Do you want to know more about your clients and enhance their interactions with your brand, organization, or business? One of the best ways to get important insights into the requirements and expectations of your customers is through marketing research conducted through a contact center. Let’s investigate how to analyze User Experience (UX) at a contact center and obtain insightful data. We will discuss:
- User Experience (UX): What is it?
- Examples of UX in different industries.
- The difference between User Experience (UX) and Customer Experience (CX).
- The importance and key components of UX.
- Technologies and methods to assess UX through a contact center.
Make sure to read the entire article since we’ll include the top 10 questions you can use in your UX customer surveys should ask at the end.
What is User Experience?
User Experience (UX) is the combination of sensations, emotions, and impressions a person experiences while interacting with a product, service, or system. It is not just about functionality, but a holistic experience that encompasses all aspects of a user’s interaction with a product, from initial contact to long-term use.
Since UX is a broad concept, its interpretation may vary slightly across different sources. For instance, the international standard ISO 9241-211 defines UX as “a combination of perceptions, reactions, behaviors, and achievements of the user related to the use of a product or system.”
Nielsen Norman Group, a company specializing in user experience research, emphasizes that “UX is not only about how the user interacts with the product, but also about how they feel while doing so.”
Instances of UX in Various Industries
User experience is gained by people interacting with any industry. For example, in the software or IT sector, factors like data security, ease of registration, and intuitive interface might affect the user experience. Check out the mobile app for your bank! Is it easy to navigate between your accounts? Can you transfer money and make payments with a few clicks?
Or imagine you’ve switched to a new mobile carrier plan. In this case, your user experience will consist of signal stability, internet speed, additional services, and the ability to manage your plan independently via your personal account or mobile app.
UX is also felt when utilizing any kind of goods, be it a car or a pair of shoes. You may find a product or service more enticing or less appealing depending on its design, simplicity of use, and degree to which it satisfies the parameters discussed during the sale.
What’s the Difference Between User Experience (UX) and Customer Experience (CX)?
User Experience (UX) and Customer Experience (CX) are closely related. Both concepts deal with how users and customers interact with a product or company, but their scopes differ:
User Experience (UX) focuses on the user’s interaction with a specific product, service, or system. The emphasis is on usability, functionality, and meeting the user’s needs during the interaction with a particular interface, software, or digital environment.
Customer Experience (CX) encompasses the entire experience a customer has when interacting with a company or brand at all stages—from the first contact to post-sales support. It covers all touchpoints, including marketing, sales, customer support, and service.
How Are UX and CX Connected?
UX and CX metrics influence each other. A positive user experience contributes to a strong CX because if a product or service is easy and enjoyable to use, it will enhance the overall customer experience. However, if a customer receives poor service (for example, delays in delivery or rude agents in a contact center), even an excellent UX won’t compensate for the bad customer experience.
The Importance and Components of User Experience
Why is User Experience (UX) so important?
Firstly, a good UX makes users happy. When people are satisfied with their interaction with a product, they become loyal customers. This means they are more likely to return and recommend your product to others.
Secondly, UX directly impacts sales. Products that are intuitive and enjoyable to use are in higher demand. Customers are willing to pay more for things that bring them satisfaction.
Thirdly, a well-designed UX reduces the number of errors in product or service usage. When a software interface is clear, users are less likely to contact support, improving the overall experience with the company that developed the product.
Components of User Experience
The main components of UX that define a product or service are:
- Usability (the product should be easy to learn and efficient to use, enabling users to achieve their goals with minimal effort).
- Desirability (the visual design, branding, and emotional appeal should make the product attractive and enjoyable to use).
- Accessibility (the product should be usable by people with a wide range of abilities and disabilities, ensuring inclusivity).
- Findability (users should be able to easily find what they need, whether it’s information or features, through intuitive navigation and search functionality).
- Credibility (the product should be trustworthy, with reliable content and functionality that fosters confidence).
- Usefulness (the product must provide value to users by addressing their needs and solving relevant problems).
UX Surveys through Contact Centers: An Effective Data Collection Tool
The practice of conducting UX surveys through contact centers is quite common, especially among large companies. It allows for gathering high-quality feedback from customers in real time, providing deeper insights into their experience with a product or service.
The advantages of UX surveys conducted through contact centers include:
- Flexibility, meaning the ability to ask follow-up questions and adapt the survey to each specific customer;
- High-quality data, as live communication allows for more detailed information about the customer’s emotions and feelings;
- Speed of data collection, enabling a large number of responses to be gathered in a relatively short time;
- Ability to explore complex topics, as complicated questions can be clarified or broken down into simpler ones.
Technologies and Methods Used in UX Research in Contact Centers
Computerized Telephone Surveys (CATI)
Modern contact centers widely utilize various technologies to gather data on user experience. One effective method is Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI). This survey, conducted over the phone, involves an agent who, while communicating with the respondent, asks questions from a questionnaire and enters their answers into a database through a software interface. Surveys are conducted based on a pre-prepared script, which helps standardize the process and collect necessary information quickly and accurately.
Outbound IVR Surveys
Another popular technology is Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems. Outbound IVR services makes calls to a customer database using an auto-dialer. Customers receive a call and respond independently to pre-recorded questions in the system, using voice commands or the phone keypad. This method allows surveys to be conducted without the involvement of agents, significantly saving time.
UX Surveys via Email Campaigns
This method allows companies to send users surveys requesting them to evaluate their experience with a product or service. Emails enable the inclusion of detailed questions, links to questionnaires, or the integration of surveys directly into the email text.
Integration with CRM
Integration with CRM systems enhances the effectiveness of surveys through personalization. Data collected during user experience surveys can be easily analyzed in the context of previous interactions with customers, helping companies better understand consumer needs.
Mobile Apps, SMS, and Chatbots on Website
Communication through SMS, mobile apps, and chatbots also plays a vital role in conducting short surveys. They allow for quick feedback directly from customers, which is convenient for both parties—the business and the user.
Conversation Analytics
Call transcription and conversation analytics in contact centers represent another innovative approach to collecting information about user experiences. By analyzing recorded phone conversations, it is possible to identify keywords, phrases, and customer emotions, providing deep insights into their mood and satisfaction with the product or service.
10 Best Questions to Learn About User Experience and Gain Valuable Insights
Marketing research on user experience helps companies better understand the needs and expectations of customers, identify weaknesses in service, and optimize products and services to enhance satisfaction levels. But how can you determine whether the experience was good or bad? What and how should you ask to receive the most relevant answers?
As promised, here are the 10 essential questions that you must include in your UX surveys.
- How did you first learn about the product/service?
Users’ responses to this question will help you understand which channels were most effective in converting the target audience into customers, allowing you to know where to focus your marketing efforts.
2. What do you intend to use the product/service for?
Knowing how customers use your product will allow you to see which features or options they liked the most or least. You can then focus on improving your product for the most popular use cases identified in the survey.
3. Which of our competitors did you consider before choosing us?
This question will help you learn which companies are on your customers’ radar, which can be useful for your further competitive research.
4. What made you choose us over our competitors?
One of the best questions to help you develop the strengths of your product/service and make improvements in its weak areas.
5. How would you describe our product/service in one word or sentence?
An open-ended question that will be most useful for your marketing department, allowing them to compare customer responses with your positioning.
6. How do you feel about our company/brand?
When you ask this question, you give your customers the opportunity to freely share their feelings and emotions. By analyzing the responses through transcription, you can gain a real understanding of their attitudes toward your business.
7. How easy was it for you to use the product/service or a specific feature?
The traditional Customer Effort Score (CES) remains relevant. Read more about it in our article “What is Customer Effort Score (CES)?”
8. If you could improve one aspect/feature, what would it be?
The answer to this question helps identify the areas for product or service improvement that are most important to users.
9. How likely are you to recommend the product/service to others?
There is an opinion that a feedback system for your business should be built beyond the Net Promoter Score (NPS), but how else can you quickly gather data about your customers’ loyalty?
10. How satisfied were you with your recent experience with our support team?
This question serves as a clear indicator of customer satisfaction with your support team.
User Experience: Conclusions
Customer marketing surveys conducted through contact centers are a powerful tool for collecting quality information about their needs and expectations. Analyzing the data obtained allows for the optimization of customer service processes, increasing their loyalty and boosting business profitability. Moreover, customer surveys allow for measuring their satisfaction levels and loyalty to the brand.
Global Bilgi offers comprehensive contact center outsourcing services and can assist your business in conducting customer surveys. We have many years of experience in customer interactions and utilize the latest technologies for data collection and analysis. If you need to conduct a survey on customer loyalty, user experience, or customer satisfaction index, please fill out our feedback form. We are ready to provide you with a customized solution that meets your needs.