In Episode 15 of TheCustomer News, Rafer & company highlight the latest news & issues affecting customer engagement, customer loyalty, and customer experience.
AMAZON LOOSENING VENDOR RESTRICTIONS
IN A STUNNING MOVE AMAZON, WILL NOW ALLOW BRANDS TO CONNECT DIRECTLY WITH SELLERS. THE ON-LINE SELLER IS ADDING A FOLLOW BUTTON FOR CUSTOMERS TO FOLLOW MERCHANTS DIRECTLY WHICH THEY SAY WILL IMPROVE THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE. MIKE, WE TALK ABOUT CX. NOW EVEN AMAZON IS GETTING IN ON IT.
Look, the biggest problem with Amazon and really, any of the other brand new sales aggregators (UberEats, DoorDash, etc.) is that in the process of creating those sales, they have effectively “stolen” providers’ customer relationships. Think about it – Joe’s Pizza gets an order through UberEats but loses the direct relationship they once had with their customer.
Amazon’s move – although restrained in its current form, is a huge change in the way vendors who sell through Amazon, can still have something of a relationship with their customers. It’s a big shift.
BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE = ROI
THE PANDEMIC PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON CUSTOMER SERVICE AND NOW 58 PERCENT OF CUSTOMERS SAY THE PANDEMIC RAISED THEIR STANDARDS FOR C-S. IN THE PAST PUTTING MONEY IN A-I, AUTOMATION AND BETTER C-S REP TRAINING WAS VIEWED AS A COST. NOW COMPANIES VIEW IT AS AN INVESTMENT.
This might be mostly about semantics but I think they are important semantics. Traditionally, because CX doesn’t often have a direct line to revenue, its viewed as a cost center. The article makes the case though, that the weight and importance of CE & CX as front-line brand touch points, should qualify them technically as a little closer to profit centers.
DECLUTTERING STACKS MAKES CENTS
WITH A GROWING NUMBER OF CHANNELS, MARTECH STACKS ARE GETTING MORE CLUTTERED. MANAGERS ARE GETTING BOMBARDED WITH PITCHES FROM VENDORS? SO HOW TO MAKE SENSE OF YOUR STACKS? ONE APPROACH, THE SAME APPLIED TO AN EPISODE OF ‘HOARDERS”, CLEAN OUT THE CLUTTER TO INSPIRE JOY? MIKE, HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN/
Remember Marie Kondo? If it doesn’t bring you joy, then get rid of it? Her ethos was the meme of the year two years ago. Interesting that marketers are now viewing their efforts through those same lenses. Does this messaging bring joy to the conversation? Does it inspire something good? Or is it just more clutter? I love the fact that we’re now talking more about the emotional reasons we communicate rather than just the rational ones. Lots to talk about here.
