Client onboarding is the entire process a user goes through when they begin their journey as a customer in any business. Their onboarding experience affects the relationship they currently have with the company, which is why businesses seek to keep the onboarding journey as pleasant as possible.
The onboarding stage is also critical for retention, serving as the first touchpoint customers have with your product. This is where impressions are made and opinions are formed regarding your product or service. Companies have begun using product onboarding software to help ease the process.
Unfortunately, for such a delicate step, several challenges are standing in the way of forming good customer relationships. Here are five main challenges businesses usually face during client onboarding and how you can resolve them:
1. Lack of Engagement and Communication
One of the biggest pain points clients face during onboarding is the lack of engagement and communication. When you have limited visibility of the customer journey, it’s difficult to track their progress. If you can’t identify where they might be having problems, you won’t be able to take proactive steps to help them.
Customers want to feel at ease about the product they have purchased, which is why communication and accessibility are crucial at this time. Inform your client of the entire process, show their progress, and involve them every step of the way.
2. Insufficient Product Training
This can lead to widely dissatisfied customers. They invest in your product with the expectation that you will provide them with the tools required to make it work. If they are not adequately briefed on how a product works, this can affect their onboarding experience.
To prevent this issue from arising, teach your clients how to use every feature. Engage them with onboarding emails and a comprehensive training session. After completion of the product training, follow up with your clients to see if they have encountered any difficulties in using the product.
3. Long Duration of Onboarding
Several touchpoints within departments and the back and forth of documents can make onboarding time-consuming. Customers want a quick turnaround time concerning the product or service they want to purchase. If the onboarding drags on for no good reason, they will be more inclined to give up.
Improve processes and be quick to resolve any problems that might arise to avoid prolonging their onboarding journey. It should be complete once the customer can successfully use the product independently.
4. Poor Data Management
The collection and management of data take time, especially when information passes through several internal teams. You need to be mindful of how often you ask clients for information. Ask for the pertinent data right away to ensure a smooth and timely process for both ends.
Have all data compiled on a single platform, like on onboarding software. By sharing notes and pertinent data across all departments, customers can enjoy a fluid progression throughout their onboarding journey.
5. Unsatisfactory Customer Service and Satisfaction
Lastly, the customer’s overall experience with your company influences their decision to stay or leave once onboarding is completed. Customers are aware of other options out there, which means that they won’t hesitate to switch if they are left unsatisfied with your services.
The flow of onboarding has to be seamless to be considered a pleasant experience by customers. Availability, better communication, and polished processes can all help streamline the onboarding process for any client. Manage workflow and expectations to keep your customers happy.
