Previously more reactive in consumer relations, now customers often dictate the rules to companies. A study by McKinsey & Company showed, for example, that 71% of users expect personalized interactions from companies, and 76% feel frustrated when this doesn’t happen. In addition to this, a survey by Accenture points out that 91% of consumers are more likely to buy from those who make relevant offers and recommendations tailored to their preferences.
For this reason, companies across various sectors have been investing in improving the customer journey on their platforms. Generally, this path is divided into stages: awareness, consideration, decision, and purchase. By understanding each topic well and offering personalized solutions that fit into their target audience’s daily lives, these companies can better identify the most suitable channel and moment to engage, thereby retaining their users. To give an idea, a Boston Consulting Group study shows that companies leading in Customer Experience (CX) grow 190% more than the average.
However, some mistakes are still made during this process. This can lead to losses and the departure of important customers who do not feel respected or represented by a particular brand. This is evidenced by the Manager’s Yearbook: CX Trends 2024, which shows that 58% of consumers abandon a brand after a negative experience.
Therefore, to educate Brazilian companies on achieving a flawless and seamless customer journey, here are the main mistakes to avoid during this stage:
- Fragmented Approach
Many companies deal with multiple suppliers and contracts when managing the customer journey. Taking financial service providers as an example, there are valuable processes like KYC (Know Your Customer), credit analysis, and even income estimates and predictive assessments.
However, in some cases, this large amount of information ends up being too fragmented, making the process inefficient, as relevant data may be stored in different systems. This leads to rework and hinders the development of more assertive insights. Additionally, using multiple platforms results in high costs for the business.
Here, the most important tip is to centralize everything, preferably by hiring a unified solution that integrates all these capabilities into a single platform. This way, the provider saves time and resources, gaining easier access to relevant information, which optimizes their strategy.
- Lack of Customer Data Updates
To maintain a close relationship with customers, it’s important to stay updated on relevant aspects of their lives, such as the channels they most frequently use for purchases, the products they access most, preferred payment methods, most effective contact methods, etc.
However, many Brazilian companies still don’t invest in gathering this information, which results in actions that drive users away—such as contacting them at inconvenient times, offering products unrelated to their preferences, reaching out through unfamiliar channels, lacking an interaction history, and more.
Research by Connect Shopper points out that only four out of 10 retailers truly know their customers. The same study also shows that around R$12 billion are lost due to misguided offers, with less than 25% of these companies having any basis for targeted strategies.
To address this challenge, there are now AI-driven solutions in the market that, combined with data analysis, provide relevant insights for companies. It’s now possible to go beyond the traditional approach by tracking multichannel interactions, online behavior, tax records, profession, and even relationships with competitors.
- Not Adopting an Omnichannel Strategy
An Opinion Box survey shows that 90% of consumers expect companies to have a multichannel customer service strategy, with 77% stating they have already purchased goods across different channels. Additionally, a Deloitte survey reveals that customers who engage across multiple touchpoints with the same provider tend to spend 82% more than those who stick to only one.
Thus, not investing in an omnichannel strategy can harm the business, driving potential customers away due to feeling undervalued. By integrating communication across multiple channels, companies boost customer satisfaction and, as a bonus, offer a more personalized shopping experience, reducing friction and increasing loyalty.
Just for context, a McKinsey & Company survey shows that companies investing in omnichannel see a 10% increase in market share.
