Consider this: 94% of South African customers<\/a> say the experience a company provides is as important as its products or services. And 92% said they expect consistent interactions across departments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, let\u2019s dive into the reasons consistency is so important, why data silos scupper it, and what you can do to address the problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn about attitudes to trust and loyalty, how to balance personalisation with privacy, and the best ways to engage with customers at every touchpoint.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t As 71% of South African customers have switched brands at least once in the last year, one thing is clear: customer loyalty should be a critical concern for all businesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Especially as research has shown<\/a> that customer retention can cost up to seven times less than customer acquisition. With subscription-based business models on the rise in just about every sector imaginable, this is only going to become more significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Breaking down silos lets you streamline customer journeys and provide more consistent experiences. And at a time when 95% of South African customers say they\u2019re more loyal to companies that provide consistent interactions across departments, this is crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Customer loyalty is built on trust. And for South African customers, trust is built on consistency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A huge 84% of South African consumers say they lose trust in companies when there’s a lack of consistency across touchpoints. <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n And as we enter yet another period of economic disruption, this becomes increasingly pertinent. The vast majority (94%) of the customers we surveyed said that trust becomes more important in times of change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Breaking down silos not only helps you build trust through more consistent experiences. It lets you communicate more consistently with your customers, across all channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, as 84% of South African customers say they consider honest and transparent communication to be the most important characteristic of a trustworthy brand, this is a great way to double down on building trust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, one big tick: removing silos improves the consistency of your journeys and experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But there\u2019s more. It also lets you use your data to personalise them. And we mean seriously personalise them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And this is crucial right now. Over half of customers in South Africa expect all offers to be personalised, and 74% expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking to up your personalisation game: start with sorting your silos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the right platform, you can unite your data sources and use that connected data to gain a detailed view of each customer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the thing: your business has the data you need to form this view of your customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But like many businesses, you might not have used your digital transformation initiatives to connect data sources or make data available across departments in your organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is exactly why Salesforce Customer 360<\/a> exists. It means your business can give everyone a single, shared view of your customers.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n (In real talk, that means \u2013 for example \u2013 your Marketing team won\u2019t send promotional emails to a customer if they have an open service case.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n With this in place, marketing, sales, commerce, service, and IT departments can work as one to create the consistent experiences your customers crave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And even better? It\u2019s a great opportunity to leap ahead of your competition. Right now, 63% of customers in South Africa feel like they\u2019re communicating with separate departments, not one company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve already seen the value that customers place on personalisation. With your data sources connected, you can start using AI to personalise everything from marketing communications<\/a> to product offers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AI can also improve your employees’ experience by giving them smart recommendations on managing customer issues. And because you can automate low-level tasks, they also have more time for the bits of their jobs they enjoy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With the right data platform in place, you can tackle your silo problem and provide customers with the stuff they really want: those consistent, hyper-personalised journeys. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s the foundation of building loyalty and trust with your customer base, at a time when it\u2019s never been more important to do so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What we\u2019ve covered here is just a snapshot. If you want the full story, check out our 2022 State of the Connected Customer report<\/a>. <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n The report gives you the chance to deep dive into the opinions, motivations, and reflections of more than 16,000 consumers and business buyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\nState of the Connected Customer Report<\/span><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
![\"state-of-the-connected-customer-card\"](\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/eu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2022\/08\/state-of-the-connected-customer-card.jpg\")
\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\nConsistent experiences build customer loyalty<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Consistent experiences build trust<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When you remove silos, things get personal <\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
So, what can you do about your data silo problem? <\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to take your connected data to the next level<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ready for the next step?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n