Single customer view, sometimes shortened to SCV, is a powerful tool for businesses to catalog data about their customers and/or clients. Data can be overwhelming, and information has never been as cheap as it is today. The secret is consolidating that data into a useable format. A well structured single customer view is an invaluable asset for organizations seeking to improve their customer relationships and their bottom line.
To understand why you may want to adopt an SCV, we will be defining single customer view, reviewing what information can be contained in a single customer view, the benefits of a SCV system, and how implementing a single customer view can lead to improved multi-channel customer experience.
What is a Single Customer View?
A single customer view is a propensity model in which all of the relevant data for a particular client or customer can be viewed in one place. This single customer, or unified view, is a one-stop-shop for your employees to access data about your customers.
In today’s age of multiple computer systems, filing systems, sales programs, and everything else under the sun, the single customer view allows your business to record and access information easily. One of the knocks against single customer view is that it is simply too hard to implement. We disagree. The effort required to create a functional SCV will be paid back in spades when you are able to communicate effectively internally and externally about your customers’ wants and needs.
Choosing Relevant Data for a Single Customer View
The information you will want to store in a single customer view is heavily dependent on your industry and unique business needs. Typical information might include:
- Basic customer information – name, address, email, phone number, etc.
- Demographic details – age, location, gender, political affiliation, other relevant information.
- Selected preferences – does the customer prefer email or text? Notifications? Email newsletters?
- Purchase history – previous purchases, rentals, and services used.
- Internet history – search history, saved items in online shopping carts, ads clicked, emails opened, etc.
- Industry specific information – clothing stores may store shoe sizes, sporting goods stores may store what sports equipment an individual has purchased, etc.
Single Customer View Benefits
Data is a beautiful thing. Well organized data is even better. Unified customer views afford businesses several key advantages over those with data in one or more unorganized databases.
Single customer views update themselves. When properly implemented, unified databases should in fact be up-to-date in real time. As customers make purchases, search your website, or change their personal information, that should be immediately updated and available for reference.
Simple brand analytics by examining customer behavior. Going through customer data is more manageable with a single customer view system. This allows companies to change their strategy moving forward and adapt to the changing marketplace.
Tailoring your marketing materials to the right consumers. Getting customers to finally make a purchase or bringing them back into the fold after a lapse is made easier through single customer view systems. Businesses are able to break down their customers by location, interests, purchase history, and much more.
Improved customer service. If a customer calls or emails your customer service department, a SCV will allow the customer service representative to quickly and easily access that customer’s information. This allows for superior service and faster response times.
Single Customer View for Multi-Channel Customer Experience
As an extension of that final point – demand for multi-channel customer service is at an all time high. Customers believe they should be able to reach a customer service representative at any time, day or night. In today’s market, many companies offer a multitude of communication methods such as phone calls, emails, live chat, e-forms, and more.
Successful multi-channel customer experience hinges on the representative being able to do three things:
- Access the customer’s information quickly and accurately.
- Resolve the customer’s issue or get the customer to the correct department.
- Log the details of their customer service interaction.
Single customer view systems help to improve all three of these actions. The customer information should be easily readable by any employee. That employee should then be able to quickly discern whether or not he or she will be able to assist the customer or if a different department should be involved.
In either case, the customer service rep can then enter the details of the call, live chat, email interaction, etc. into the single customer view so that any future customer service representative will have all of the relevant information as well.
Organize Your Company Data with Clock Tower Insight
Clock Tower Insight helps our clients to build their brands through any means necessary. We believe in using cutting edge research to deliver unparalleled insight and understanding into today’s rapidly changing marketplace. With over 15 years of dedicated experience, our marketing insight has helped organizations including Belle Tire, Nielsen, Orbitz, and Kraft Foods.
We are proud to offer a number of services to our clients, including customer experience management, brand positioning in the marketplace, market sizing, market testing, and more.