They say one bad apple can spoil the bunch — but in business, one bad experience can turn away a customer for life. Just ask the coffee shop owner who lost a regular over a latte with the wrong milk.
Every interaction, no matter how small, has the power to win customers over or lose them. Exceptional service isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore — it’s non-negotiable.
But with hundreds or even thousands of customers, how can you keep track of every interaction? That’s where customer experience management software comes in. It helps businesses of any size manage every touchpoint, find new opportunities to delight customers, and turn satisfied customers into promoters.
In this article, we’ll break down what a customer experience platform is and how to turn it into a customer retention machine for your business.
What does a customer experience platform do for SMBs?
A customer experience (CX) platform helps your business manage every interaction across the customer journey. From discovery to purchase, it helps your customers feel supported at every touchpoint.
CX platforms collect and analyze customer data by pulling interactions from CRMs, social media management tools, and phone systems. Some key touchpoints they track in the customer lifecycle include:
- Likes, shares, or comments on organic social media posts
- Conversations with sales and support teams
- Customer experiences using your product or service
- Customer feedback from surveys
By gathering customer interactions in one place, a CX platform provides valuable insights into your customer experience strategy. Improving these touchpoints can lead to higher customer satisfaction and more consistent, engaging experiences.
5 key reasons to use a CX platform
Still on the fence? Here are a few more ways a CX platform can make a difference for your business:
- Spot trends more easily: Centralizing customer data can break down silos, organize information, and help you understand what matters most to your customers.
- Improve team collaboration: A shared platform encourages alignment between sales, marketing, and customer support teams. Team members can easily view a customer’s profile and history and get context before engaging.
- Reduce customer churn: When a customer feels valued, they are less likely to do business with a competitor. Thoughtful customer interaction management builds trust and promotes loyalty over time.
- Increase referrals: Winning over a customer is more than just earning their business – it also means they are more likely to recommend you to others. Exceeding customer expectations helps increase retention and word-of-mouth referrals.
- Streamline operations: CX platforms highlight efficiency gaps in the customer journey. For example, instead of routing customers to the next available rep, you might improve satisfaction by connecting them with a specialist. Better tools — like phone menus that let callers select their reason for calling — can lead to faster resolutions and happier customers.
What to look for in a CX platform
Let’s review what features you should prioritize when choosing a CX platform.
Easy integration with existing tools
You’re unlikely to find a CX platform that’s a one-stop shop for all your marketing, sales, and customer support needs. You’ll likely need to connect multiple tools to build the right customer experience management system for your business.
Whenever possible, look for native integrations. These can connect two tools directly with minimal effort. For example, you may want a CX platform that integrates with your phone system and CRM. OpenPhone, for instance, has a native integration with Salesforce that enables:
- Automatic call, text, recording, and voicemail logging directly into Salesforce
- Syncing Salesforce contacts so reps can view customer information directly in OpenPhone
- Caller ID that shows contact names and profile photos when they call or text
If native integrations aren’t available, you can still connect tools using third-party platforms like Zapier, Make, or custom APIs. While these options require more initial setup, they allow you to sync data and build workflows across your tech stack.
Just keep in mind that automation tools like Zapier require a paid subscription to run more than a few automations every month. You’ll want to weigh the costs and benefits when deciding how to integrate your tools.
User-friendly interface
If your business doesn’t have a dedicated IT team, you’ll want to prioritize CX platforms with an easy setup. User-friendly interfaces make it quick and easy to onboard your team and use all the platform’s features.
Check out review sites like G2 or Trustpilot to get a sense of how the CX platform works. You can also take advantage of free trials for a hands-on experience. If no free trial is available, look for demos that can show how the features work.
Scalability
If you’re on a tight budget, it may be tempting to choose the cheapest option and call it good enough. But low-cost platforms can take a toll as your business scales. They often have limited features and can make data migration a headache.
In contrast, some platforms, like Dialpad, have user minimums on higher-tier plans that can create a barrier to growth if you have a smaller team.
Look for a CX platform that can scale with your business. Consider its pricing model and flexibility to find the right fit for the long run.
Automation to save time
CX software often has automation features that can save you time. Here are a few that you might want to consider for better customer success:
- Call routing: You can set up rules for how calls are directed based on reps’ skills or shifts. Another option is to set up a ring group where incoming calls go to a shared number that’s answered by a group of front-line reps.
- Auto-replies: Send a message automatically when a customer schedules an appointment, registers for an event, or contacts you outside business hours.
- Scheduled messages: Messages are personalized to the customer and scheduled to be sent at a specific time. For example, you can set up appointment reminders, birthday messages, or messages about promotions.
- Text message (SMS) templates: Text message templates (we call them snippets) can help reps save time when answering common questions. These ensure consistent and fast customer communications.
- Sentiment analysis: Many tools can automatically scan texts and call transcripts for customer emotions. This can help you monitor brand reputation, build a better product, and improve customer support.
Analytics
Combining data sources can help unsilo information and create a holistic view of customer interactions.
For example, OpenPhone’s analytics dashboard provides an in-depth look at messages and calls between your customers and teams. The real-time metrics can track the total time spent on calls, the busiest times of the week, and call statuses.
Another example is HubSpot’s Sales Hub CRM. It gives you access to rep productivity performance, deal and company scoring, sales analytics, forecasting, and more.
Meanwhile, Hootsuite provides social media insights into your total and potential reach, engagement, and customer sentiment.
Evaluating all these metrics in one central location can help you pinpoint parts of the customer journey that need additional support.
6 types of customer experience platforms (with examples)
Here’s an overview of some popular customer experience platforms:
1. Business phone solutions
Business phone solutions help SMBs provide smooth communication with customers. They can integrate calls, texts, and voicemails with other CX tools.
Here are a couple of business phone solutions to consider:
OpenPhone
Pricing: OpenPhone pricing starts at $15 per user per month.
OpenPhone makes it easy to manage and collaborate on customer conversations. With shared numbers, all reps can easily review customer conversation history and work together to solve customer problems.
Real-time analytics give you a deeper look into call volume metrics, time spent on calls, and the number of unique conversations.
When you need to review calls, call summaries and transcripts help you skim through key details. AI-powered tools like call tagging (available on the Scale plan) can automatically identify callers’ sentiments and find the call drivers.
OpenPhone also has native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Slack. Using tools like Zapier and Make, you can connect OpenPhone with 7,000+ tools.
Dialpad
Pricing: Dialpad pricing starts at $15 per user per month.
Dialpad is a contact center solution that lets you manage customer interactions across multiple channels. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create call transcriptions for easy call reviews. If you’re willing to upgrade to the Support or Sell plans, you can get real-time agent assistance.
Native integrations are available with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, and Slack.
2. Customer relationship management (CRM) systems
CRM systems provide a central location for customer data. They can help with tracking interactions and building customer relationships.
Here are a couple of CRM systems to consider:
Salesforce
Pricing: Salesforce pricing starts at $25 per user per month.
Salesforce is one of the most powerful CRMs on the market. It can track leads, manage customer interactions, and automate workflows. The main benefit of Salesforce is that it’s highly customizable. It does require additional time to set up, and some SMBs end up hiring a third-party service provider to do this.
Salesforce has integrations with over 4,000+ apps. Some of these include OpenPhone, Dialpad, and Zendesk.
HubSpot CRM
Pricing: HubSpot pricing starts at $15 per user per month.
HubSpot is a user-friendly CRM designed for SMBs. You can use it for contact management, pipeline tracking, and marketing automation. The easy-to-use system makes it ideal for quickly onboarding employees regardless of their tech savviness.
HubSpot has integrations with hundreds of apps, including OpenPhone, Dialpad, Gmail, Outlook, and Slack.
3. Customer feedback and insights platforms
Customer feedback and insight platforms gather and analyze customer feedback from multiple sources. This provides a big picture of customers’ perceptions of your business .
Here are a couple of customer feedback and insight platforms to consider:
Qualtrics XM
Pricing: Qualtrics XM pricing is available by request.
Qualtrics XM is a powerful platform for collecting and analyzing customer feedback. It uses surveys, sentiment analysis, and predictive analytics to understand customer needs and improve satisfaction.
Qualtrics is a highly customizable tool with an API you can use to build custom extensions with other tools. There are also integrations with other platforms, like Salesforce, Zendesk, and HubSpot.
Medallia
Pricing: Medallia pricing is available by request.
Medallia can pull customer data from websites, social media, and support tickets. It uses AI-powered text mining to analyze reviews and surveys to discover social sentiment.
Another key feature is its video analysis capabilities. They can gauge customer reactions, flag negative sentiment, and highlight key moments.
Medallia can integrate with Salesforce, Zendesk, Microsoft Dynamics, and more.
4. Help desk or ticketing software
Ticketing software, or a help desk, can manage customer support requests from different channels. It uses automation and ticket tracking to make customer service more efficient.
Here are a couple of ticketing software platforms to consider:
Zendesk
Pricing: Zendesk pricing starts at $19 per user per month.
Zendesk is a popular help desk and customer support platform. It can manage support tickets, automate workflows, and provide omnichannel support. The platform can also manage customer details and track conversation history to get customer insights..
Zendesk has lots of customization options, with almost 2,000 app integrations. If your preferred app isn’t available, you can use their API for custom integrations. Another option is to use Zapier to connect platforms like OpenPhone, Salesforce, and HubSpot.
Freshdesk
Pricing: Freshdesk pricing starts at $15 per user per month.
Freshdesk is known for its user-friendly help desk platform. The ticketing system enables customer prioritization, tracking, and rep assignment. The omnichannel routing makes it a great option for connecting phone, email, and chat functionality into one location.
There are also options for self-service customer support. You can create an AI-powered chatbot or build a knowledge base.
Freshdesk has integrations with Salesforce, Slack, HubSpot, and WhatsApp.
5. Social media management platforms
Social media platforms can help you manage customer interactions by flagging negative sentiment and prioritizing which comments and posts to take action on.
Here are a couple of social media management platforms to consider:
Hootsuite
Pricing: Hootsuite pricing starts at $99 for one user and 10 accounts per month.
Hootsuite is a popular and affordable social media management platform. It connects to popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube. Some standout features include unlimited post-scheduling, automated engagement tools, and sentiment analysis across social media accounts.
Hootsuite supports integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, and Google Analytics.
Sprout Social
Pricing: Sprout Social pricing starts at $199 per user and five accounts per month.
Sprout Social is well-known for its social media engagement and analytics tools. Some key features include real-time brand monitoring, collaborative content calendars, and an advanced post scheduler. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and Pinterest can connect to Sprout Social.
The platform also supports integrations with Salesforce, Zendesk, and HubSpot.
6. Customer data platforms (CDP)
Customer data platforms (CDP) collect and organize customer data from various sources. These provide a central place to build comprehensive customer profiles your business can use to enhance customer engagement.
Adobe Real-Time CDP
Pricing: Adobe Real-Time CDP pricing is available by request.
Adobe Real-Time CDP builds a customer profile from multiple sources without relying on the consent of third-party cookies. It enables your business to create targeted marketing campaigns and enhance personalized experiences.
Adobe Experience Cloud, Google Ads, and other major CRMs can connect to Adobe Real-Time CDP. For further customization, API access can let you build a personal workflow.
While CDPs like Adobe Real-Time can be powerful, they’re best suited for larger organizations with more complex data needs.
3 simple steps to start using a customer experience platform
Here are three simple steps to help you make the most out of your CX platform:
1. Identify gaps in your customer journey
Look over every touchpoint and ask yourself if it’s in the best shape possible. Are there any unanswered calls? Are the hold times too long? Using sentiment analysis tools like OpenPhone’s call tags can help you identify gaps and get actionable insights to enhance the customer journey.
2. Choose the best tool for your needs
Taking advantage of integrations is the closest you’ll get to waving a magic wand and having the perfect CX platform. You may also want to prioritize user-friendliness for easy onboarding and reporting capabilities to make data-backed decisions.
3. Optimize with automation and analytics
Setting up automation can improve your workflow and increase efficiency. You can sync customer interaction data with your CRM, track key metrics for performance, and use AI-powered analytics to identify patterns in customer behavior.
Deliver the best customer experience with OpenPhone
No matter which CX platform you choose, a strong business phone system is essential for delivering great experiences. That’s where OpenPhone comes in.
Shared numbers and inboxes make it easier to track customer interactions, and integrations help you build more efficient workflows. Call tags can categorize calls and analyze customer sentiment to track and improve underperforming areas.
Ready to see if OpenPhone is a great fit for managing your customers’ experiences? Sign up for a free seven-day trial today.
