Supporting Customers As You Transition Into The Digital Space

No matter whether we want it to or not, the world seems to go more and more in a digital direction each and every day. As we as individuals must all adapt to the ever-changing new ways in which we live, companies too must be prepared for the shift in how we all work and operate together. Many activities we previously performed in person, like going into our local bank branch to make a deposit, can now be done in mere seconds digitally within the mobile apps on our phones or tablets.

Confidently, many tech-savvy customers will effortlessly be capable of navigating on their own as they encounter new online experiences, devices and systems. For others however, they might not be quite as well-equipped to adjust to the ongoing shift, and in fact, they may even feel a bit overwhelmed or intimidated by new digital services or offerings. So let’s try and help create a smooth transition for all here. These are a few tips for businesses to remember as they move more elements of their operations into the digital space, bringing their customers along for the ride, and how they can best support them in this journey.

Provide clear, early and frequent communication to your customers when new operational changes are on the horizon.

As any component of your operation is preparing to transition into the digital landscape, provide your existing customers with a notification that changes are coming down the pike. The more heads up you give your customers, and the more informed they become as a result, the less likely they are to be shocked, confused or frustrated when the actual change does in fact go into effect.

Proactively engage with customers via mail, email, announcements on your websites, apps and social media accounts, relaying the necessary information to them that new changes are around the corner. Provide a consistent and frequent stream of communication of upcoming new changes at all touchpoints of contact. This will help create a clear and digestible message in educating your customers. The more we see something, the more palatable it becomes to us.

Remember that humans in general don’t usually prefer change. We crave stability, we like the familiar. “We are hardwired to resist change. Part of the brain—the amygdala—interprets change as a threat and releases the hormones for fear, fight, or flight. Your body is actually protecting you from change.

That is why so many people in an organization, when presented with a new initiative or idea—even a good one, with tons of benefits—will resist it.” (Chris Pennington, consulting manager via emerson.com)

The greater you can prepare customers for the shift coming their way, and the more you make it feel recognizable to them before the actual implementation, the more likely they are to feel comfortable with the new experience. Furthermore, this will help prepare your customers for additional changes that may be required to come later on down the road. As with all things digital and tech, operating details are sure to evolve as we move forward and the times change. Gaining the confidence of your customers early on will be invaluable for future updates with which you’ll need to provide to them.

Tell customers why the switch to digital will benefit them.

Let your customers know all the ways this new digital offering is going to improve their lives and their overall user experience. By highlighting past and current successes in your CX, this affords you the possibility to remind your customers just how great your offerings are and why they prefer your services over other competitors in the first place. It helps inspire faith that the change in which you're embarking upon is going to be a positive for them. They know you’ve done it before, and perhaps some will even become excited that you’re about to improve their lives yet again.

Moreover, consider providing your customers with a few examples of other companies that have gone digital in certain operational areas and how it’s benefited their customers. By showing similar use cases, it will help build trust and confidence that the switch you are executing is going to be a positive one for your customers as well.

An easy example to think about here is Netflix. Back in the day, they would ship DVDs to our homes, which would take a few days to arrive. Of course they made the switch to digital, and all of a sudden, we could gain access to all sorts of content without ever leaving our couch. It was a win for us as customers. 

“The shift from mail-in orders to a cloud streaming service improved customer satisfaction and made Netflix billions.

The company’s move to the cloud came with a hike in customer loyalty and a brand that competitors still fight tooth and nail to beat in the market.” (Veronica Krieg via sharpencx.com)

Similarly, consider the numerous food services and restaurants that have gone digital in the last decade and how much it’s impacted all of us. For example, I’ve used the Domino’s online ordering system and their Domino’s Tracker several times over the past few years. It’s been wonderful to pick out exactly the items I desire, order it online and then be able to see when it’s scheduled to arrive, all without ever having to call or speak with a representative at a physical location. I can also confirm my order details since it’s all listed directly on my digital screen. A lesser chance exists that a person on the other end may mishear my order through the phone. As a result, there’s a greater likelihood that I am going to be satisfied with an accurate order as a customer.

By providing just one or two instances of similar business successes to your customers, this will give them enough information to recognize that your new implementation is going to be a win for them. Chances are, most people will be able to connect the dots fairly easily between their past experiences with other brands and the one which you are about to implement into your offerings / services. The thought is that it’s been proven before, so why wouldn’t it work now too?

Provide incentives to join or to “check out” the new digital options and services.

Provide your existing customers with incentives to jump on board the new digital opportunities that you’re offering to them. Something like, “Get a free membership upgrade by logging in by X date,” gives people a reason to join in. You can use similar tactics to engage new customers in your marketing promotions via email or social media apps as well. The earlier you get more customers over to your digital services, the sooner you can then gain data and user feedback, giving you the knowledge to realize how to scale your technology as you progress forward. In addition, remember that the more touchpoints and number of times that you’re able to connect with your customers, the more opportunities you’ll have to create a positive digital engagement relationship with them, setting you up to more seamlessly offer future changes to your patrons.

Provide customer support services to guide customers along the transition.

Even under the best of circumstances, where you’re able to provide your customers with a clear message about your upcoming changes, there may be some who still remain a bit wary or who have particular questions about certain aspects of the new plan. Providing an open lane of communication here is key.

By offering robust customer support systems, you can guide them along more effectively, eliminating many of their pain points. Resources like online how-to-guides via PDF or PowerPoint, video tutorials, or even live virtual classes (where customers are given the opportunity to ask questions in real time) showing how to best utilize the digital services, are all excellent tools for helping people become familiar with and comprehending how their experience will be going forward.

Furthermore, you could even provide a helpline via phone support or chatbot option on your websites and apps to handle inquiries specifically for the new digital offerings. To that end, it is essential to train your agents on the new digital systems’ ins and outs. Depending on the volume that may come in, it may be wise to set aside or even hire new agents trained specifically for the purpose of dedicating support to those customers needing guidance on the new digital services. If the planned digital transformation will truly improve customer relationships and operational efficiency, such a short-term transition cost would undoubtedly be worth it.

All of these techniques also provide you with an opportunity to guide your customers into new areas exactly where you wish for them to go. At various locations along the learning experience, there are chances for you to educate your customers on other offerings your company may have elsewhere.

Follow up with customers to check in on their experience.

Remember to follow through and guide your patrons along each step of their customer journey. Set aside a future time frame after they have made the switch to the digital offering to follow up with them to inquire how their experience has been thus far. A personalized phone call or email one month after the switch over can go a long way in making your customers feel that you really do care about them and their experience.

Another option would be to offer an online survey via email or app, directly eliciting responses from your customers on their thoughts about the new experience. You could even throw in an incentive here to engage them and thank them for their efforts. Something like, “Answer these five questions for a chance to win $100 in our next raffle,” could greatly help to spur engagement.

In addition, the more information you can gain from your customers on their personal experiences, the more data you’ll have to make adjustments to your digital services as you move forward. Knowing what customers liked and disliked, and truly understanding how their experience has been with the transition, can be invaluable information for you to take back to your future idea and brainstorming meetings. 

By following up, it also provides you with an opportunity to thank your customers for sticking with you and enduring this new change. Small gestures like this make your customers feel appreciated. They may not seem like much on the surface, but altogether over time, they can add up to help create a more customer centric and positive experience.

Summing it all up.

Digital is clearly here, and the world is only going to accelerate more in this direction. Utilize a bit of your energy and resources to ensure that your customers are aware of any changes you're planning on implementing. Next, provide them with the resources they need to be able to fully understand, adapt and engage with the new service / offerings. Finally, remember to follow up with your customers to help them feel supported. Also use this time to help you acquire knowledge on how to improve your future offerings for customers. Remember that by fully engaging with your customers from the onset, all the way through the end of their journey, you will earnestly provide them with the customer experience they truly deserve.