Strategy & Operations » Diversifying communication methods is key to boosting customer experience
Diversifying communication methods is key to boosting customer experience
As consumer preferences become more demanding, research suggests companies should consider maintaining Customer Mail as a tool to enhance customer engagement, satisfaction, and the overall customer experience as they accelerate digital transformation plans
A winning customer experience journey is crucial for any business. This is especially true in today’s climate as we endure the rising cost of living. As such, businesses will need to offer more to their customers in order to retain them and earn their loyalty. To achieve this effective communication is key, with businesses who adopt a multi-channel approach best placed to satisfy their customers’ needs.
Companies looking to improve their overall customer experience and grow revenue should upgrade their customer communication strategy by diversifying methods of outreach, says Phil Ricketts, commercial director at Marketreach.
“For brands to deliver great customer experience, it’s really about providing customers with the choice to receive communications in the format they want and be able to tailor those communications to the individuals’ needs,” he says.
As such, companies should consider adding Customer Mail to their communications toolkit to excel the customers’ experience. Sending physical mail communications is an effective touchpoint for businesses in helping to establish positive relationships with existing customers. It can also translate to positive commercial impacts on the bottom line as 43% of Customer Mail drives commercial actions such as going online, planning a purchase or buying something, according to research by JICMAIL.
Customer Mail is physical mail communications sent by a company to its existing customers. Letters such as statements, invoices, bills and customer relationship comms mailings are all items of Customer Mail.
Having versatility in messaging methods is important for any business as different types of company messages require different levels of engagement and understanding, says Ricketts.
“Where mail plays strongly is when brands need to grab customers’ attention, they need to create an impact, or they need a customer to do something as a result of that communication. Mail proves itself consistently to be a critical channel in that regard,” he explains.
Using Customer Mail can also have a positive impact on revenue. For example, Lakeland, the kitchenware company, generated £3.2m in incremental sales and £14.5m in year two by sending out hyper-personalised packs with vouchers for its myLakeland loyalty members in the post.
Avoid digital overload
Over the past few years, businesses have accelerated their digital transformation plans with many companies prioritising digital communications as a primary method for messaging customers. In fact, 42% of people were encouraged to go paperless by companies in the last 12 months, according to a survey by Trinity McQueen.
However, while digital communication is faster than mail, it can be harder for companies to differentiate themselves and might not be the most efficient way to engage customers when making big and important announcements, says Ricketts.
“Digital has brought lots of key benefits for consumers, interactions with brands and opportunities to improve customer experience but it [also] creates challenges for consumers whether that’s in terms of [messaging] overload, or the ability to be able to really engage with the material,” he says.
In the financial services sector, effective communication is key to increasing customer engagement with materials on new policies. For example, TSB mailed out its terms and conditions in an easily digestible booklet for customers. By doing so, the company found it was able to shift brand perception and 82% of its customers agreed it was easy to understand the changes the bank made. The bank received praise from customers which helped towards building customer trust and brand equity.
More broadly, Customer Mail, has a high engagement rate. 99% of it is opened, read, and/or filed for later, with 57% of people surveyed admitting they are less likely to miss something if they receive it in the post, according to Trinity McQueen’s survey.
With digital messaging being a common go-to option for many companies, it’s important to get the balance right between online and offline methods, adds Ricketts.
Catering to the communication needs of consumers
Customer satisfaction is a key performance indicator for CFOs to track business performance as happy customers help drive revenue. However, not all customers’ communications needs are currently being met as brands drive their digital agenda, says Ricketts.
In fact, consumers are beginning to feel frustrated, with 67% of those surveyed frustrated by the number of companies expecting customers to download their app, Trinity McQueen’s research found. More importantly, 83% of people admitted they want the choice of whether they get communications by mail or email.
Moreover, the media attention around the rising cost of living and the questions being asked around what consumers can do “indicates that the communications we send out as brands and businesses don’t necessarily always meet the needs of consumers,” says Ricketts.
Companies that don’t pay attention to their customer communication strategy “miss an opportunity” to deliver a truly great customer experience, he says.
To read the full report on Customer Mail from Trinity McQueen, written in partnership with Accenture and Marketreach, you can download the report here.