Baking a CEM Cake-the Key Ingredients

Developing and executing a strategy for delivering memorable customer experiences is a lot like baking a cake. To bake a really tasty cake you need basic ingredients like eggs, milk and flour, but you must also add special ingredients; the ones that give the cake its character and a unique flavor. Likewise, to create a really memorable customer experience you need to provide all the appropriate information in a timely and professional manner, then go further to make your service stand out. 

And just as it is true in baking a cake, how you mix the ingredients makes all the difference when providing customer care. Imagine if you simply put all of the ingredients in a cake pan and then placed it in the oven without blending them, or even worse, imagine putting all of the ingredients in a bowl and serving them without blending OR baking! 

So how do you make every customer experience memorable? For starters, you must always deliver the basic ingredients like "knowing your customer." All customer information from all sources within your organization has to be available at each and every interaction, whether that is servicing an existing account or advising the customer about a new product. 

Another key ingredient is personalizing each interaction-no cookie cutter product pitches. Using knowledge about your customer to make product offers that are meaningful is fundamental to cultivating a personal relationship.  

Your team must also never ask the customer for information that your institution already possesses. Whether servicing a request or presenting a personalized offer, your representatives have to be able to view, in a consolidated format, all of the customers' previous interactions, account relationships and personalized messages at any service channel. 

Once your organization is positioned to consistently deliver these basics of good customer service you can focus on the special ingredients. So what things constitute special ingredients? Things that make the customer feel appreciated and demonstrate that you understand their needs. You want customers to expect that they will receive efficient and friendly service every time they walk into a branch or interact with the institution via self-service channels; and, be helped by representatives that have in-depth product knowledge and understand their specific relationship with the institution. 

As mentioned, it's also about blending these special ingredients, and well-trained staff is the key to achieving a perfect mix. You must motivate and incent staff to create for each customer a memorable experience (referral tracking and ownership for example should be fundamental within your customer care infrastructure) and reward them for going above and beyond-in doing so you will establish a service-based culture.  

Finally, if your representatives have access to detailed information sources - including product experts and back office support - and are equipped with the tools and good documentation they need to meet any customer request, they will provide the "icing on the cake" that will satisfy your customers' sweet tooths and keep them coming back.