A huge 88 percent of companies are now prioritizing customer experience in their contact centers. This is no surprise: research shows that product and price used to hold the key to customer loyalty, but times are changing. Now, consumers value service above all else.
The payment process is a key part of this journey. For contact centers, it’s the moment of truth where the customer commits; and, in many cases, it’s the last thing they remember about a company’s overall service. To make the right impression – and to secure repeat business – companies must make payments count by making the process easy, frictionless and frustration-free.
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1. Take a leaf out of the eCommerce book
We live in an eCommerce-driven world, where one click is all it takes to place and pay for an online order— offering consumers convenient, mobile access to products and services wherever they are and whatever the time of day. It’s no wonder that the seamless payment process and single-click convenience is bringing customers back time and time again, with global eCommerce usage predicted to surpass eight trillion dollars by 2027.
Contact centers need to keep pace. In many cases, contact centers do not offer the same level of payment simplicity, and this causes frustration for customers. Often the payment process is clunky, with the customer passed off to another team to complete their transaction. At best, this is a disjointed process that causes minor dissatisfaction. At worst, customers drop off before call handlers even have a chance to take the payment.
The answer? Smooth, simple payments.
Nine out of ten consumers want an experience that offers seamless service between communication channels. All businesses need to do is apply that logic to the contact center payment process. Avoid transferring calls; provide secure, speedy transactions; and customers will come back.
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2. Keep it consistent
Today, contact centers are engaging with customers over a multitude of channels, from phone calls right through to social media. 75 percent of consumers look for a consistent experience across all channels, with effortless transitions that enable them to change platform at will. 73 percent will look elsewhere if they don’t get the consistency they’re after.
Contact centers need to cater to preference. Different people have different communication preferences. Whether you’re dealing with an older demographic that prefers a phone-based interaction or a millennial who loves mobile, catering to a range of platforms is vital.
However, regardless of a customer’s chosen channel, it’s important to ensure a smooth, integrated payment experience as part of the process. Nobody wants to spend 95 percent of an interaction communicating via instant message, only to be forced onto a phone call at the last minute. Customers will lose patience and may even abandon the process entirely.
‘Consistency’ doesn’t mean ‘carbon copy’. The payment process needs to be consistent, but it also needs to be nuanced to the channel. Digital links work best when paying via online chat sessions, but for phone calls, it’s important to enable customers to key or speak their payment details. It’s also worth considering convenience and accessibility—for example, the ability to speak payment details is vital for customers with a sight impediment, and it also enables hands-free transactions for those who are driving.
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3. Retain the human touch
Automated solutions have improved no end, but three-quarters of consumers still prefer human interaction.
The value of personal connections is not to be underestimated. Despite the huge advances in automated tools, they often lack the empathy and understanding that human interaction provides.
Guiding customers delivers a better experience. A preference for the human touch highlights a golden opportunity for contact centers. Agents invest so much time and effort in building a rapport with customers that it doesn’t make sense to remove them from the process right when it matters most. By making payments a seamless part of the experience, the same agent can conduct the whole interaction from end to end – guiding the customer, providing reassurance in the event of any issues, and boosting the likelihood of a successful transaction.
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4. Nurture confidence and trust
Almost a third of customer stop doing business with a brand after just one bad experience, even if it’s a brand they love.
If a bad experience is payment-related, then it’s hard for companies to rebuild trust. People are understandably protective over their finances, and they want to feel like businesses take their payment security seriously. To maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty, enhanced security measures are a must when it comes to taking transactions.
Cyber concerns are impacting payments. 90 percent of US consumers and 89 percent of UK consumers say personal data security is the most important factor in choosing a payment method. While consumers are largely comfortable with electronic payments, they are increasingly aware of the security risks.
Identity theft and card fraud are a particular worry, highlighting the growing need for robust cybersecurity measures such as encryption, multi-factor authentication and user education to ensure trust and safety in digital transactions.
Trustworthy brands keep customers. Consumers are more likely to select and stay with a brand they trust, especially when that brand demonstrates that they take security very seriously. Ensuring that customers trust the payment process is key. By prioritizing security, ensuring compliance with the highest standards and transparently communicating this commitment to customers, businesses can establish a sense of trust and reliability, ultimately leading to improved CX and stronger customer relationships.
The takeaway? Make CX count: for your customers, and for your staff
The payment process is often the final touchpoint in customer interactions, and it leaves a lasting impression— good or bad.
It’s crucial to ensure the payment experience is seamless, secure and effortlessly integrated into the conversation, enabling customers to complete transactions with minimal frustrations and maximum confidence. However, let’s not forget the agents on the other side of the conversation.
Simplifying the payment process for customer-facing teams is equally important; if agents spend their time grappling with awkward systems and disjointed processes, their attention shifts from serving customers effectively.
Ultimately, the payment process plays a pivotal role in CX, boosting conversions, enhancing trust and keeping customers loyal. Make it count.
