Today’s consumer is more tech-savvy than ever before. But that doesn’t mean they see themselves as programmers or developers. They are more like enlightened users.
Smart businesses will recognize this bright line between comfort and expertise when engaging with customers. The burden is on sales and customer service agents to quickly understand what a customer needs and offer viable solutions.
Keep KISS Alive for Your Customers!
While we can’t say if your customers are nostalgic for glam rock, we are pretty sure that the old KISS method applies more than ever today. So yes, keep it simple, sir.
The definition for simple has changed quite a bit. Many customers today use tools their grandparents couldn’t possibly have imagined. But we may have reached a saturation point, particularly for these consumers who have weathered the tech revolution and have had enough. They don’t want to “learn” a new site tool or download an app to finish a task. It’s time to stop burdening customers.
Website designers are particularly sensitive to the concept of responsive design, which is the practice of ensuring a website works on all kinds of platforms and systems. “Web design and responsive design are the same thing,” writes web developer John Polacek. We’re almost there.
Sites that rely heavily on web orders, like FTD.com for example, do themselves and their customers a huge favor by looking the same when viewed on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone–even a nonstandard Windows phone. There’s something to be said for keeping the design simple and steady. It’s readable, scalable (by dragging), and easy to navigate. The only pop-ups should be for discount offers or a request to download your free app.
Technology Should Not Require More Learning
Next-generation customers want things to be easier to incorporate into their lives.
The market-leading CRM provider Salesforce takes sensitivity to their concerns very seriously. “Deliver pain free customer service and engagement,” its blog advises its customers.
Apple gets it. Its newest products are more intuitive than ever. Damon Beres, the technology editor for Huffington Post, wrote an amusing article about discussing a new iPhone with his girlfriend’s mother. While this woman is no throwback, she’s aware that she isn’t using her phone to the fullest but is satisfied with it. But when Beres told her about 3D touch function, she was interested. No apps, just touch the function you need.
Why didn’t they do that in the first place?
Don’t Overload Customers with Choices
Stop piling on choices to customers. Instead, ask them questions about what they need, determine their tech capabilities, and offer choices that work for them.
Learning can be information overload. It isn’t the lack of information that holds back success, but failing to recognize a good idea and acting upon it.
The same goes for sales and customer service, where the goal is speed and intelligent solutions. Forrester’s top trends for customer service include improvements to online customer support. So customer service reps responding to a chat request will access a customer’s past interactions and purchases, providing data to help them offer the right product or service.
