As almost every industry enters the third year of grappling with the pandemic’s effects, companies are constantly in search of methods to support growth and demand. But often, growing rapidly comes at a cost.
As does standing still. Companies that are spread thin, understaffed or under-resourced are at risk of not remaining competitive or providing customer experiences that are lacklustre. According to the Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report 2022, 61% of customers globally say they now have higher customer service standards after this past year’s crisis. And an equal number would now defect to a competitor after just one bad customer experience.
Setting your business up for scale – a strategy for increasing revenue and profitability quickly while keeping costs low – helps your company remain adaptable and high-achieving, no matter what circumstances your business faces.
Scaling isn’t necessarily the same thing as growth. What sets the ability to scale apart is the added factor of keeping costs low, which improves efficiency much more than if you were to simply grow at the same rate that you add resources.
You might already be sold on the idea of scaling, but are looking for ways to do it. Looking through the lens of customer experience (CX) is a great way to modify your scaling strategy. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in or what product you may be selling – the act of scaling necessitates that you provide your customers with world-class support.
Improving your CX
A top-notch customer experience will help your customers feel supported and make scaling that much easier. It may help to look at some examples of how CX can support your journey to scale:
Overall customer satisfaction
While it may seem simple, it can’t be overstated how much a good customer experience will help drive growth. Fast response times, human-first interaction and attentive support will result in higher customer satisfaction. These satisfied customers can become instant promoters of your business, directly fuelling growth. For example, according to Zendesk’s research, 57% of financial services respondents indicated a significant link between customer service and cross-sell revenues.Efficiency
When your business is scaling, your customer base will certainly increase. An optimised CX strategy will give you the ability to support more customers effectively with the agents than you already have, while still improving response times and CSAT.A need for a variety of support methods
Customers have a variety of different communication preferences and needs, calling for increased investment in omnichannel support. This investment is critical for scaling.CX loves AI
As AI becomes more prevalent and familiar, many customers say they have positive experiences with AI when used correctly. Some 89% of consumers say that they are more likely to spend more with companies that allow them to find answers to issues on their own.
Of course, scaling and CX may look different for every business, depending on your industry.
Scale with CX in your industry
Prioritise CX
Recognising CX as a crucial step in the scaling process can significantly speed up growth. In fact, it may even be one of the first steps you can take to increase your bottom line. Optimising CX puts customers at the forefront of your business and sets you, and your business, up to scale for future success.
