Introduction
“Customer experience or CX” influences development of customer perception towards provided services and products by an organisation. It determines brand reputation along with prompting brand loyalty and encouragement for brand advocacy. This study aims to provide an overview of relevant contribution of customer experience in Samsung mobiles while identifying consumer persona creation factors for this organisation. This study would highlight development of a customer journey map as well as describing importance of using omnichannel marketing integrating business operations for increasing sales. Furthermore, it would represent CX processes in Samsung and its market competitors such as Marks and Spencer’s in creating better customer service through determining success factors.
Importance of customer experience
Figure 1: Importance of customer experience
(Source: Influenced by Siqueira et al. 2020)
Customer experience is a summarisation of customer feeling and perceptions developed towards a brand through interaction with brands services. As per the study by Siqueira et al. (2020), customer experience refers to business activities focusing on creating better activities for increasing engagement from customers. This includes assisting customers from marketing, advertising, sales to technical support activities creating a holistic and positive customer experience in long term. An integrated system of product development, customer-centric marketing and advertising along with an effective CRM system and customer service possesses crucial support on creating a positive CX.
A positive customer experience improves scope for businesses to meet customer experience and inspire buyers in purchasing activities. As mentioned by Zolkiewski et al. (2017), an effective CX improves relationship between customer and businesses resulting in a loyal customer base in long term. A loyal customer base has a tendency to buy from their trusted brand, irrespective of pricing policy while requiring low investment in marketing other activities for attracting them. Hence, improving customer experience would benefit an organisation for a constant sales number and increasing revenue in a sustainable manner. However, lack of availability of unbiased data and error in providing quality service would negatively impact on creating a positive customer experience benefiting business operations.
Maintaining quality of support provided to a customer and a quick respite system is an important part of creating an effective CX positively impacting business operations. As poised by Siqueira et al. (2020), development of an effective integration strategy while including advanced technology simplifies measurement process for businesses. Samsung focusing on creating a better customer support system while introducing technologically advanced products analysing relevant data and meeting customer needs. This would be advantageous for Samsung in creating a better customer experience and measuring its success in future. Other than this, high competition in market providing similar and higher quality products would challenge Samsung for developing a better CX experience in this tech organisation.
Consumer persona creation
Figure 2: Consumer persona creation
(Source: Inspired by An et al. 2018)
“Consumer persona creation” is described as a structured and semi-functional archetype that helps in representing a larger number of customers of a business. As identified by An et al. (2018), development of a persona creation includes data from user research and analytics from web for gaining insight into a targeted customer base. It represents commonly identified demographic and psychometric factors affecting business operations in a structured manner evaluating real life consumer data. Advantage of using persona creation is that it provides a clear understanding of customer segments and creates an effective marketing strategy efficiently. Besides, it would guide through development of better products and service according to needs of a targeted customer base. However, misleading interpretation of data collected from customers would reflect in creating false and inaccurate customer behaviour. This would manipulate marketing and advertising process while negatively impacting on operation process of business.
| Identified consumer persona of Samsung | Demographics and story | Profile | Motivations for using a Samsung mobile | Goals for using a Samsung | Pain Points a Samsung mobile solves |
| Outgoing and aspiration. | Young generation commonly aged between 15 to 45 years. | Enthusiastic in using latest technology and heavy consumer of digital media. | Following celebrities’ trends and aspired lifestyles using same technology. | Flashy and luxurious lifestyle as their aspired influencers, | Slow responsiveness, overheating, high power consumption. |
Table 1: Consumer Persona Creation
(Source: Created by Author)
Mapping customer journey
Figure 3: Mapping customer journey
(Source: Influenced by Rosenbaum et al. 2017)
“Mapping customer journey” is a crucial process of identification of consumer expectation and creating a better activity for increasing customer base. As suggested by Rosenbaum et al. (2017), developing customer-centric products supports optimization process of customer experiences. Inclusion of personalised products and service along with creating an effective interaction channel would guide through alignment of customer engagement to achieve organisational objectives. However, extensive focus on value creation and positive experience throughout journey of customers would challenge management of bottom line factors in Samsung. This would lead to decreasing resourcefulness and financial support for improving customer experiences.
| Stages of journey | Awareness | Consideration | Decisions | Service | Advocacy |
| Activities | Marketing and advertising in traditional and digital platforms. | Characteristic and features in provides product and services. | Online or offline shopping. | Email, support and other facilities. | Review and feedback. |
| Feelings and needs | Getting a product similar to advertised would create a satisfying feeling while gaining support in required time would determine positive CX holistically. | ||||
| Potential opportunities for improvement | Effective advertising and viability of relevant information. | Common issues faced by consumers. | Online and offline support system. | Both online and offline customer service systems. | Review and feedback. |
Table 2: Mapping Customer Journey
(Source: Created by Author)
Omnichannel marketing
Omnichannel marketing is process of providing complete seamless and integrated experience of shopping to customers. In Omnichannel marketing, each channel works together to create unified message, brand, and voice of an organisation. According to Payne et al. (2017), Omnichannel marketing can be also defined as multi-channel sales approach for improving customer satisfaction. For instance, a customer can shop either from online stores through mobile or computer or in brick & mortar stores and the experience would be seamless. So, it is sufficient for enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. Leading organizations like Amazon and Starbucks use Omnichannel marketing techniques (Forbes, 2021). In case of Samsung Mobiles, using Omnichannel marketing helps remain competitive and relevant in UK’s smartphone industry.
Figure 4: Omnichannel marketing
(Source: Payne et al. 2017)
Role of interaction and customisation in Omnichannel marketing
Omnichannel marketing approach includes multi-channel stage which is curated for providing an optimum shopping experience to customers. Advertising strategy in such marketing approach is based on interaction and customer behaviour. However, Omnichannel marketing does not include a universal brand experience. Omnichannel is defined as future of customer interaction (Cui et al. 2021). Businesses that develop Omnichannel customer experience treat customer interaction in multiple channels. Use smartphones, social media, and chatbot are made for interacting with customers. So, it plays vital role in understanding demand of customers. Whether customers are satisfied with product or service can be also determined by help of customer interaction. This marketing strategy includes Omnichannel personalisation which is a data-driven effort. Customisation plays an important role in providing personalised experience to customers with help of different sale channels. Presence of interaction and customisation help in bringing all customer touchpoints together (Pagani et al. 2019). Using such strategy would be helpful for Samsung to enhance sale of Smartphones in UK. For instance, Samsung can communicate all interactions across different channels, so consumers can shop for smartphones in one minute and make purchases off an email alert declaring sales based on browsing history.
Different marketing channels used and analyse effectiveness of Samsung in achieving seamless customer journey
Marketing channels include different organizations, people, and activities required for transferring ownership of goods from producer to customer. Different marketing channels are content marketing, website marketing, pay-per-click marketing, social media, email, and word-of-mouth marketing (Krizanova et al. 2019). These channels were used by Samsung for providing an integrated customer experience while offering smartphones in UK. Key objective of Samsung is to maintain a customer-centric image in market and maximise resource capability. Using these marketing channels has helped Samsung mobile in achieving seamless customer journey. For instance, the company uses competitive pricing techniques, integrated selling methods, and customer loyalty programs for enhancing customer satisfaction. The company maintains an adventurous branding image and utilises art & creativity in marketing. This has allowed Samsung mobiles to put customer relationships first. Target audience of Samsung mobile is people aged 15-45 who follow technological trends (Samsung, 2021). So, understanding target customers and buyer’s experience helped Samsung in understanding customers’ mentality in online/offline shopping. Thus, Samsung mobile successfully achieves seamless customer journey in UK.
CX performance metrics
Customer experience (CX) performance matrix is layered approach that includes data gathering and in-depth user interviews at key points of contact. As per Lammervo (2021), CX performance Metrics act as KPIs business follows which includes customers’ input. It helps in assessing satisfaction and loyalty of customers. It includes usage of matrices like Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), and Customer Effort Score (CES).
Figure 5: CX Performance Metrics KPIs
(Source: Lammervo, 2021)
Critical evaluation of CX performance metrics
CSAT: It is one of the most used CX matrices. Most common scale of customer satisfaction is a 1 to 5 rating. In case of one-time transaction, it acts as a useful approach for understanding customer satisfaction. As per Amegbe and Osakwe (2018), CSAT can be adapted according to needs of organisation. It is very simple and easy to implement and fast for consumers to answer. It is usually used for evaluating efficiency of customer service department. But, it is not useful for gaining brief understanding of whether the product/service is up to requirements of customers.
NPS: It is useful CX metrics used in global organisations. Under NPS, companies ask short and simple answers for questions that help in tracking efficiency of products/services. It acts as customer loyalty and satisfaction measurement approach. A consumer can rate the likelihood that they would recommend an organization’s product or services. However, this matrix does not provide sufficient support for improving business performance.
CLV: CLV includes net profit attributable to entire future relationship of consumer. It can be calculated as value over defined period or business value that consumers bring during whole time of relationship (Özyörük and Kavak, 2017). It can be useful for identifying profitability from each customer. But, it is based on predictions that can be incorrect.
CES: Customer effort score is a customer experience metric that identifies how easy it is for a customer to conduct transaction with an organization. Moreover, it is a pure transactional matrix that supports the simplicity of single solution. It is generally done with help of customer effort 1-10 score scale (McGinley and Cubbage, 2017). It helps in analysing whether good customer services are provided to customers or not. However, it only focuses on services provided to customers and not on overall business performance.
Justified recommendation of two metrics for Samsung mobiles
CX metrics act as KPIs for enhancing performance of organisations. An organization can determine whether its customer is loyal and satisfied or not with help of CX metrics. In case of Samsung Mobile, using Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS) would be relevant. By using NPS, Samsung can conduct surveys on its customer for analysing whether the products and services are up to requirements or not. Besides, efficiency of after-sale services provided by Samsung mobile in UK can also be determined. Besides, customer expectations from products and services of Samsung can be analysed with the help of Customer Satisfaction metrics.
CX processes in different industries
CX process helps an organization in managing customer experience by using different matrices. These matrices help in researching key expectations of customers from products and services. As it enables effective development of services and products and per needs of customers (Musoni and Namusonge, 2017). CX processes are effectively used in different industries. In case of Samsung, CX governance principles are used for development of CX management strategy. As per CX governance, an organisation is required to employ CX governance policies for developing customer experience strategy. Also, it helps in safeguarding interest of customers from cavities of organisations.
Figure 6: CX Critical Success Factors (CSFs)
(Source: Musoni and Namusonge, 2017)
Comparison and explanation of CX processes in Samsung using five CX Critical Success Factors (CSFs)
Customer experience acts as crucial aspect for developing Smartphones in Samsung, UK (Samsung, 2021). Strategies like chatbot, live chat, and customer feedback are used in Samsung for enhancing customer experience. On the other hand, Marks & Spencer (M&S) which is one of the leading retailers of UK emphasizes common messages on all mediums of communications. It uses print media, TV ads, social media campaigns, and mobile ads for marketing. Besides, Omnichannel marketing is used by M&S for meeting customer needs (Corporate.marksandspencer, 2021). Use of social media and assistive selling approach is used by Samsung for enhancing customer satisfaction. M&S conducts online surveys and click-and-collect services for ensuring customer loyalty. Thus, effective use of CX strategy has been found in Samsung, UK, and M&S.
CX Critical Success Factors (CSFs) are key result areas for an organisation. Identification and communication of CSFs help in ensuring that business is focused on pre-determined aims and objectives (Gerea et al. 2021). CX CSFs of Samsung and M&S have been discussed as under:
Efficiency quality service: Organisations must provide good quality services to customers. Under CX approach, Samsung uses chatbot facilities for understanding quality of services. Besides, M&S conducts online surveys for determining whether services provided to customers are efficient or not.
Increased customer satisfaction: Both M&S and Samsung aim to maintain higher customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction matrix is used by Samsung for understanding customer satisfaction. It helps the company in taking additional strategies for increasing customer satisfaction. M&S uses an NPS program for increasing customer satisfaction.
Improved marketing strategy: Improving marketing strategy helps in checking brand image in market. Samsung has improved its marketing strategy by implementing new competitive and promotional strategies. In case of M&S, marketing strategy has been improved by providing more focus on product and investment into digital and social channels, instead of “blockbuster” TV ads.
High-quality products: Ensuring high quality of the product is useful for organisations to enhance customer base. Under CX strategy, Samsung ensures good quality of material and supply capabilities by following certification procedures. Moreover, M&S aims to work closely with suppliers for ensuring good quality of offerings.
Increased customer feedback: In contemporary business environment, use of customer feedback helps in making significant product improvements. Samsung, UK uses direct mailing technique with targeted customer base for gathering feedback. On the other hand, M&S communicates with customers on social media platforms for obtaining feedback. Analysis of CSFs of Samsung and M&S shows efficiency in enhancing customer experience.
Conclusion
From this study, it can be concluded that CX has a greater effect on developing better opportunities for business in customer relationship management and increasing constant sales numbers. Inclusion of effective consumer persona creation would guide through segmentation process while customer journey mapping would assist in addressing their needs and optimisation of CX. Incorporation of omnichannel marketing would integrate different channels of communication for increasing marketing and sale activities in Samsung. Comparison between Samsung and Marks and Spencer’s has provided ideas on factors such as quality management and cost-effectiveness in creating a positive customer experience and brand loyalty.
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