7 common customer engagement mistakes brands need to avoid

1. Ignoring the power of social media

Social media channels are a great way to interact with customers. Some customers will use social media to complain if something goes wrong, but this should be viewed as an opportunity to put things right and make positive changes. Poor social media strategies can cause enormous reputational damage to brands.

2. Playing fast and loose with customer privacy

Regulators around the world have been passing laws on data privacy and compliance is not negotiable. Customer data is a valuable commodity for personalized engagement strategies, but poor transparency in data collection, complicated consent mechanisms and making it hard to opt out of communications will not win customers over.

3. Forgetting about relationship metrics

Relationship metrics should be as important as sales figures. This is the information that will boost customer engagement strategies. Brands that do not take the time to get feedback on customer attitudes, trust and the likelihood of recommendations will miss out on opportunities to really get to know their market.  

4. Not getting feedback in real time

Customer surveys can be ineffective if the insights are captured days or even weeks after the transaction. Engaging solutions to get a full “before, during and after” snapshot of CX will be more valuable than only getting post-sale feedback.

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5. Launching technology without testing

Every touchpoint matters – whenever a customer interacts digitally with a brand, the experience needs to be seamless, efficient and memorable for the right reasons. If CX technology is unleashed on customers without proper testing, brands risk poor interactions and engagement suffers.

6. Spamming customers by email and text

Using emails and text messages for customer engagement can be a powerful tool – or it can be disastrous. It is important to take the time to use customer data sensitively and wisely by tailoring emails and texts to maximize personalization, rather than spamming entire databases with blanket messages.

7. Treating people like robots

Customers will always remember how an interaction with a brand makes them feel, especially if they end up feeling stressed, frustrated or neglected. Whether a brand is engaging in person, via call centers or online, staff training and intuitive technology are crucial.