From prospect to evangelist, HubSpot’s customer success managers have a direct impact on the customer experience. They guide new customers through the onboarding process and support them via phone and email throughout the rest of the customer journey. This provides users with a reliable resource they can reach out to whenever they want to learn how to use a product, have a question about a service, or are interested in buying something new from the company.

4. Redesign Your Onboarding.

First impressions can have a big influence on the customer experience, particularly right after a purchase is made. That’s why it’s important to offer an onboarding program where you can teach new customers how to use your product or service. This will ensure new users won’t get frustrated learning your product and won’t abandon it because they feel it’s too complicated or doesn’t fit their needs.

Business Example: Duolingo

Learning a new language takes time and many people give up before they master the language of their choosing. Duolingo understands this challenge and has thus designed its onboarding to optimize customer retention. It has an easy and interactive setup process so you can jump into lessons right away, and it’s daily goal notifications, like the one below, act as a nice reminder to return the app each day.

5. Adopt New Support Channels.

New support channels will always improve the customer experience because it makes your support team more accessible to your customer base. Speed is crucial when it comes to customer service and having plenty of channels for people to communicate with you makes it easier for them to obtain information quickly. And, the better your support is, the better their overall experience will be.

Business Example: Spotify

Spotify uses its Twitter account to respond to questions that followers have when using the app. It also encourages users to request new songs via Twitter so its team knows what type of music to add that the platform doesn’t currently offer. This is a great way for Spotify to not only improve its product but to retain and attract customers as well.

If you’re currently supporting customers via live chat, a great way to innovate their experience is by adding a chatbot to your website. Chatbots automate customer support functions saving time for both the customer and the support agent. Chatbots field basic service inquiries and direct customers to specialists when their problem is more complicated. This creates a balanced support system that appeals to both customers who are in a hurry and those who are looking for a more detailed explanation from your support team.

Business Example: Cleo

Cleo is an AI-powered budget management app that helps people spend their money more efficiently. Cleo’s chatbot gives users advice that can help them meet their daily spending limits and better adhere to their budget. Cleo can even personalize it’s messaging so that it criticizes or praises the user based on whether or not they meet their daily goals.

You can really change up your customer experience by adding gamified elements throughout the pre- and post-purchase journey. Gamification takes regular – often dull – activities and turns them into fun, interactive experiences. This keeps customers engaged with your brand even when you’re asking them to complete menial tasks like filling out a survey or paying a bill.

Business Example: Tim Horton’s

Tim Horton’s recently upgraded its loyalty program to include gamified elements within its mobile app. Now, users can play games and “level up” while they work towards earning rewards that they can redeem at Tim Horton’s restaurants. This is a great way to keep the brand top of mind and encourage customers to return to the business, even though the games don’t directly relate to Tim Horton’s products.