In a highly competitive market, creating positive customer experiences is crucial for building customer loyalty and a strong competitive position. However, where customers expect a personalized approach and seamless interactions, outdated systems and complex processes often stand in the way.
Nick van Ramshorst (Business Delivery Manager at LINKIT) regularly sees companies that know what they need to do in theory but are hampered by an outdated IT landscape in practice. “This limits their growth and ‘drives away’ customers. By building a customer experience based on modern applications, they build a stronger customer relationship and create a future-proof IT environment.”
Demanding and high expectations
Customers are becoming increasingly demanding and have high expectations of companies. They demand a sense of (re)cognition, personal contact, a hassle-free ordering process, and being served through all possible channels (omnichannel). Meeting these demands places a lot of demands on companies. However, despite the knowledge that it is necessary, not everyone succeeds, and there are various reasons for this, says Nick.
“It may be that an IT environment is so outdated that upgrading it is costly and time-consuming. They may also lack the financial and/or technical resources to improve the customer experience. Is there a labor shortage? Perhaps there is internal resistance to change. Or they lack the insight to recognize changing trends and preferences in the market,” says Nick.
Yet ignoring it is not an option, he states. “The consequences are severe. Customers switch, sales and profits will decline, there may be negative publicity in the form of reviews, and you lose your competitive position. Make sure your business is accessible and easy to do business with. It is simply a fact that customer experience is the foundation on which your organization essentially operates.”
“Make sure your business is accessible and easy to do business with.”
Customer Experience Excellence
Every organization strives for the highest level of customer satisfaction. The ‘Customer Experience Excellence’ approach focuses on delivering this and is about exceeding customer expectations throughout the customer journey. “This approach goes beyond just offering products or services. It’s about creating a seamless and ‘excellence’ user experience that leaves a high-quality impression on the customer,” explains Nick.
“It’s about creating a seamless and ‘excellent’ user experience that leaves a high-quality impression on the customer.”
This approach’s characteristics are seamless interactions, quick responses to questions or comments, and reliable service. Nick: “Think, for example, of automated customer service that reduces response time. Or user-friendly interfaces that allow customers to navigate easily. Innovative solutions to serve customers efficiently and win their trust.”
A powerful tool for customer demands
A modern IT environment helps with this, and innovative platforms like Mendix and OutSystems act as driving forces behind this modernization. Nick: “With low-code, you simplify the integration of all channels and create a uniform IT architecture, which is essential for a seamless customer experience.”
In addition, low-code also offers benefits in the area of staffing. “Many companies struggle with labor shortages, which makes it difficult to answer customer questions, process orders, and collect feedback. Low-code offers a solution by automating and making these processes more efficient.”
According to Nick, low-code also has an innovative effect on companies, especially regarding user feedback. “By using rapid feedback loops, continuous improvements and functionalities can be implemented. It results in higher customer satisfaction and a strengthened competitive position.”
Game changer
Nick considers new technologies a game changer for organizations where customer experience excellence is an important element of corporate culture. Companies gain an advantage in customer acquisition and loyalty by accelerating the development of customer-centric applications, offering personalized experiences, and delivering flexible solutions. He says the agility and innovation capabilities that low-code platforms offer them contribute to an improved customer experience and strengthening their competitive position in the market.
Nick: “The importance of a strong IT strategy for a seamless customer experience will continue to grow. Innovations are the basis for growing with this. Because only by continuously improving the client experience will the loyalty and retention of your organization increase.”
Nick van Ramshorst – Business Delivery Manager
Nick (38 years old) has worked at LINKIT since 2021 and focuses on the retail industry as Business Delivery Manager. With a focus on low-code, he has carried out various assignments at organizations such as Lidl and Croonwolter&dros.
