The best service is no service: a customer experience mantra that has stood the test of time.
Why? Because customers don’t want to phone, video, or message a business. They want to avoid issues in the first instance.
As such, many contact centers have invested in assessing their demand drivers, spotting the root cause, and fixing those troublesome problems upstream.
Autonomous customer service is the next best step when that is not possible. That’s where the conversational AI and self-service conversation comes in.
But what then? How can contact centers combat an issue that’s impossible to stifle upstream and too complex to counter with conversational AI?
Guided CX is the next best option to ensure a low-effort, seamless customer journey that drives customer loyalty.
Here is how it works.
What Is Guided CX?
Guided CX empowers brands to deliver one-on-one, personalized experiences to customers in a digital environment. They ensure businesses can provide clients with meaningful, human interactions on their preferred digital channels.
Applications of guided CX tools typically split into two buckets: video and visual sharing.
One-way and one-to-one video applications, make up the first – alongside “how-to” videos.
The second bucket is much deeper. Indeed, many use cases for visual sharing can deliver significant value to service experiences.
Here are some excellent examples:
- Screen Sharing – Agents share images on their screens but not the entire screen.
- Cobrowsing – Agents can see customers’ screens but can only use a pointer to show them where to click.
- Controlled Cobrowsing – Agents can see customers’ screens and give permission for them to have keyboard/mouse control.
- Co-Editing – Agents can fill in some portions of forms on customers’ screens but not others (based on security).
- Reverse Cobrowsing – Agents show their web browsers only to customers.
Cutting-edge tech providers – such as Glance – embed these capabilities into other customer engagement channels.
How Guided CX Improves Customer Experiences
Guided CX enhances the human element in customer service interactions, provides agents with extra context when dealing with problems, and helps differentiate businesses.
As a result, brands that deploy Guided CX often find that they:
- Improve First Contact Resolution (FCR) Rates: As mentioned above, Guided CX makes agents more productive and efficient. Cobrowsing solutions allow agents to see customers’ issues to deliver immediate support actively. Video chat can provide more context during discussions, while screen and app sharing will enable agents to provide customers with step-by-step, guided instructions.
- Increase Conversions and Customer Loyalty: According to some studies, companies can increase conversion rates by up to 2.5 times when using Guided CX not only provides agents with more information to help them solve customer issues, it also gives customers more of the insights they need to make decisions. Companies can even use Guided CX tools as part of product demonstrations.
- Enhance Customer Satisfaction Rates: Guided CX brings genuine human interactions into the customer service experience, even when people aren’t interacting face-to-face. This helps to strengthen relationships with clients. Moreover, because they can reduce frustrating and stressful situations and speed up resolution times, Guided CX leads to happier, more loyal customers.
- Boost Customer Lifestyle Value: Guided CX is one of the best ways to connect with customers on a deeper level. According to studies, a “fully-engaged customer” will generally spend around 20 percent more than their peers throughout their experience with a brand. Guided CX can increase lifetime value through customer loyalty, improved onboarding experience, and differentiated customer service.
- Reduce Churn Rates: Lack of comprehensive engagement and support is one of the main reasons why customers abandon companies. However, according to some studies, adopting visual channels can increase a company’s retention rates by around 9.5 times. Guided CX helps eliminate the issues that would otherwise cause customers to churn, leading to better profits and retention.
How to Implement Guided CX
Many software vendors now provide instant access to Guided CX, from screen-sharing and co-browsing tools to mobile camera-sharing services.
However, when leveraging these new solutions for customer engagement, companies still need to ensure they have the right strategy.
Here are three best practices every business should follow to take advantage of Guided CX.
1. Augment the Agent Experience
Avoid thinking of Guided CX through the customer lens only. Carefully consider the agent experience too, and showcase how the software will drive value for them.
Such a step is crucial, as recent Gartner research highlights, revealing that 45 percent of contact center agents avoid adopting new technologies.
As a result, internal marketing is highly beneficial, ensuring that Guided CX delivers the expected outcomes.
Such marketing should focus on how the new tech can support agents in meeting KPIs, building customer trust, closing sales, showcasing options, and calming angry customers.
2. Meet Customers Where They Are
As mentioned above, while today’s customers still want personalized, human interactions, they also want them delivered on their terms. This means companies must ensure they’re taking advantage of the tools and channels consumers already use.
For instance, if clients are already interacting with a service through a mobile app, they’ll expect to be able to access support and guidance from a customer service team through that application too.
Building customer engagement solutions into existing mobile applications can be an excellent way to reduce customer effort levels and improve satisfaction scores.
3. Explore a Range of Guided CX Options
Finally, businesses have a range of ways to engage and support their customers in today’s landscape visually. The right tools can assist agents throughout the customer service journey.
For example, when onboarding a new customer or selling a product, agents can use screen share and app-sharing tools to provide insights into a solution.
Embracing guided CX solutions in such a way – throughout the consumer journey – allows businesses to differentiate themselves from competitors.
Where Can I Learn More About Guided CX?
Guided CX allows contact center agents to read facial cues, reduce customer frustration, and close more sales.
Moreover, businesses can harness Guided CX to save customers time, give more targeted advice, and safeguard first contact resolution (FCR).
Indeed, there are many possible benefits, which often swell when brands utilize Guided CX as part of a guided customer experience strategy.
Such a strategy allows businesses to become much more deliberate in how they overcome customer journey pain points.
Discover more by reading the eBook: Does your CX have a human connection gap?
