Customer Convenience: CX-base not in order

Customer Convenience: CX-base not in order

Convenience is a factor relevant experience in customer relations. Especially for organizations working full digital services and also rely on self-reliance of customers. It is therefore not surprising that many companies customer effort used as a KPI. Critics, however, point out that customer convenience (too) little say about the emotional customer experience. But even if we effort "only" consider hygiene factor, like many organizations, the base does not have to order or lacks structural focus. In a number of Dutch sectors fluctuate CES scores namely substantial and / or a downward trend discernible. A continued focus on customer convenience seems to be limited there.


This blog post is written with  Gerrit Piksen , senior research consultant / business unit manager at  Samré .

The bestseller ' The Effortless Experience ' concept of customer convenience has put a few years ago, firmly on the map. The authors argue on the basis of intensive research that surpass customer expectations are not always worthwhile . Perform adequately is, in many cases good enough. Focus mainly on making as easy as possible issues such as product usage and services.

do more than necessary does not contribute per se to a higher loyalty, but often it does increase the costs. So wasted effort.

A focus on convenience pays well. Research (from Samré ) shows that 80 percent of people care about convenience, which is more than one in three customers willing to switch if he / she is made easier elsewhere and that 20 percent are willing to pay extra for convenience (which is supported by  another study abroad ).

Based on these and other findings, the use of the customer effort score as customer experience-kpi a big boost given. In addition to NPS and customer satisfaction measurement and analysis, many organizations today, therefore, the degree of simplicity or complexity that customers experience when they do business with a company, or want to get a question answered. And that happens - as NPS - through one simple question that is applicable to virtually all customer-related processes.

Yet is there more complexity in customer effort than you might think at first glance. As the core concept of customer convenience has a number of different dimensions (see illustration below). Depending on the situation, considering it to you one time bigger an organization is accessible (because you want to have for instance urgent thing resolved), while other times especially time saving weighs heavily (you can adjust it yourself) or flexibility (it is an exception was made for you).



You also socioeconomic customer profile determines what you as a customer will ease or complex. What do you personally like strenuous experience ( "It is not clear at the site, now I must again call the customer") is experiencing someone with a different profile just as easily ( "Fine: on the site the phone, luckily I can dial").

The BSR segmentation model  can help to differentiate the service from your organization. Customer groups that are receptive for personal contact (for example, see convenience as calling) offers you more of a phone number where you self-reliant types remains mainly point to self-service options (for: convenience can do for yourself).



You will notice that some ease dimensions, such as time savings, very factual and practical, where other (eg unburdening) much less tangible, and his emotional nature.

Nevertheless, there are experts like Ron Kaufman, who argue that customer effort seems inadequate emotional customer experience . Customer Convenience, according to Kaufman mainly related to basic aspects of service. He warns organizations not to see customer effort as " holy grail ."

A focus on CES leads in his view primarily to the realization of ' operational excellence ' and not to actual distinctiveness. It is a hygiene factor: if you do it right, you therefore do not make the difference, but you do not do well (enough), then this is at the expense of the customer relationship.


We can find ourselves well in this view. It is certainly not wise to use CES as the sole customer experience-KPI. Use a framework with multiple KPIs.

However, it is indeed crucial to have good order the base of your service and thus customer effort score embrace as the foundation. And seems in this area there are still a lot of improvement. So did an American study show by IPSOS beginning of this year that many consumers think that should make a greater effort than companies resolved to get issues.

And if we look at the Dutch situation, it seems -  as with NPS  - room for improvement. SAMR has spent the past three years were structurally request a representative consumer panel about the efforts one has to do to settle matters with organizations in seven sectors. The total score (across all sectors) over 3 years shows a constant line. On average, it does not begin to experience more ease. By sector, there are indeed significant differences, but nowhere has unfortunately been a structural upward trend and there are quite a few fluctuations and / or there is a downward trend.



supermarkets

Convenience seems an important and successful element in the business formula of many supermarkets . Scanning itself, online ordering, home delivery, queue management: there are numerous initiatives being used or explored to make it as easy as possible for customers. It plays strongly on the convenience trend.

insurance

When insurers appears to be a slightly upward trend, after a period of decline. This seems to indicate that the investments in innovation in this world yet  not  have a structural character. For the most startling CX cases we must still mostly  across the border  look. The crucial question here is: will the developments ( in small increments ) to the traditional providers finally fast enough or they will lose out to newcomers in the form of  plug and play insurers ?

Banks

Also, banks are fluctuations in CE scores. A stable trend is not visible yet. Convenience, however, seen as a crucial asset for banks that want the digital transformation survive . Digital banks have less IT and organizational legacy and can focus better on the deployment of convenience services. This reduces the gap with larger traditional banks, although against an established name like ING clear progress in this area with innovative initiatives like the ING app , TWYP and Yolt .

IDIS

During eRetail Europe was the  conclusion  drawn that whoever succeeds in making the stressed consumer life easier, wins the battle of online retail. For the time being still much room for improvement there. The effort scores in these areas fluctuate greatly. The question is why. Customers experience a deterioration of convenience in the  payment landscape ? Companies come to the high expectations of online general and specific innovations, such as deliveries with  drones  etc. (too slow / no) after?

There are in this world, moreover, have plenty of new initiatives to ease development, such as the  Dash button  from Amazon.

Energy

Energy suppliers have invested heavily in recent years online services, through intelligent self-service portals and / or apps. However, the customers seem their  desire  for convenience yet to see completed. This is probably the case because the frequency with which one uses the services is not high enough. This results than possible problems with login (forgot password) or leads to apps installed. It is noted also that smart meters are  not  smart enough and that it (still) too difficult  is to get local, sustainable energy.  

Municipalities

The local government is struggling with digitization and is looking for the right balance between self-service and personal contact. Moreover, they more and more services to the challenge  critical  to offer citizens. That seem to mirror expectations in terms of customer convenience to those companies, which the bar  high  is and the valuation is relatively low. Work  to be done.

Telecom

Of the seven sectors studied, the telecom sector dangles a while down, although it is now the municipal world in their sights. Last summer analyzed WUA! sites telecom providers and found that in particular lagging behind in terms of service:

On the one hand this has to do with the complexity of the product and service offerings. A possible solution lies in further personalizing the service experience. Alternatively, a cause can also be found in the focus on recruiting new customers. therefore the existing customers seem to touch somewhat on the second plan.

Marking time? First the base!

A frequently heard customer experience wisdom is that you - as an organization - must first have the basics in order if you want customer expectations exceed structurally. What good is a lucky shot in customer experience when it then fails to service elements that are obvious to customers? From this perspective we advocate structural, and preferably continuous monitoring of customer effort. This calls for some elements of great importance:

Do not focus only on the figures, but also on the depth insight questions . Embrace all forms of customer feedback that can provide insight into what customers find difficult or easy and what customers think yourself that you can do. Focus your direct feedback processes so well and flexible.
Focus on measuring customer effort especially on matters that may require a negatively charged customer effort. For example, look closely at processes in the area of ​​problem solving and complaints handling. Since people want to like less effort than to wait for a new product or service.
Do not dwell on a single KPI. For example, monitor the quality of your self-service customer portal with CE score, but human assistance through chat with NPS. Balance between effort and commitment.
Ensure that digital processes and services are designed flexibly and thus quickly adaptable. This makes it possible to carry out on the basis of measurements CES and customer feedback constant adjustments and optimization. Design thinking and customer effort are closely linked: together with the customer work to improve products and services.
Realize the growing impact of millennial consumers. This in size growing group of consumers attach more importance to convenience. In all seven aforementioned sectors this generation scored lower (ie more negative) on the perceived effort. One less obvious picks up the phone and after considering alternative service options. Also, they have a less positive view of the resolving power of organizations.