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The customer experience pyramid is a simple, structured, and above all actionable model.
Each level allows you to understand what your customers really expect at each stage of their journey and to build a relationship over time, step by step.
We hear about customer experience everywhere, so if you're ready to beef up your strategy, you'll see that we have more than one trick up our sleeve.
The six levels of the customer experience pyramid
It's simple. This model allows you to structure the customer experience into six progressive stages.
It's a real tool to help you avoid moving forward blindly.
Each level builds on the previous one.
It's impossible to engage without reassuring, or to build loyalty without satisfying.
It's a bit like Maslow's hierarchy of needs, except that here we're talking about customer relationships.
Provide useful information
This is the foundation.
Your customers need to be able to find what they're looking for quickly without picking up the phone.
FAQs, guides, tutorials, chatbots... anything that saves them from waiting unnecessarily counts.
And it counts double when it comes to e-commerce.
Good self-service means fewer requests, less support, and more fluidity.
Without it, the experience stalls from the start and you'll have to deploy more resources to compensate for this shortcoming (through after-sales service, for example).
Solve a specific problem
Here, we're talking about a customer who has a problem that is unique to them.
And they expect a clear answer, not a general response.
What makes the difference is the attention paid to their case.
A personalized, human, and quick response.
It's also an opportunity.
You can turn dissatisfaction into real proof of reliability. And sometimes, into a loyal customer.
A well-managed customer service ticket is often worth more than a good slogan.
Responding to an expressed need
A customer asks you a question. But behind that question, there is often a real intention.
Your role is to understand what they really want. And to go one step further.
Offer a gesture, a surprise, a little bonus that shows you understand. That's what turns a simple response into a real experience.
Anticipate a stated need
You know your customers' habits.
Take advantage of this to simplify their lives.
Offer the right product at the right time, follow up without being intrusive, tailor your messages.
That's what useful service is all about.
A well-designed loyalty program can do the job. Provided you rely on the right signals.
Respond to an unconscious need
Sometimes, customers don't even know what they're going to ask you yet. But you can see it coming.
This is where behavioral analysis comes into its own.
A bug identified before it exists. A stock alert sent at just the right time.
Automation becomes a powerful ally here. When done right, the customer doesn't even notice.
They just feel... well taken care of.
Make the customer stronger and more valued
We're reaching the top.
What you offer is no longer just useful. It's a game changer.
The customer feels understood, recognized, inspired.
They embrace not only your product, but also your values.
Some brands achieve this by co-creating, personalizing to the extreme, and breaking the mold.
It's no longer loyalty, it's deep attachment.
The customer experience pyramid: a powerful retention lever
We often forget it, but loyalty cannot be decreed. It is built.
And not with discounts or promo codes sent out on a whim.
What really keeps a customer is the experience they have with you over time.
This is where the pyramid becomes strategic.
It helps you lay the right foundations, in the right order.
By not skipping any steps, you avoid building on shaky ground.
By structuring your actions, you naturally improve your key indicators.
A well-supported customer costs less to retain, stays longer, and brings in more revenue.
LTV, CAC, ROI... everyone benefits.
A customer who finds the information they are looking for, who is helped quickly when they have a problem, who is surprised with personalized attention... comes back more often.
And that's what LTV is all about.
Let's take a concrete example.
If your customer makes a first purchase of $40 and then returns twice in the year thanks to good follow-up and a smooth relationship, they no longer bring you $40, but $120.
Better still, if they feel valued, they may recommend the brand, refer a friend or relative, or become an ambassador.
Their real value far exceeds their average order value.
It's not magic, it's the pyramid : long live the pyramid!
Pssst... You might find this interesting!
Loyalty programs are strategic for your retention, and we can probably help. Check out our platform!
5 best practices for climbing the pyramid
Climbing the pyramid doesn't happen by chance. Here are 5 best practices for structuring your actions and making sustainable progress.
1. Map your customer journey and identify weak points according to the pyramid
Start by visualizing what your customer actually experiences.
From the first click to after-sales service.
Ask yourself a simple question at each stage: are we ticking this level of the pyramid or not at all?
This mapping often reveals obvious things that we no longer see.
2. Prioritize actions on the most fragile levels
Don't try to do everything at once.
What is holding you back today may not be what you think.
A customer service department that doesn't respond.
FAQs that are impossible to find. Poor personalization.
That's where you need to start.
Fix the foundation before building the next floor.
3. Set up KPIs tailored to each level
Each level has its own indicators.
You can't measure the impact of a product guide in the same way as a UGC campaign.
For example, at level 1, you can track the rate at which resources are consulted.
At level 3, you can track the conversion rate after a personalized response.
Simple but well-targeted KPIs prevent efforts from falling flat.
👉 If you want details on the KPIs to track, click here for the 20 eCommerce KPIs.
4. Mobilize the right tools
Without the right tools, it's impossible to track, analyze, and automate.
CRM, feedback collection, marketing automation, UGC... each level can be supported by a tech building block.
👉 Not sure where to start? Read our comparison of which CRM to choose for your eCommerce
5. Involve the whole company, not just marketing
The customer experience is not the responsibility of a single department.
If support isn't up to scratch, if the product isn't aligned, if the developers don't understand the feedback... nothing works.
Everyone needs to be on board.
The pyramid cannot be built by one person alone.
The 6 pillars of customer experience in a table + tools
We're feeling generous, so here's a summary table of the 6 pillars of the customer experience pyramid, with a goal, a concrete action, and the associated tool for each one.
Develop customer experience and retention with Loyoly
Our goal is for your customers to want to stay, talk about you, and come back without even thinking about it. That's what true brand preference is all about.
At Loyoly, we firmly believe that loyalty should no longer be a promotional reflex. It is a strategic lever. A driver of engagement, image, and profitability.
What if you could turn your satisfied customers into truly loyal customers?
Turn your satisfied customers into loyal customers with our loyalty programs.
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