The 4 barriers to meaningful consumer conversations

Why is it so difficult to establish a successful dialogue between a company and its consumers?

If Paul Watzlawick’s famous phrase is true, that one cannot not communicate, succeeding in maintaining an effective and meaningful dialogue is generally more difficult than one might think.

In this article, Olivier Njamfa of Eptica raises 4 barriers to fluid conversations between companies and their consumers:

1. Scale

The volume of requests that companies receive daily makes it particularly difficult to respond quickly and consistently through relevant conservations.

Artificial intelligence, especially Natural Language Processing (NLP), can prove useful in performing an initial analysis of customer requests and feedback. It can thus be easier to prioritize the  responses provided, for example in the case of managing detractors.

2. Lack of knowledge

In the face of increasingly complex customer questions, front-line employees sometimes struggle to collect the information that is required, which is a barrier to the flow of customer conversations.

Centralizing knowledge on the company and a culture of transparency are essential in ensuring meaningful conversations.

3. Inability to get a holistic view

From one moment to the next and from one platform to another, the conversation must continue without interruption. In other words, a customer should not have to repeat the same elements when changing channels of communication within a company.

Currently, a multi-channel and customized customer experience is now an expectation more than an advantage and its absence will be more noticeable (and will make more noise) than its presence.

4. Lack of customer intelligence

On digital channels, unstructured data acts like your customers’ non-verbal language. It is important to analyze this data in order to truly understand customers’ needs, expectations and pain points regarding your company’s or your products or services.

This article’s author sums it up well: “A loyal customer is one who feels understood and appreciated.” Do you know how your customers perceive what you are doing for them? Contact us to find out how Lanla can help you with the measurement and interpretation of your customer experience data.