Hi Carolina, tell us about yourself and your background
I am Brazilian, graduated in advertising and post-graduated in Project Management. I started my career at age 15 in a Brazilian software company, then I working in the Retail and Health segments. I currently work for a large telecom company in the CX department and I have always enjoyed listening to the customer’s voice, generating value and contributing to the construction of new experiences.
How did you first start working in the CX space?
With the new behaviors emerging in the digital market, organizations have an opportunity to accelerate the pivot for online commerce, by expanding existing services and creating new lines of services. In that context, looking at the end-to-end customer experience became fundamental.
My first contact with CX was in early 2018 when I was in charge of improving the patient’s experience in a healthcare management company, combining clinical expertise (high touch) with technological innovation (high tech). The initial challenge was to create a chatbot with a virtual nurse that interacted with the patients participating in the program. It collected information like health habits, guided and provided digital care in a welcoming environment, available 24 hours a day. In the process of creating the chatbot, it was very important to understand the patient’s care journey. This resulted in strategic interactions via chatbot, along with telephone services, making the patient experience fluid and improving engagement with healthcare. There are approximately 5,000 people impacted by this project today.
What are some of the common misunderstandings related to customer experience?
Companies need to understand that customers demonstrate how they would like to be served. A lot of mistakes happen when we don’t look at the complete customer journey and a business direction is put in place without first prototyping and listening to the customer. This, in my opinion, is the biggest mistake. Today we hear a lot about omnichannel, a centralized view of data and it is in this model that I believe. Strategies and campaigns characterized as omnichannel are aimed at a positive consumer experience. When the company starts looking at all service points, results improve and, consequently, customer satisfaction as well.
Have you seen any interesting new trends in eCommerce this year?
I find it interesting to highlight some points to take into account in this new digital sales model.
• Customization and use of AI
• Consumer opt-in for marketing actions
• Variety of payment methods (instant money transfers, Whatsapp payment etc)
• Subscription clubs and recurring payments
• Best shipping options
• Live including photos and videos of products in real-time with the consumer
eCommerce boomed in 2020, and consumers started leaving more product reviews online. How can we make the most out of this momentum?
E-commerce today is an important channel for the most varied segments of the economy. From manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers to service providers, everyone can benefit from it. Looking at the data is listening to the customer. We need to really know the consumer and deliver the best experience, such as analyzing favorite shopping hours, most consumed products, sales cycle, personalized offers, and, most importantly, the customer’s flexibility to choose products of different brands. To make the most out of this momentum, my suggestion would be to focus on five strategic pillars: Data, Information, Knowledge, Insight, Wisdom
What are some CX companies/solutions you’re keeping your eyes on right now?
Vivo, Magazine Luiza, Lojas Renner, for example, are Brazilian companies that integrate artificial intelligence technologies with customer experience flows and consequently awaken a new way of delivering value to the brand. Regarding international CX companies, I would point out Amazon and Ali Express.
So many things changed in 2020. While some things are going to return to “normal,” what are new trends and habits you think will stay with us in the long term?
With the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, the consumer habit in the electronic market has increased as consumers spend more time in their homes. In Brazil, according to the Ebit survey | Nielsen, 95% of consumers say they intend to continue shopping online after the end of the pandemic and the most popular categories in e-commerce in 2020 were Meals (49%), Clothing (43%), Food (42%), Electronics (33%) and Medicines (30%) thus potentially increase the consumption of basic purchases via e-commerce. Moreover, I believe the eCommerce market has evolved since the beginning of the pandemic, becoming even more consumer-friendly. Thus, despite the end of social distance and the “return to normal”, I believe consumers will continue shopping online.
Do you believe focus groups are still relevant in the era of eCommerce? Why?
Looking with affection at a certain group of people helps us to look inside the business and further improve delivery to the final consumer. It is a learning relationship that, by understanding and accepting the voice of the customer, we can offer the best experience with a product or service. Therefore, I believe focus groups are still relevant in the era of eCommerce because they help better understanding problems to be solved.
Last but not least, what is your favorite CX metric?
Customer experience isn’t just about making the customer happy during a single interaction, that’s why I believe in 3 consistent metrics in the CX market today – NPS, CSAT, and CES.
