Gegham Azatyan, cofounded Dexatel in 2015, innovating in CPaaS and omnichannel solutions for secure business growth.
How many times have you heard the saying “put your customers first” in your life? Businesses that do this often have the winning card in a competitive game. In the software service sector, customers expect everything to run smoothly. Meanwhile, agency clients trust their providers to treat them like royalty. And don’t even get me started on the food business.
One solution that goes hand-in-hand with a customer-first approach is CPaaS (communications platform as a service). As cofounder of a company that specializes in CPaaS technology, I’ve seen how a range of communication tools and APIs can help businesses deliver personalized communications across multiple channels.
Why does a customer-first strategy matter?
A study by Forrester reveals that companies that take a customer-first approach can get a return on investment of around 700% over 12 years—that’s 700, not 70.
With a customer-first strategy, your priority is experience and loyalty to your brand. You care how customers feel about your product. And then you actually act on it.
But to really put them first, you must understand their pain points. Don’t create something just to sell it. Make sure it resonates with your audience.
And every department—from customer service to business development—should fall under the customer-first umbrella one way or another.
A customer-first approach can have different meanings across departments.
When it comes to sales, a customer-first strategy begins with actively understanding the needs of your clients. Your focus must extend beyond individual transactions. Long-term relationships should be your priority.
A customer-centric strategy in marketing starts with customer segmentation and personalized engagement. You must dive into customer data to segment them—only then can you tailor campaigns that resonate with different demographics.
Simultaneously, you should also listen to what your customers have to say. Besides gathering feedback, you also analyze it to make adjustments. All this is complemented by ongoing evergreen content—focus on addressing the needs, challenges and preferences of your target audience.
The customer service department implements this approach differently. Your frontline employees must have the authority and resources to solve problems efficiently—but that’s not all. You also want to be proactive in your support and keep a close eye on how your products are performing—jump in to help before your customers even realize they’ve got a problem. This is where omnichannel support can help—with consistent customer service across email, social media and live chat, you meet customers wherever they are.
The product development department prioritizes incorporating customer feedback into every stage of the product lifecycle. Conducting user testing gathers insights and identifies potential improvements before full-scale production. Meanwhile, the IT department focuses on developing technological infrastructure that supports seamless customer interactions. CRM systems, data analytics tools and other technologies can help with providing efficient customer support.
How can founders implement a customer-first approach?
Your vision should be ingrained in your company’s mission and values. It’s how you’ll demonstrate top management’s commitment.
Make sure your customer-centric objectives are embedded in your strategy and operational plans. You want to allocate resources for improving CX, whether it’s investing in tools, employee training or anything else.
Do not underestimate the role of technology, either. Whether it’s CRM systems, data analytics tools or robust feedback mechanisms, choose tools that help you better serve your customers. Keep an eye on performance and establish metrics to track customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention.
Take customer-centricity to another level with CPaaS.
Implementing a customer-centric approach comes with challenges when you don’t have an organized system in place. How will you manage communications? A centralized platform—a CPaaS solution—can help.
CPaaS offers special features and personalized interactions across all touchpoints—omnichannel communications, AI-driven insights and more. When you offer various communication channels like SMS or messaging apps, you’re making it convenient for your audience to connect with you.
CX is no exception here—customers love personalization. Almost every operation in a company will be for the ultimate purpose of satisfying the customer.
How do you implement a CPaaS solution?
Start by defining your business needs and setting clear goals. Then, choose the right provider. When it comes to integration, make sure to implement thorough testing and collaborative deployment.
Once that’s out of the way, apply the technology at every level. In the customer service department, this means simplifying how you communicate with clients—merging different channels like SMS, email, social media and live chat into one system.
Use CPaaS tools to upgrade your strategies for the marketing department too. Leverage automated surveys and IVR systems to gain insights to refine campaigns. You can also deliver personalized marketing communications based on customer behavior—this can drive engagement and conversion.
Don’t forget that CPaaS serves as the foundation for integrating various communication technologies in the IT department. Simplify issue resolution by integrating ticketing systems with real-time communication tools.
Integration with existing systems can be a challenge when it comes to adopting CPaaS technologies. For decision-makers, I suggest involving engineers in the selection process. This collaborative approach helps you choose a provider that offers detailed API documentation and necessary tools for integration with current CRM or CMS platforms.
Another consideration—particularly for enterprises—is providing extensive security measures against threats like artificially inflated traffic (AIT) and other fraud practices. Prioritize security measures when you select a CPaaS provider, and look for string protection mechanisms.
Measure, measure and measure again.
Implementing CPaaS can improve performance monitoring and adaptability, keeping companies agile, responsive and aligned with customer expectations.
To make the most of your platform, measure its impact on CX and business performance. Pay attention to the CSAT, NPS, response times, interaction frequency and channel preferences.
From a business performance point of view, tracking KPIs like conversion rates, customer retention, repeat business and revenue growth lets you quantify and justify your investment decisions.
Establishing feedback loops also helps you gather insights directly from customers and understand what they need. You must also assess your company’s adaptability to market changes so you can prioritize your customers and spot emerging trends.
Using communication solutions for financial metrics offers valuable insights into how revenue correlates with customer satisfaction. This way, you directly connect financial outcomes to strategies aimed at enhancing customer satisfaction and retention—you get to identify which customer segments contribute the most to revenue generation.
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