Did you know that 73% will go to the competition if they get more than a bad customer experience?
Zendesk conducted a global survey with nearly 3,700 customers, and 4,800 business respondents, and pulled data from nearly 100,000 registered Zendesk customers from around the world.
The survey shows that the 5 most important trends to increase customer experience are:
- Trend 1: Artificial intelligence (AI)
- Trend 2: Seamless conversational experiences
- Trend 3: Personalised customer experiences
- Trend 4: Emotional well-being
- Trend 5: Integrated teams
TREND 1 - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
We may not be at the point where AI can replace human intelligence, but there has been significant progress in this area over the past year. As customers increasingly demand more advanced AI solutions, the demand for AI in the market is expected to grow.
This is what customers think about the potential of AI:
Businesses understand the importance of investing in AI as a tool to improve the overall experience. 67% of executives expect to increase AI/bot spending over the next year.
TREND 2 - SEAMLESS CONVERSATIONAL EXPERIENCES
The evolution of AI-powered customer service has resulted in more seamless experiences. One of the key factors in providing excellent customer service is the ability to offer prompt assistance, whether it's from an AI-powered bot or a real human agent.
This is what customers expect:
- 72% of customers want immediate service
- 71% require natural conversational experiences
- 70% expect everyone they interact with to have full context
- 66% want interactions not to interrupt their current action
- 62% think experiences should flow naturally between both physical and digital spaces
While customer expectations couldn't be clearer, many businesses have trouble meeting them. A significant percentage of consumers, up to 60% report that they encounter agents who lack context, leading the customer to repeat themselves - this is a recipe for dissatisfied customers. In contrast, 70% of consumers buy more from companies that offer seamless conversational experiences.
TREND 3 - PERSONALISED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES
It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that your company offers personalised customer experiences when in reality it might just be the superficial. Increasingly, customers are looking for more than just standard marketing efforts from companies; they want businesses to leverage the vast amount of data they possess to create customised experiences.
Sound challenging? It is, but the payoff for businesses will be huge. By offering personalised customer experiences, businesses will reap the benefits of deeper, more lasting relationships with customers. 77% of business leaders acknowledge that deeper personalisation leads to increased customer satisfaction. It's a factor that cannot be ignored.
TREND 4 - EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING
We know that negative customer experiences can be frustrating and have a lasting impact on a company. The biggest challenge is to capture and understand the emotions of consumers. If you can do this, new opportunities will emerge to provide exceptional customer experiences that will alleviate consumer frustration.
Two-thirds of customers who perceive that a company is concerned about their emotional well-being are more likely to return. What's more, 73% of customers will switch to a competitor after several bad experiences - and more than half will switch after just one negative interaction.
TREND 5 - INTEGRATED TEAMS
Business leaders are realising the benefits of creating exceptional experiences for their internal customer experience departments. In the past, customer service teams were seen as cost centers, rather than revenue drivers. Since customers expect their data to be shared widely to create personalised experiences, collaboration across teams within an organisation is required. Silos need to be broken down.
To achieve this, many business leaders are considering making major changes to how their teams are structured. 72% of business leaders believe that merging teams and responsibilities around customer experience will increase operational efficiency. 64% have plans to merge teams and responsibilities. By breaking down silos and integrating customer service, sales and marketing, businesses can provide an exceptional customer experience across channels.
Conclusion
Customer experience expectations are evolving rapidly and businesses need to keep up with the latest trends to stay competitive. Artificial intelligence, conversational experiences, deeper personalisation, customer sentiment and integrated teams are all critical areas that businesses need to focus on to provide an exceptional customer experience. Businesses that invest in these trends will reap the benefits of deeper and lasting relationships with their customers and increased customer loyalty.
Download and read more about CX Trends report 2023 here.