The CX balancing act: Personalization meets respect for customer privacy.
Exploring the risks and rewards of next-generation CX
Published: April 8, 2020
Every customer has a unique preference for how, when and where they connect with your brand. Yet they share universal concerns, like communicating with companies on the same channels and devices they use to connect with family and friends.
Above all, they want interactions that are simple, secure and transparent.
To deliver effective, engaging and personalized customer experiences (CX), you should consider a host of factors, like how to balance a personal touch with cutting-edge technology and personalized experiences with data privacy.
When it comes to your CX strategy, it’s critical to understand what motivates each person to share their data in ways that can improve their experience. Do so, and you’re well on your way to driving increased customer loyalty.
A loud-and-clear value prop
In Winning the CX War,i we examine the role of this critical value exchange across 6,000 consumers in 15 countries, as well as various consumer groupings.
Just as brands are attempting to personalize their product and services offerings, so too must they work out what might persuade different groups of customers to share their data. Different demographic groups value different rewards for sharing.
What it takes to earn trust for a customer to share data
Younger consumers
- Digital gains
- Seamless experience across channels
Older consumers (aged 55+)
- Tangible economic benefits like cut-price offers
- Honesty and transparency in how data is used
67%
of consumers say discounts or promotions are important to share their data.
45%
45% of 18-to-24-year-olds would share their data for a more intuitive and personalized user experience.
Data sharing: What customers find valuable
Overall, our survey found that the top customer experiences a company could deliver in exchange for personal information include discounts and promotions (67%), one-click experiences (40%), a more exclusive experience (39%), a more intuitive, personalized experience (37%) and sending meaningful recommendations (37%).
What are the top three customer experiences a company could deliver in exchange for your personal information? (Top 6)
Figure 1: Customers are demanding convenience and personalization from brands
Compete on data privacy and security management.
Creating personalized customer experiences requires companies to respect customer privacy. Customers are wary of sharing personal data without receiving clear value in return.
At the same time, privacy and security are the bare minimum that customers expect. Trust erodes rapidly if a company uses a customer’s information in ways it hasn’t clearly articulated, or if it experiences a significant data breach.
Transparency
Sixty-nine percent of consumers surveyed say honesty and transparency around how personal data is used are crucial to gaining their trust.
Security
Only 7% of survey respondents would continue to use a company if it suffered a high-profile data breach.
Ultimately, our findings show that the most trusted companies are the ones that “will benefit from the fullest access to their customers’ data and will therefore be able to drive the greatest gains, in CX and elsewhere in their business, further building brand value.”
A clear, robust security technology strategy should be your first step, followed by a clear and well-communicated privacy policy that is adhered to at all times and updated regularly.
The bottom line when it comes to creating meaningful and engaging customer experiences: Data is incredibly powerful, but it must be used ethically and for the benefit of the customer.
Verizon’s approachii
Verizon can help you transform your digital experience, personalize customer experiences and strengthen your approach to data security and privacy. We understand customer journeys and provide you the tools that:
- Drive meaningful, data-driven experiences
- Create connections that transform the customer into an advocate for your brand
- Deliver responsive digital experiences
- Support a global customer base
- Use data to anticipate customer needs and preferences
- Put contextual choices in the hands of mobile consumers
With Verizon, you’re ready to tailor customer interactions in new ways, while keeping customer privacy and security top of mind.
Network details & coverage maps at vzw.com. © 2020 Verizon.
i Winning the CX War: The Risks and Rewards of Next-Generation CX, Verizon, 2019, https://enterprise.verizon.com/resources/reports/2019/winning_the_cx_war.pdf
ii “Personalize Customer Experience” (video), https://enterprise.verizon.com/en-gb/solutions/personalize-your-customer-experience/#verizons-approach