CRM Marketing Best Practices - Personalics

3 Tips for Getting your Conversions Right

Ohad Shperling — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 12:07:44 +0000

Everyone’s looking for a “good deal”. But how do you measure it? How do you measure a “good deal”? Is it by net sales? Profits? The traffic it brings to your website?

One common metric or “KPI” is conversion rate. A conversion rate, by definition, is the percentage of users who take action on your website. In our case (e-commerce), it refers to the rate of people who purchased a product. So, if 100 people looked at a couch and one person bought it, the conversion rate is 1 %.

It’s pretty straightforward – when the deal is right, due to price or demand, more people will purchase it. Some products have higher conversion rates than others. Many factors affect this outcome, such as awareness, brand affinity, popularity, price, shipping options, visual appeal, etc.

Generally speaking, conversion rates are used to see which specific deals are doing well (in terms of sales, traffic etc.) and which aren’t; which ones to promote, and which ones to improve or remove from your website. But if you have 100’s, even 1000’s of products on your website, things can get a little trickier.

For example, cheap products tend to have higher conversions than expensive ones. In fact, cups are purchased more frequently than sofas. But from a company standpoint, is selling cups more lucrative than selling sofas? Is the ROI of cups greater than that of sofas?

Take another example – dog treats! Very few people search for dog treats online, but when they do, the conversion rate is likely to be high. Does this make dog treats a “good deal”?

Sometimes, differentiating between a “good” deal and a “bad” deal is difficult. For this reason, we want to give you some practical tips to accurately measure conversations. And with this, you’ll be able to determine which deals need your attention and which don’t.

Keep it Narrow

Not all conversation rates are comparable. Expensive products have a much lower conversion rate than cheaper products. If your website sells both, you need to evaluate which ones drive more sales within the same category.

For example, a home design shop, like Zara Home, sells beds as well as pillows, in which case, pillows are likely to outsell beds with a 10X higher conversion rate. In other words, for every 10 people who buy a pillow, only 1 buys a bed.

To avoid such confusion, or an irrelevant comparison, keep your measurements separated. Measure conversions for both categories separately. Using this approach will inform you of the most popular item, be it a bed or a pillow, in its own specific category. Apples to apples.

Filter the Noise

Get ready, you will encounter a lot of noise when analyzing your top conversion data. Although many of your top-converting deals will appear as “good deals”, they could potentially be a curse in disguise. You want to avoid promoting them to every individual or giving them too much attention.

This can happen. A product may receive very little views, yet generate high % of purchases. For example, this could happen with a non-prescription drug, unique in its category. When people search for a product that has no other alternative, the conversion rate is going to be high. But if you market this product to your entire website user base, expect to be disappointed.

A good way to filter this noise is by limiting your data to a minimum number of views and/or purchases (per deal). Depending on your traffic or sales volume, your data could be filtered as to show only “real” high converting deals. For example: set your filters for minimum 200 views or 4 purchases per deals, in the last week/month. Play around with these figures until the data results make sense to you.

Lookout for Trends

A conversion rate is always relative to a specific time period. Your highest converting deals this week are going to be different from those of the last two weeks and last year. For example, perhaps this week your highest converting deal is a backpack, however, your highest converting deal this year was actually the fidget spinner. The more you widen the time frame, the more likely you are to pick up on “all-time best deals”.

However, the shorter the time frame, the more likely you are to pick up on recent market trends and seasonality. Always remember to keep it fresh whenever preparing your campaigns or newsletters. In order to get a good idea of things, we recommend to look at three different time frames, for example, performance last month, last two weeks, and the last 72 hours. In this manner, you can identify top converting deals and recently trending products.

In addition, picking up on recent trends is an integral part of your customer relationship management marketing strategy (CRM marketing). As you become more aware of your customers’ purchase behaviours, it helps you better cater their needs. For example, on a yearly basis, laptops have a low conversion rate. However, it peaks moderately during mid-August, as students prepare for their autumn semester. Being able to spot this trend allows you to prepare and promote your deals when relevant to your customers, reinforcing your CRM marketing strategy.

As far as conversations go, now you’re a little wiser… So what’s next? How about low converting deals? Should you get rid of them or let them be? Here’s an extra tip, a tool to help you decide what to do next:

Top right, high conversions, high traffic deals. These are your “cash cows”.
Top left, high conversions, low traffic. Consider driving more traffic to these deals.
Bottom Left, low conversions low traffic. No harm done! You can leave them be.
Bottom right, low conversions high traffic. Consider getting rid of…!

This post was written by Itai Eshkar, a Marketing Manager at Personalics

The post 3 Tips for Getting your Conversions Right appeared first on Personalics.

Three Pillars of Omni-Channel Communication: Consistent, Continuous, and Holistic

Ohad Shperling — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 12:01:53 +0000

As a marketer, you’ve likely come across the buzz-word “omni-channel” in the context of online marketing. There are countless sources that try to explain to marketers exactly what omni-channel is, but often, these explanations are abstract and lack concrete examples. This leaves marketers feeling confused and unfulfilled, which is problematic because omni-channel is used everywhere in the eCommerce world. It is imperative for marketers to understand what an omni-channel experience would feel like to a consumer, when implemented correctly.

Omni-channel can be defined broadly as cross-channeling through a consistent user experience. You may ask, what does this even mean? Well let me tell you, conceptually, that omni-channel is quite simple! Let’s start by breaking down the basics.

What are Channels?

The most essential part of omni-channel is understanding how channels are relative. Channels of communication are the means through which people communicate. In eCommerce retail, aka E-tail, the major channels include electronic (all email, Internet, social media) and mobile (private and individualized messages). A major channel that e-tailer’s lack is face-to-face, or personal communication, which they must make up for using personalization techniques, in order to ensure a connection with the customer. Organizations must employ various tactics to instill a level of personalization so they can effectively converse with consumers through an ongoing conversation. This is where Personalics is here to help.

When different communication channels overlap, this is called cross-channeling. The blending of channels creates a dynamic center of communication, which simulates the high level of personalization and service like a customer would experience in-person. Omni-channel is combining these channels to most effectively create a continuous and seamless consumer experience online.

Why Omni-Channel?

The omni-channel experience is most relevant to our current market because it dynamically interplays channels and brands, in order to maximize navigation and efficiency for users. This creates a seamless and consistent experience across all channels of the brand. A surface level example from Harvard University for a bricks-and-clicks business, is when a mobile app matches the reflective design of the website, which thematically echoes the look and feel inside the store.

Combining multiple platforms, the omni-channel experience blends both digital and physical worlds, allowing retailers to interact with customers whether online on a computer, in local stores and kiosks, through mobile devices, TV’s and beyond.

Here’s one example that really demonstrates a fluid, dynamic, and holistic omni-channel experience:

I go online, login with my customer ID, and browse some pants.
I find a pair that I like, but I don’t want to order them online because of the shipping cost and hassle.
I want to try them on in the retail store to ensure proper fit.
While walking in the mall, near the store, I receive a predictive push notification on my phone (because I opted in for the retailer’s app to use my location) from the brand. They are offering me an extra 10% incentive for those pants and telling me that my size exists in the store nearby.
When I arrive at the store, a digital screen greets me. After typing in my ID, the screen directs me toward the exact in-store location of the pants.
I apply the coupon at check-out, and the cashier addresses me by name as he thanks me for shopping with the brand.

In the above example, it can be noted that the omni-channel experience goes beyond merging media platforms and blending consistent aesthetics across channels. The omni-channel strategy integrates data from multiple sources to track the customer’s decision process throughout all channels and touch points. It predicts the next best message, which will yield the highest engagement. This is predictive, continuous, and consistent omni-channel that converses with the consumer.

Even for an E-tailer, Omni-Channel Extends Beyond the Boundaries of Media Channels

You may be thinking an online retailer lacks an important channel of communication: a physical, in-store relationship. However, e-tailers can still ensure personable communication without ever meeting in person. Deloitte Point of View even claims it’s easier for e-tailers to develop physical presence than it is for bricks-and-mortars to increase their digital presence.

A successful brand will employ this by synergizing their existing channels and all potential stakeholders. Each department (i.e: executives, IT, marketing, customer service) works closely together to create a productive and seamless experience. Personalics embraces this strategy in the following example:

A shopper clicks to open and read their personalized email, shopper calls Customer Service to ask a question, the personalized data is presented to rep, who can quickly recommend the best matching product and close the sale all during the same conversation.

The only way to achieve this efficient transaction is by implementing omni-channel strategies. It’s more effective for representatives to engage dynamically with customers if the brand’s touch-points are connected and customer data is logged. No matter the channel, consumers expect the same service levels and same access to information throughout their entire shopping journey.

Not only do customers appreciate fluidity and convenience of a consistent user experience, they are more likely to purchase from you if the process is easy and accessible across platforms. With so many competing retailers and e-tailers in the contemporary market, consumers won’t settle for anything less than a seamless experience.

What’s the Catch for E-tailers?

In order to hook new customers and retain interest without ever personally connecting face to face, e-tailers must create highly effective personalized offerings and appeal to sensual design aesthetics. Amazon does this incredibly well. Their website exhibits a savvy and user-friendly display that grabs attention and is consistent across all channels. Customers are more likely to purchase from you if navigating the site is easy, accessible, and convenient. In addition to the consistent user experience, Amazon offers certain perks depending on which channel you use. For example, on mobile, they offer quick purchasing options through “buy now with 1-click” so while you’re on the go, you don’t have to navigate through multiple pages because the customer’s information is already stored.

A Deloitte study states that 45% of smartphone owners are making purchases using a mobile device…every month!

It takes time to develop omni-channel infrastructure

Implementing omni-channel is a goal that brands must commit toward. They must develop a plan to discover and analyze existing departments and furthermore decide to enhance or generate new ones. This journey helps a brand understand different sections of their organization and how to best appeal to their desired audience.

To become a legitimate competitor in the ever-changing market, and appeal directly to consumers, a brand should consider reviewing operations from these two perspectives. Let’s review:

Increase marketing effectiveness

Understand your audience and provide them with the most relevant content upfront—don’t make them dig for it.
Easy to navigate and appealing interface that is recognizable and consistent across each platform.
Implement CRM—ensure personalized marketing doesn’t “chase” customers who have already bought or opted out.
Direct lines to Customer Service, if need be.

Convenient and safe pay options

Integrate multiple payment solutions for convenience, which will increase conversion rates
Diverse shipping and delivery options
Stay up to date with new technologies to ensure customer’s trust in storing their important information online

These two perspectives cover the entire customer journey, from the moment they click your website to closing a purchase. Understanding the effectiveness of omni-channel and integrating it into your online brand will create a worthwhile experience for users, which will increase revenue.

Any questions or comments about omni-channel? Personalics would love to hear from you!

The post Three Pillars of Omni-Channel Communication: Consistent, Continuous, and Holistic appeared first on Personalics.

Three Tips for Cross-Selling and Upselling to Help Your Business Efficiently Maximize Revenue

Ohad Shperling — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 12:53:27 +0000

You may not realize that every consumer engages with cross-selling and upselling on a regular basis. Say you are buying a new TV. The retailer would cross-sell the TV with an add-on, such as a cable box or surround sound audio system. Sometimes it’s necessary to purchase the complimentary items in order to utilize the TV set, other times the add-ons just heighten the TV experience. A retailer may upsell the TV with a package that includes premium HD channels—at an additional rate—beyond the standard channel offering.

Both marketing strategies match customers with recommended products that enhance their experience in multiple ways. From the consumer side, they gain access to additional features and deals that they may not have been aware of. From the brand’s perspective, they increase sales opportunities through educating about business offerings.

Although the two terms—cross-selling and upselling—are often used interchangeably, there are subtle differences that are essential to recognize so your business can implement them effectively. Let’s start by breaking down each strategy.

What is Cross-Selling?

Cross-selling is a technique that suggests supplementary products to compliment a customer’s initial purchase. A classic example of cross-selling is the phrase “want some fries with that shake?” The sales representative intends to heighten the consumer’s experience—fulfill their needs—by offering an add-on product that compliments the initial product. Rather than guessing the products that may be of interest to consumers, Personalics digs deeper. Using behavioral data, we detect specific products that are complementary and are likely to end up being purchased together.

What is Upselling?

Alternatively, upselling is less concerned with offering an additional product, and more concerned with generating larger commissions. Instead, you are marketing a premium version of the original product the consumer wants to purchase. For example, many apps will offer free downloads and use of standard features; however, if they want access to higher-end features, they must pay a premium. The strategy here is to give users a taste of the experience, and once they invest attention in the product and understand its perks, they will be more incentivized to upgrade. Personalics uses upselling techniques by curating the recommended higher-priced products to suit consumers’ authentic/actual preferences.

Here’s a trick with upselling

Psychology shows that no matter what your actual opinion is, people tend to pick the middle option when given a scale. We fear standing out by choosing an option on the lowest or highest end, so we conform to the middle because it’s safe. How can we incorporate this into upselling strategies? We simply make the middle option what we most want people to buy. This way, customers feel like they are choosing the most reasonable offer. Practically, the offer must be realistic for the consumer while still inviting increased sale opportunity for the brand.

Knowing the Audience is Everything

In order to effectively market to an audience, you must understand what the customer values and responds to. Customers are more likely to make purchases if the items suggested to them are relevant to them, which will ensure more loyalty and trust in the brand. Personalics algorithms tap into this behavioral data to create an efficient and productive buying experience.

Amazon successfully implements a personalized model of cross-selling in their sections such as “customers who bought this item also bought…” or items “frequently bought together.” Within a large eCommerce retail site, customers feel like they are engaging in a 1:1 experience that is personalized for them. This enables their trust in the brand by satisfying particular needs and willingness to buy premium items that are recommended to them. Increased AOV (average order value) begins a domino effect of more revenue.

Understanding Two-Way Benefits

Cross-selling and upselling are essential because they create immediate benefits for both the business and customer.

Business:

Educates customer about products or services they may not have known are offered
Appeals to new and existing customers
Balances low and high margin products or services
Increases AOV, and thus revenue

Customer:

Expands choice of products and service
Convenience: seeing their options upfront without digging for them
Extra deals through packages or promotions
Encourages better customer service through relationship marketing

Implement Strategy

Include at check out, in receipt, and follow-up

Some great opportunities to include cross-selling and upselling techniques are at check out, in receipt, and through email review. Before you check out on an eCommerce retail site, you may be notified about a deal in purchasing two supplementary items or a discount for buying the premium product. Suggesting more options before completing a purchase always requires A/B testing. Sometimes creating more options during checkout sways the user away from completing the purchase. Or maybe in a personalized email receipt for a new laptop, the brand may recommend extra laptop features, such as a keyboard and a mouse, or upgraded insurance services. Another opportunity exists in a follow up email—usually a few days after purchase—where the brand inquires about the customer’s experience and prompts them to complete a review. The email review may: feature an image of the purchased product, ask the customers how they like the product and if they have feedback, as well as offer additional products of interest.

Be realistic when upselling/cross-selling

Respect your customer’s budget and consider the price of original item. According to research by Forbes, a business shouldn’t upsell or cross-sell items more than 25% of original order. You aren’t manipulating the audience, but rather an advocate for them.

Don’t bombard customers

Keep recommendations filtered and limited. Prefer quality and timeliness over quantity. More options won’t increase sale opportunity. You want to appeal to the audience, not pester them and turn them away.

Follow these tips and your business will be one step ahead of competitors because of increased revenue from proven cross-selling and upselling tactics.

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3 rules for irresistible first impressions in email marketing

Ohad Shperling — Sun, 24 Jan 2016 11:20:32 +0000

They say there’s no second chance to make a first impression. Whether you agree or disagree, there are things you can do to make that first impression a good one.

When you meet someone for the first time, your first impression of that person determines how you feel in future encounters – and the lens through which you view any follow-up correspondence.

For example, you meet someone for the first time and you have a positive first impression of them. Let’s say that your impression was of a very pleasant or generous person. In your next interaction, the person helps you or gives you something for free – for example, making an introduction to a new customer. This reinforces your initial good impression. You’ll think that not only is this person is likable, you’ll add ‘trustworthy’ to that character inventory.

On the other hand, if your first impression was negative, future interactions may reinforce that negative firstimpression. Even if the person offers you something for free, you may doubt their motivation; thinking that the offer is motivated by self-interest, or an attempt to manipulate you into purchasing something down the road.

So that first impression colors your future interactions.

A bad first impression can be fixed and changed over time, but it’s harder to change a first impression is negative or questionable than it is to build on a good first impression.

The same is true for an onboarding email sequence. If your customers’ first impression of you is positive, they will continue to open emails from you. And they will be more open to doing business with you.

Remember buying something only to regret it a few hours or days later? That’s called ‘buyer’s remorse’ – when you get over the ‘high’ feeling of buying, only to question the value of the purchase.

This happened to me after I purchased the most expensive version of a design course I never really used beyond a couple of chapters. After I got over the buying ‘high.’ I no longer felt I made the right buying decision.

A better buying experience can substantially reduce that buyer’s remorse.

So how can you craft an on-boarding email sequence to make a good first impression with customers and keep them from feeling buyer’s remorse?

There are three rules, according to Ian Brodie at The Active Marketer Blog:

1. Deliver what’s promised right away

If your customers don’t get what they purchased, their first impression of you will drop significantly. Beyond that, you make a good impression by being attentive.

Make sure customers get the receipt and transaction confirmation immediately. Otherwise they may worry about the transaction itself. They may ask themselves, “Did it go through?”

Confirm that the product is shipped and notify the customer how it’s being delivered. Provide status of the delivery in follow-up emails.

If a login is required to access your site, provide simple, clear instructions for logging in. Send them their username. Don’t expect that customers will automatically remember user names and passwords. Make sure they have the information and clear links to change those if they need to.

Clearly show if customers are logged in to your store, or if they’re not, and clearly show purchase history. If customers don’t log in, send an email to check whether something is wrong, or if they need help.

2. Build a personal relationship

This binds your customers to you. If they feel close to you, they’re more likely to feel you’re on their side. Unconsciously, they will consider the personal connections an asset that can benefit them.

This can also help you retain customers. Even in the best organizations screw-ups happen. If you make a good first impression on customers, they’ll give you some leeway to fix things.

So how do you build that personal relationship in your first impression? One important way is through shared stories.

Include your personal story in your welcome emails.

Send a video of yourself talking about the product’s features of the product. A video will foster a closer personal relationship than just a document explaining the features.

If your product is a paid membership program or SaaS, record a short greeting video, thanking them for joining, and explaining some of the features your platform offers. For customers who pay on a monthly basis, the extra effort of recording a short video just for them can create an extra bond that will keep them subscribed – or even make them decide to subscribe for a whole year in advance.

Send a paper thank you letter or a small gift with your company logo. This costs little, but creates a tremendous connection that distinguishes you from competitors.

Send a small candy, sticky notes, or refrigerator magnet with your brand on it. This will remind customers their (hopefully) positive experience doing business with you.

3. Deliver unexpected value

Making a good first impression also builds reciprocity. If you give customers good value, they’ll be more likely to give you something in return.

Research on restaurant tips has shown that the number one predictor for creating reciprocity and increasing waiters’ tips is not just doing nice things for customers – smiling or giving them something extra. What counts is when those things are unexpected extras. When customers don’t expect that extra – it could be a free appetizer or extra attentive service – waiters’ tips increased significantly.

It’s important to continue to deliver unexpected value for your customers after the first impression. Otherwise, they have what they want and they stop paying attention to you. If you surprise them with unexpected value, they will continue to open your emails— giving you the opportunity to continue to build a positive relationship that keeps customers coming back.

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The Word “Free” Is Powerful, But Dangerous

Ohad Shperling — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 09:00:26 +0000

Human psychology is a capricious, fascinating thing. It doesn’t always follow conventional logic, but it does have a logic of its own that can be understood, and exploited. This is especially true in the world of marketing, where understanding the way people think, figuring out why they want things, and encouraging them to engage and purchase products is all contingent on knowing what triggers will cause someone to buy something, and what will cause them to pass on by.

Of course, it should come as no surprise that most of the time, the simplest and most obvious techniques are the ones that work best. But in many ways, they can also be the trickiest and most difficult to effectively implement.

The use of the word “Free,” is one of those techniques. And whether you are running a traditional physical marketing campaign, or using email marketing personalization software, you should always be careful about how you use this powerful word and marketing tool.

Free Is Irrational

In some ways, the word “Free” is almost like some primeval trigger in the mind of the average shopper. Seeing and hearing this word can cause people to do things they otherwise normally wouldn’t, or even impair logical thinking when asked to make a decision. Polls and experiments have been done over the years where shopping habits have been examined and the results are always fascinating.

For example, in one quick poll, people were presented with a choice between piece of Lindt chocolate at just 15¢ and a Hershey’s Kiss piece at 1¢. In this situation, most people, especially those aware of the quality of various types of chocolate, realized that the Lindt chocolate was of a much higher quality, and that it was globally recognized as a superior, elite brand. At just 15¢, this was quite a sizable savings on such a piece of chocolate, well over 70% in fact. So despite the fact that the Hershey’s Kiss chocolate was cheaper, the consumer awareness of the vast difference in quality between the two types of chocolate made people realize that, in terms of expenditure, the Lindt chocolate piece was a better deal.

Then, the tables turned. For the next result, the Lindt chocolate was reduced in price to 14¢, while the Hershey Kiss was made free. Despite the awareness of the much higher quality of the Lindt chocolate, and yet another discount applied to it to make it even more affordable, 69% of those involved chose the Hershey Kiss chocolate.

When the word “Free” was invoked, the majority of people ignored quality, value and more considered purchasing processes, and the most important thing was that someone was willing to give them something for nothing.

“Free” is an almost magical world in the world of physical retail and in online shopping, even when you’re using email marketing personalization software. It can make people stand in line for long periods, literally losing hours worth of pay from a fulltime job, for the sake of a free doughnut. It is a way to direct and control shopper attention, but only when used correctly.

Use “Free” To Target Your Offers

The shopper’s mind wants to believe that it is getting a bargain, but really this is all a matter of perception. For example, if you have a new piece of software that you’d like people try, one way to make people aware of it is to simply be honest about it. If you use email marketing personalization software, your software may already know that there are shoppers in your database that have shown an interest in this type of software in the past. Your email marketing campaign could be a simple, straightforward message to the effect of, “We have a new piece of software, we know you’ve liked this sort of thing in the past, so we thought you might be interested. Please try a demonstration that we have available.”

Doing it this way however, may give the shopper the impression that you are asking them to do something. Almost as if you are asking a favor of them, or expecting them to complete some duty, responsibility or task. It sounds like work.

However, simply change the offer to “Free demo,” and suddenly the same shopper believes a limited chance at getting something for nothing has just landed at their feet. If you create a sense of urgency by stressing that this is for a limited time only, this gives them even more incentive to try the demo as quickly as possible. The word “Free” has given them the irrational need to take advantage of a passing opportunity they may have previously had no interest in.

By carefully applying the word “Free” to products or promotions that you want to direct shoppers at, your use of email marketing personalization software will be much more effective. However, there is a downside to this, and that comes in the form of useful retention. And that’s when you may sometimes want to stay as far away from “Free” as possible.

The Horde At The Gates

Free will make people come in droves, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll stay. And in some cases, you may have a specific desire to only cater to a more discerning kind of customer or client. Going back to the chocolate example, you may in fact wish to sell a premium chocolate, but you have a limited supply and you don’t want the samples gone in seconds.

By charging a modest amount, even just a few cents, you can dramatically throttle the incoming number of requests for a sample, effectively gating the bargain hunters and people that are simply hoping to fill their pockets with things they’re not even especially interested in. This can also apply when you are trying to promote specialist products such as pet foods, health care items, and other goods or services in which the customer-base or clientele is select.

But whether you decide to use it or not, the word “Free” is indeed a powerful marketing tool. Be careful with its application in your email marketing personalization software, and make sure you use effectively.

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Multi-channel customer experience: still failing

Ohad Shperling — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 09:41:00 +0000

A bad customer experience. We all know what it feels like. The blow-a-gasket, go-ballistic, hit-the-ceiling, foam-at-the-mouth rage after an encounter with customer “service” that feels more like a scheme for customer derangement. And automation only makes the customer experience worse, as this humorous video from Solaris Media Ltd shows:

It makes you want to tear your hair out. Now, I don’t have any hair on my head because I shave it. But even if I didn’t, I still wouldn’t have that much hair because I have to call vendors’ customer service a lot.

It’s not as if nobody has ever identified the qualities and methods that go into consistently excellent customer experience. Zappos’ founder Tony Hsieh wrote a book, Delivering Happiness, re-defining what an excellent customer experience looks like.

Too bad many companies haven’t read Tony’s book. And even if they read it, they are far from implementing it. In fact, sometimes it feels like some businesses haven’t updated their customer service practices since the automobile replaced the horse-drawn cart. And I still feel like tearing out my non-existent hair when customer representatives – usually those from big service providers – telecom, electricity, cable TV, Internet providers – seem to be completely unfamiliar with even the most fundamental information about my history with their brands across channels.

Like the man in the video above, I’m angry because they don’t “see me.” They don’t get the picture of the experience I’ve encountered with the organization across channels.

Here are 11 examples of customer service experiences that make me want to blow my top; especially because all of them have solutions

Problem: Making me describe the problem over and over and over and over …

I explain my problem to Rep A, who transfers the call to Rep B, who asks me to explain the problem all over again. Simple solution: Implement a unified realtime CRM system for logging every customer encounter and categorizing it so that Rep B knows what the issue is before speaking with me. I wouldn’t mind – in fact I would be delighted – if Rep B asked, “please give me a moment to read the log of your previous conversation with Rep A to catch up.”

Problem: Expecting customers to remember order numbers.

If I buy something online and immediately call customer service, the system doesn’t recognize that I’ve just bought something online, and makes me identify the transaction with an order ID. Without that number, the customer service representative has to search for this order. I don’t have the number at my fingertips, because – guess what – I’ve been waiting on the phone for 20 minutes, and I’m doing other things while waiting – such as driving. Simple solution: Use the phone number I called from – the same one I entered when I placed the order – to find my order automatically. A smart CRM system would automatically pull up my recent order in front of the customer representative.

Problem: Continuing to sell after customers have bought.

I’ve just purchased a washing machine online. But an email / retargeting ad / Facebook post is still ‘chasing’ me across the Web everywhere I go with the same item. And it’s not a vacuum cleaner, which I might be interested in as a bundle because I’m a cleaning junkie. It’s an ad showcasing a washing machine, and I just purchased one. I’m not likely to want to buy another one for many years. Simple solution: Integrate CRM with all remarketing channels: email, including social media, sms, and mobile push.

Problem: Making returning customers re-enter billing and shipping information for new purchases.

When I log in, instead of confirming a short security question, I have to re-enter all my billing details from scratch. Simple Solution: Learn from Amazon’s ‘one-click’ checkout experience. Use an auto-complete widget for the billing form.

Problem: Failing to provide chat or email connections to customer service.

The only way I can ask questions or report problems is to call the company’s maddening Interactive Voice Response system (IVR). This means I can’t contact the company conveniently. I have to wait and listen to their endless IVR messages about how much they appreciate my business. They just don’t appreciate it enough not to waste my time. Really, really simple solution: Add an email address to the customer service page – and assign someone to respond to the messages.

Problem: Doubling down on the frustrating IVR customer experience.

While my frustration grows about treading water on “hold,” the voice coming out of the IVR relentlessly hypes the latest promotion, “Spring in Bratislava – Europe’s Best-Kept Secret” . Even if I were interested in a trip, I wouldn’t book one while I can’t get an answer to a simple question. Instead I have to endure these ads, and am about as likely to book the Bratislava trip as I am to book “Vladimir Putin’s Crimean Holiday.” Simple Solution: If I’ve made a transaction through any channel, the CRM / ERP system should be able to predict my likely reasons for calling, and take me to a relevant menu. And, if none of those choices meet my need, directly to a customer representative. The following IVR script would delight me so much that I would rave about your brand to everyone I speak with: “Hi, we see that, you have just done X with us. Are you inquiring about X?”

Problem: Failing to quickly identify my preferred local branch office and route the call directly, even if I’m a regular buyer.

They have my address. They clearly have their branches’ addresses. But they don’t connect the dots to route my call properly. Simple Solution: If I’m a repeat customer, who has purchased from a local branch before, my mobile number stored in the CRM system, along with the purchase history from that local branch. So a more effective IVR script would go something like: “If you want to inquire something specific from your preferred local branch such as branch X, press 2.”

Problem: Failing to give service representatives visibility of my history with the company.

Even if they load my order ID, they can’t see whether I purchased before, have been a loyal fan, or qualify for a certain deal. Every conversation with a customer representative feels like a first date. What a waste.Simple Solution: The unified CRM system I talked about earlier. When my call is routed to a representative, display the customer information that goes with that phone number or an account number that I entered earlier. A smarter solution would predict what I’m likely to be interested in and display those special offers and bundles to the representative. My shopping patterns are already in the database. Big data is about turning this information into insight.

Problem: Making irrelevant product recommendations.

I’m not likely to pay attention to complementary cross-sell or up-sell products that are irrelevant. If I just booked “Acapulco Spring Break: Booze, Boogie and Babes” in Cancun, chances are I’m not interested in “Photography Month in Bratislava.” But I may be very interested in hotel room upgrade or a tequila tasting. Simple Solution: Use a smart product recommendation system, which can be easily integrated with your CRM and marketing channels: email, social media, sms, customer service center and others.

Problem: Explaining why you can’t do “it” instead of just doing “it.”

For example, I have a mortgage, checking account, and credit cards with one financial services company. I expect to be able to find out the most recent payment received on my mortgage, the last transaction that cleared in my checking account, and the balance on my credit card in one call. Instead of getting information, I get an explanation of why I can’t get that information. That explanation is that these are three separate business units, each of which has a different information system. Another example: I’m using a payment processing system for my business, and suddenly, when I can’t process customer payments – and therefore can’t ship product. I get an excuse that the system is down for an indefinite period. Simple Solution: Address internal systems and operational problems and empower service representatives to “solve” problems – not just “respond” to them.

Problem: Finger-pointing instead of problem-solving.

Many of businesses’ core services require integrate multiple functions – for example, event management and payment processing – and sell the functionality as a package. But when I have a problem with part of the solution – say, credit card processing – customer service tells me they don’t support that functionality and I have to call the payment processing company. This is a vendor that I had no choice about. It has no customer service phone number. The only online “help” is a set of FAQs that link to documentation on how to use the API. Then my unsatisfactory vendor gilds the lily by emailing me daily to sign up for conferences, classes, webinars and how to improve … customer experience. It’s a bad customer experience trifecta that will have me looking for a new way to do things – two apps that work. Simple Solution: Implement a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) service model for managing service calls from end to end.

I’m sure you’ve had at least a few of these infuriating customer experiences.

A lot of people share my frustration, according to ADS Marketing. A study by customer service software provider ZenDesk reveals some statistics to think about:

16 percent of angry customers vent their frustrations on social media after a bad customer service experience,– but only 8 percent will post about a good customer experience.

60 percent of customers say they are strongly influenced by a company’s ratings and customer comments on social media sites

35 percent say they stop buying from a company after a single negative experience with customer service.

42 percent of respondents said their biggest frustration with customer experience was repeating their problems to multiple reps.

Why is customer experience still like this in 2015, when integrated software systems should be the standard for doing business? And at a time when “software is eating the world.”

My take is that poor customer experience is more prevalent in monopoly markets and less so in competitive markets.

In monopoly markets, customers don’t have choices. If a company is the only provider, customers have no choice but to buy from that supplier, regardless of how poor the customer experience is.

The more competitive a market becomes, the more alternatives are available to the shopper. The more alternatives, the higher shoppers’ expectations are for a seamless customer experience across channels.

The only way to deliver better customer experience across a wide scale of services is to introduce competition in the market. This forces businesses to integrate systems and deliver an excellent customer experience across channels, or else see customers replace those vendors with their competitors.

It seems to me that many times customer experience boils down to regulation. The lighter the burden of regulation, and the lower the barrier for more market entry, the more alternatives will become available for customers. More companies will be forced to deliver better customer experience. (If you want a better customer experience, perhaps the first thing to think about is how you vote.)

As new competitors jump into the market, it’s simply good business to deliver proactive, instead of reactive, customer service. You need a campaign to identify and fix weaknesses in your customer experience before enraged customers start a social media campaign against you.

Not everyone would describe his or her business as “delivering happiness,” the way Tony Hsieh does. And even Hsieh is clear about the business benefit of his happiness strategy. Great customer experience can be a strong business advantage, and one that lowers costs overall.

Have you had notable experiences of bad customer experiences? Please share!

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