sufficient self-service support.
Thus, to eliminate poor customer experiences, especially for APAC customers, businesses must prioritize customer experience. The overall importance revolves around understanding customer preferences, addressing frustrations, leveraging AI for enhanced customer engagement, and recognizing the positive impact of exceptional customer experiences on brand loyalty and business success.
