The communications divide: your views vs. your customers

Good communication is crucial in delivering exceptional customer service. So, how confident are you in your business’ communication skills?

A new survey by Twilio has highlighted the differences between perceptions of communication between both customers and businesses— and the results are startling.

70% of businesses believe they effectively communicate with their customers; just 20% of customers agreed. Likewise, 83% of customers said they found it difficult to communicate with businesses, while only 36% of businesses themselves agreed. 28% of businesses cited irrelevant messages as a communication challenge, compared to a huge 86% of customers who said the same.

As these figures show, there is a stark discrepancy between the perception and reality of business communications. What you think you are delivering may not be translating in reality. Because they are the end users, your customers have first-hand experience of how successful your communications are.

It’s in every company’s best interest to work on how they communicate. 70% of customers are likely to recommend a brand following a good customer experience. This satisfaction translates into real-time revenue growth. Those companies with extremely satisfied customers are 2.6 times more likely to have revenue growth of 15% or above.

With this in mind, improving communication is essential; but how do you do it?

Different demographics have different communication preferences. For example, millennials in the UK prefer to interact with businesses via messaging apps and social media (23%), while just 9.5% of Generation X said the same.

This underlines the importance of delivering an omnichannel communication experience, which caters to all customers and their preferences. Above all, users want easy access to information — and that’s where digital comes in. Ask yourself:

1. Can I answer this question via FAQs? For general, non-account specific questions, could you improve communication by creating a bank of frequently asked questions? These would act as a 24/7 information source, eliminating customer frustration.
2. Is your website clear? If the forms on your website are complicated or if the copy is complex and confusing, you could be blocking a customer’s access to the information they need. Through conversion rate optimisation (CRO), you can identify and rectify these issues to deliver a superior user experience.
3. Is your website mobile-friendly? As an increasing number of customers demand access to the information they need on the go, it’s very important that your site is mobile-friendly. Consider page load times and overall usability of your site to deliver the greatest experience.

From CRO to web development, Mediaworks can help you fine-tune every aspect of your digital profile. For more information, contact us using the form below.