Does Customer Experience matter more for B2C companies (business to consumer) or B2B (business to business)? The answer is they both matter equally. The reason is because people buy from people. B2B buyers are behaving like consumers more than ever before. Though CX methodologies differ, the principles and best practices are similar and it’s important to apply them to B2B and to B2C.
What B2B and B2C customers Want
In both cases, buyers want the following:
- Simple ways to purchase with options on how to pay (check, credit card, PayPal, Venmo, etc.).
- Low level of effort no matter where they are in the purchasing journey.
- Support channels with multiple options including calling a rep, chatting online, reading FAQs or talking to someone in person.
- Outstanding onboarding experience, especially for high-cost items. When post-purchase experiences are bad, people often return, leave bad reviews, and tell others to buy elsewhere.
- Mobile solution or App that makes it easy to interact with the brand on the go. Notifications and alerts enhance customer experiences when implemented effectively.
- Fast response time. People have low patience. If it takes too long to get an answer, it typically impacts customer satisfaction and stay or leave decisions.
- Personalized solutions. Brands who leverage the power of big data and artificial intelligence to improve omni-channel customer experiences will be leaders in their industries. According to Accenture, “33% of customers abandoned business relationships due to a lack of personalization.”
- Easy to navigate, user-friendly website. People typically research before buying. If they don’t find what they are looking for easily, they will abandon the site.
- Brands that deliver on their promise. Customers buy from companies they trust. Once trust is compromised, customers turn to a competitor without hesitation.
Advice for B2B & B2C Companies About DoingCXRight
1. Map out the Customer Journey based on target personas. Create ideal experience that include Wow Moments to differentiate the brand.
2. Gauge customer perceptions. Ask them how well the company is meeting their expectations at key moments of truth.
3. Optimize experiences and improve “pain points” identified from surveys, focus groups, etc.
4. Engage employees and train them to be customer-centric. Build a culture in which employees do their best for customers even when they don’t think their boss is watching.
5. Leverage technology to centralize all Voice of Customer (VOC) feedback (social media, ratings and reviews, surveys, online chat). It will help teams identify where to prioritize and what programs to implement that will be most impactful.
If you are not sure how to define Personas, conduct a thorough Journey Map, get user feedback in the most effective ways, or need help choosing the best VOC platform, contact us. We have done it all and can mentor you on the above topics and so much more.
Sign Up for our newsletter to get more tips on DoingCXRight. When you sign up, you’ll get instant access to our free whitepaper.
All opinions expressed on the DoingCXRight Blog and site pages are the authors’ alone and do not reflect the opinions of or imply the endorsement of employers or other organizations.
