Remember I said previously that only 33% of American workers are engaged at what they do in the workplace according to the report, “State of the American Workplace”? Touch points will absolutely get your people more engaged every day.
You see, I believe that engagement comes from the front line up, NOT from management down. By having your people identify THEIR touch points, take ownership, and commit to making small changes in those touch points, you can completely change the experience.
The more engaged your people are INTERNALLY, the better the experience EXTERNALLY!
Before we can discuss providing customer service at each touch point, it’s important to first identify what a customer touch point is.I defined touch point previously as any opportunity you have to INFLUENCE the customer experience. This can occur at any time in the buying process from ads before they make a purchase to shopping in your physical or online store to a follow up survey after their treatment in a hospital.
These customer touch points are opportunities to offer your customers WOW, surprise, and delight, turning them into a repeat customer, and more likely to recommend your business to others. However, a negative experience at any given touch point can cause you to get a negative review, lose a customer, or both.
Not only does good customer experiences help you keep customers, but it also encourages customers to spend more. 81% of buyers have said they are willing to pay more simply because they had a great customer experience.
The bottom line—businesses simply cannot afford not to provide their customers with great customer service at each touch point. Cumulatively, all of those great service touch points will add up to an incredible customer experience.
So, How do you Identify Your Customer Touch Points?
Now that you understand what a customer touch point is, it’s time to identify them. Understanding what your customer/patient/member touch points are will enable you to provide a memorable customer experience and make better overall business decisions. Furthermore, once you are able to identify what creates loyalty to your brand, you’ll be able to drive more brand loyalty.
To identify customer touch points you need to consider all the ways a customer can encounter your business, starting with before they’ve even heard about your brand.
Common customer touch points may include:
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Ads
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Business directories
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Customer reviews
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Your website
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Scheduling apps or calendars
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Social media
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Product catalogs
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Your physical store (or office)
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Your customer service department
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Employee interaction
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Emails (promotional or transactional)
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Purchase follow-ups
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Your telephone system
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The check-out process
When it comes to your business, your customer touch points may include some or all of these, or probably man y that are not on this list.
Remember—the definition of a touch point is any opportunity you have to INFLUENCE the customer experience.
To identify your touch points you need to understand your business from your customer’s point of view. What happens when you search for your business? What is the first point of contact they have with your brand—is it your website? If so, does your homepage clearly identify how you can help or what you offer? If they click on your online chat—is it working properly? If you offer a subscription service, how easy it is to cancel their membership? All of these questions will help you dive deeper into your business and understand how your customers see and experience your brand.