7 Customer Experience Metrics to Track to Improve Customer Experiences

As many digital marketing solutions become more accessible to businesses of all sizes, companies face the ever-increasing challenge of standing out from the crowd and winning their target market.

Modern customers demand more than just excellent products and services. Now, they're seeking meaningful experiences throughout their buying journey and looking for emotional connections with their desired brand.

The customer experience (CX) encapsulates interactions throughout the buying journey, from browsing a website to receiving after-sales services. It involves various touchpoints that contribute to a customer's overall satisfaction. 

Measuring them is essential to help businesses gauge customer experiences and make changes accordingly.

Keep reading below to learn more about measuring CX success. Discover the different metrics that can help you determine the effectiveness of your customer experiences.  

Read more on The difference Between Employee Experience VS Employee Engagement

What Is CE or CX?

Customer experience refers to the overall perception and satisfaction a customer has with a company or brand based on their interactions and engagements throughout the customer journey. 

It encompasses every touchpoint and interaction a customer has with a company, from initial awareness and research to purchase, product usage, and post-sales support. 

Having a positive customer experience is essential for the success of your business. When customers are happy, they are more likely to become loyal patrons, contributing to increased revenue. 

The most effective form of marketing is having customers who actively promote your business through word-of-mouth, acting as advocates for your brand, products, or services.

Your perspective on customer experience profoundly shapes your overall business outlook. This is why prioritizing and striving for an excellent customer experience is of utmost importance. 

Alternatively, if your current customer experience falls short, it's crucial to identify areas for improvement and determine where to begin.

Providing a positive customer experience is crucial for building customer loyalty, increasing customer satisfaction, and fostering brand advocacy.

Examples of CE

• Website or App Experience - How user-friendly, visually appealing, and responsive the company's website or mobile app is.
• Purchase Process - The ease of finding products or services, the simplicity of the checkout process, and the availability of multiple payment options.
• Product Quality - The performance, reliability, and durability of the product, meeting or exceeding customer expectations.
• Customer Service - The responsiveness, knowledge, and helpfulness of customer service representatives when addressing inquiries, issues, or complaints.
• Personalization - Tailoring the customer experience based on individual preferences and needs, such as personalized recommendations or customized offerings.
• Communication - Clear and timely communication with customers regarding order updates, delivery status, or any changes in products or services.
• Brand Reputation - The overall perception of the brand in terms of trustworthiness, reliability, and ethical practices.
• Post-sales Support - The availability of resources, such as tutorials, FAQs, or customer support, to assist customers with product installation, troubleshooting, or repairs.
• Loyalty Programs - Rewards, discounts, or exclusive offers provided to repeat customers to enhance their overall experience and incentivize loyalty.
• Physical Environment - The ambiance, cleanliness, and comfort of physical stores, offices, or service centers, if applicable.

These examples illustrate how various aspects of a customer's interaction with a company contribute to their overall experience. 

It's important for businesses to focus on consistently delivering positive experiences at each touchpoint to create long-lasting customer relationships.

What makes the best customer experience?

10 Customer Experience Examples

Here are ten examples of customer experience initiatives that companies often implement to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, and make a cmopany standout:

• Personalized Recommendations - Using customer data and artificial intelligence, companies can offer personalized product or service recommendations based on a customer's preferences and past interactions.
• Seamless Omnichannel Experience - Providing a consistent and seamless experience across multiple channels (such as website, mobile app, social media, and physical stores) allows customers to interact with a company in their preferred way.
• Proactive Customer Support - Anticipating customer needs and addressing them before customers even reach out for assistance can greatly enhance the customer experience. This may involve proactive communication, automated alerts, or predictive analytics.
• Self-Service Options - Offering self-service options empowers customers to find answers to their queries or solve problems independently. This can include robust knowledge bases, FAQ sections, online forums, or chatbots.
• Efficient Issue Resolution - Resolving customer issues promptly and effectively is crucial for a positive customer experience. Companies can streamline their support processes, empower customer service representatives, and leverage technology to ensure quick resolution.
• Streamlined Checkout Process - Simplifying the online purchase process by reducing the number of steps, offering guest checkout, and enabling various payment options helps minimize friction and improve conversion rates.
• Loyalty Programs - Implementing loyalty programs encourages repeat business and fosters a sense of appreciation among customers. Rewards, exclusive offers, and personalized perks can incentivize customers to engage more with the brand.
• User-Friendly Website and App Design - A well-designed website or mobile app that is intuitive, visually appealing, and responsive enhances the overall customer experience. Easy navigation, clear product descriptions, and efficient search functionalities are key.
• Timely and Relevant Communication - Keeping customers informed about their orders, upcoming promotions, or relevant updates is important. Utilizing email marketing, push notifications, or SMS can help maintain engagement and keep customers in the loop.
• Continuous Feedback and Improvement - Actively seeking and listening to customer feedback enables companies to identify areas of improvement and make necessary adjustments. Conducting surveys, social listening, or leveraging sentiment analysis tools can assist in this process.

These are just a few examples, and companies can tailor their customer experience strategies based on their industry, target audience, and specific goals. 

What are customer experience KPIs?

Customer Experience KPIs, also known as key performance indicators, are crucial business metrics that monitor different facets of customer experience. 

They offer valuable insights into the quality of your customer experience, indicating whether it is exceptional, satisfactory, or subpar.

By closely monitoring these metrics, you can gauge the speed at which your business addresses customer issues and determine the proportion of customers who are likely to advocate for your business.

The 7 best CX metrics to track to improve CX

​So the question is can CX metrics tracking improve CX? Yes, tracking CX metrics can definitely improve CX (Customer Experience). 

CX metrics provide valuable insights into the overall customer experience and help organizations identify areas of improvement.

By monitoring and analyzing CX metrics, businesses can gain a better understanding of their customers' needs, preferences, and pain points.

Leveraging the following metrics and combining them with the latest know-how from reliable sources, like Bizpedia, will help boost your chances of creating meaningful experiences with your potential and existing customers.

Here are 7 Customer Experience Metrics To Track.

#1. Customer satisfaction score (CSAT) 

The CSAT is a helpful metric that allows businesses to measure customer satisfaction with a product, service, website, and customer support. Generally, it involves a one-question survey where customers answer on a scale of one (completely unsatisfied) to five (completely satisfied). The best example is asking, "How satisfied are you with the [product/service]?"

In addition, you can use this metric to understand how different teams respond to each aspect of the customer journey. Plus, it can help you identify how well your products resonate with customers.

To calculate your CSAT, divide the total number of four and five or positive ratings by the total number of responses. Then, multiply the result by 100 to express the result as a percentage.

For example, your total number of positive ratings is 45, and your overall respondents are 50. The calculation will be 45 divided by 50, then multiplied by 100. You will have a CSAT score of 90 percent. 

#2. Customer effort score (CES)

The CES questions help businesses measure the effort a customer puts into different actions. It measures how easily customers find these actions while conducting them during their buying process. These include using a product, looking for helpful information, or resolving an issue.

Generally, you can ask customers questions like, "Did the brand make it easy for you to handle [issue]?" Have them answer on a scale of one (strongly disagree) to five (highly agree) or a one to seven rating. If more customers put in less effort, you attain a high CES rating and ensure excellent customer satisfaction. 

#3. Net promoter score (NPS)

The NPS is a customer loyalty and satisfaction metric that enables businesses to determine the likelihood of customers recommending their products and services to others. It's an important metric, especially for marketers, because they consider it an excellent way to measure a company's "social proof." Social proof is a concept where people are influenced in their decision-making by others.

Generally, the NPS involves a simple survey question that requires customers to answer on a scale from zero to 10. Common questions include, "How likely are you to recommend [brand] to friends and family, using a scale of 0 to 10?"

You can group the answers into three categories: those who answered nine or 10 (highly recommend), seven or eight (neutral), and zero to six (unlikely to recommend). To get your NPS score, subtract the percentage of those who answered zero to six from those who responded nine to ten.

#4. First response time (FRT)​

FRT is a customer support metric determining the average time customer service representatives respond to an inquiry or request. You can get your FRT by dividing the total number of wait times before a response by the total number of tickets or calls received. 

The best part about this metric is that you can use the same formula and calculate your FRT for a specific day or hour.

#5. Average resolution time (ART)

ART is another customer support metric that allows businesses to measure how fast their customer service representatives successfully resolve an issue or request. 

The quicker agents fix a problem; the more satisfied customers are with the business.

To get your ART score, divide the total time it takes to resolve all tickets by the total number of resolved tickets. You can also use this metric to measure specific days or hours. 

#6. Customer lifetime value (LTV)

LTV is one of the most popular customer experience metrics businesses use today. It measures how much a brand can expect to attain from a customer during their relationship or partnership. The higher your lifetime value, the better your return on investment (ROI) from your customers.

The formula for calculating customer lifetime value may vary for different industries. The most typical method is to multiply the average purchase value by the frequency of purchases and average client lifetime.

To get your average purchase value, divide your total revenue within a specific period by the total number of purchases in that timeline. Meanwhile, you can determine your total purchase frequency by dividing the number of purchases by the number of unique customers.

Lastly, you can get your average customer lifespan by dividing one by your churn rate percentage. The churn rate, specifically in the context of a mobile app, is the number of customers who stopped purchasing or subscribing to your business. Understanding your mobile app churn rate is crucial for evaluating customer retention and optimizing the user experience.

#7. Customer churn and retention  

As mentioned above, churn rate is vital for determining your customer lifetime value. To identify your customer churn, you must get the total number of customers you lost over a period of time and divide that by your total number of customers.

Then, multiply that result by 100. For instance, if the number of customers you lost is 2000 and your overall customers are 10,000, your customer churn is 20 percent.

Besides identifying your customer churn, you must also calculate your ability to retain existing customers. To get your retention rate, subtract the number of additional customers from the total number of customers at the start of the period.

Then, divide that number by the end of a period and multiply the result by 100 to get your retention rate. For example, you started a period with 100 customers, had an additional ten throughout, and ended with 100. You will have a retention rate of 90 percent.  Utilizing churn software  can significantly aid in effectively managing these metrics.

Measure and Optimize Your Customer Experience​

Customer experience is a vital factor that helps businesses connect with potential and existing customers. Offering excellent experiences through various touchpoints is crucial to ensuring brand success. 

Using the metrics above will help you understand how well you're performing, so you can make the necessary changes to ensure your company's success.

Why Not tracking customer experience (CX) metrics can have several consequences for a business​

#1.Inability to identify customer pain points

CX metrics provide valuable insights into customer satisfaction, loyalty, and preferences. 

Without tracking these metrics, businesses may miss out on identifying the specific areas where customers are dissatisfied or facing challenges. 

This lack of understanding can result in a failure to address customer pain points effectively. 

#2.Reduced customer retention​ 

CX metrics help businesses gauge customer loyalty and retention rates. By not tracking these metrics, companies may be unaware of customer churn or attrition. 

This can lead to a decline in customer retention as businesses are unable to take proactive measures to retain existing customers. 

#3.Missed opportunities for improvement

​CX metrics highlight areas where businesses can improve their products, services, or overall customer experience. 

Without tracking these metrics, companies may overlook valuable opportunities to enhance their offerings and stay ahead of the competition.

#4.Decreased customer satisfaction 

Customer satisfaction is a critical driver of business success. When businesses fail to track CX metrics, they may be unaware of declining satisfaction levels among their customer base. 

This can result in lower customer satisfaction and a negative impact on brand reputation. 

#5.Limited understanding of customer preferences​ 

CX metrics provide insights into customer preferences, needs, and expectations. Without tracking these metrics, businesses may struggle to understand evolving customer demands and tailor their offerings accordingly. 

This can lead to a mismatch between products/services and customer expectations, ultimately affecting customer satisfaction and sales.

#6.Ineffective resource allocation

CX metrics help businesses allocate resources effectively by identifying high-impact areas for improvement. 

Without these metrics, companies may struggle to prioritize investments and allocate resources optimally, leading to inefficiencies and wasted efforts. 

#7.Lack of competitive advantage 

​Customer experience has become a key differentiator in today's competitive landscape. By not tracking CX metrics, businesses may miss out on opportunities to differentiate themselves and gain a competitive edge. 

Competitors who actively monitor and improve customer experience may outperform them in terms of customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Not tracking CX metrics can result in missed opportunities for improvement, reduced customer satisfaction, decreased retention rates, ineffective resource allocation, and a loss of competitive advantage. 

Monitoring and analyzing CX metrics are essential for businesses aiming to deliver exceptional customer experiences and drive long-term success.

Wrapping 

​In order to select appropriate customer experience metrics, it is important to first establish your own definition of what constitutes a satisfactory customer experience. 

Different businesses may have distinct interpretations of a seamless customer experience, resulting in the utilization of varied metrics.

However, effectively managing customer experience remains vital for the prosperity of any organization. 

This entails addressing customer concerns and consistently striving to deliver an exceptional customer experience, which should always remain the foremost objective.