Hi Ankit, tell us about yourself and your background.
I hold a Computer Science degree. After completing a couple of years as Developer and Project Manager, I made a stint as Customer Success Manager. Since then, I never looked back and made this my passion. I am currently working with a Bengaluru-based startup named MoEngage.
What is the biggest misunderstanding about customer experience, in your opinion?
That we as creators know everything. Most of the time, Developers or Creators fail to empathize with customers and understand their real needs. This results in the generation of a substandard product leading to a shabby Customer experience.
What are some of the newer CX companies/solutions you’re keeping your eyes on right now?
I have to say that Zendesk and Medallia are doing a phenomenal job.
What can companies do to improve customer loyalty and retention?
With so much competition all around, It’s important for Customer-facing teams to show the real value of the product faster and efficiently. Customers are not just looking for the product rather they are looking for the solutions to their problems. We need to become more proactive in knowing customer needs and help them with solutions that improve their overall ROI. Once you start having this mindset, You will not only retain more customers but also win their loyalty and get new referrals.
What do you think is most relevant and why: CSAT (customer satisfaction score), NPS (net promoter score), or CES (customer effort score)?
I think all of them are important but If I had to choose only one, I would go with CSAT. In the end, What matters the most is how satisfied is the customer.
How can companies better use social media in the era of customer-centricity and personalization?
It’s time when we no longer have JUST professional relationships. The more connected we are to our customers, the easier it is to win their trust and make an impact. Nowadays, Many CX platforms also track social profiles and see what customers are posting about the company. This helps in gauging the overall sentiments.
What is your opinion on AI-based chatbots to handle customer support?
AI is definitely the future of many things but not everything. It can’t replace humans. What it can best do is to complement the efforts done by Supports rep. It can certainly help customers in finding the right solution swiftly.
Last but not least, what is your favorite CX metric?
Retention Rate – Truly tells what is going right or wrong. If you can’t retain them, It wasn’t worth their experience!
