5 ways custom software improves customer experience

Have you ever dialed a customer service number and found yourself on hold for what felt like an eternity? If you’re like most people, it’s easy to recall a time when you encountered poor customer service - and hopefully a time when your expectations were exceeded as well.

Those one-time experiences were part of your overall experience with a company, but there is much greater complexity in the relationship between a business and its customers. Customer experience (CX) is broader than just customer service. It comprises all of the experiences a customer has while interacting with a company’s brand, products, and services.

Every touchpoint a customer has with your company is relevant to CX, including the software your customers use (and the software your employees use to serve them). What’s more, software can be designed to intentionally and strategically improve your customers’ experience.

Proactively creating a positive customer experience is important because customers who enjoy their experiences with your company are more likely to do a higher volume of business with you, stick around longer, and recommend you to others. In fact, according to research by Bain & Company, businesses that create an excellent customer experience enjoy revenue 4-8% above their market average.

Here are several ways custom software can improve customer experience:

Provide a great user experience

User experience (UX) is the experience your customers have as they interact with your company’s software applications. The UX a customer has is an important part of their overall customer experience.

Designing a great UX means having a user-friendly website or native app. All customer-facing applications must be fast and easy to use. The interface should be intuitive, and the design should be consistent and based on best practices. It is essential to fix any technical issues that arise as quickly as possible. Feature development should be feedback-driven, with a commitment made to continuous improvement.

Increase personalization

The more personalized a customer’s experience is, the more likely they are to feel a strong connection with your brand. Fortunately, there are a number of ways that software can be used to increase personalization.

Software can collect and store a variety of customer data which can later be used to send personalized communications. Customers can be tagged into various segmentation categories for better-targeted offers, content, and product recommendations. Geolocation technology can also be utilized for location-based personalization.

Resolve problems faster

Fast and effective problem resolution is a key component of a great customer experience. Even the very best systems and processes sometimes break, and what happens next is highly important if you want to keep customers happy.

Customer service response times can be shortened by implementing chatbots and other automated response systems. Artificial intelligence can also be used to enhance self-service portals and features. Software can track inquiry response times, record interactions, and flag suspected problem cases for additional follow-up.

Gather better feedback

Customer feedback is the key to finding out what’s actually delighting people and what’s making them run for the hills. And with the right software, collecting and analyzing a wide variety of feedback data has never been easier.

Software can be used to design and administer customer surveys, and collect reviews and testimonials. Live chat tools are another great way to capture valuable feedback at critical moments. In addition to gathering direct feedback, software also has the power to monitor various forms of customer engagement and identify where churn is happening.

Provide memorable experiences

Positive memorable experiences tend to equate with long-term brand loyalty. After all, who doesn’t want to be surprised in a delightful way? But in our modern world, there’s a lot out there competing for people’s attention.

The right software tools can do a lot to aid us in creating memorable experiences for customers. Collecting customer data informs us of what people like and value, so we know what they’ll probably enjoy. Software can also be the delivery vehicle for a pleasant surprise like an unexpected upgrade or bonus gift. Plus an exceptional user experience with an app can be quite memorable on its own.

Transform your CX with custom software

At Basecode we create bespoke software solutions strategically designed to provide a remarkable customer experience. When you partner with us on your software project, we help you align your software vision with your business goals and create a product that your customers truly love. Contact us to learn more.