Bridging the Gap: Meeting Evolving Consumer Preferences in CX

Bridging the Gap: Meeting Evolving Consumer Preferences in CX

In a world where customer experience reigns supreme, the recently unveiled Execs in The Know “CX Leaders Trends & Insights 2023: Consumer Edition” sheds light on a compelling paradox. While there is evidence of progress in how brands handle customer service, it is abundantly clear that there’s still a substantial journey ahead. Notably, consumers are adamant that customer service must be more human.

The extensive survey offers insights into American consumer sentiments regarding the state of customer care. It underscores the growing importance of the customer experience, with 86% of respondents deeming it “very important” or “important” in shaping their brand perceptions. This is a substantial leap from the 52% recorded in 2022.

Despite the acknowledged significance of delivering an outstanding customer experience, consumers remain unsatisfied with the status quo. A mere 26% believe that companies are improving their customer care, while a staggering 30% perceive a decline.

Unraveling the mystery behind this disconnect reveals a clear answer: the greatest frustration in resolving customer care issues is the “difficulty in reaching a live person.” The advent of automated self-service tools, while useful in certain scenarios, has inadvertently marked the industry. As Newsweek once commented, “if it seems brands don’t really want you to talk to their customer service reps, it’s because they don’t.”

In the rush to trim costs and enhance efficiencies, many brands have unintentionally communicated this sentiment to their customers. Consumers feel compelled into a journey they did not choose, leading to unfavorable impressions of a brand.

So, how can you bridge this gap in consumer sentiment? The solution may be as simple as listening to your customers. The study suggests that the top request for improving the customer care experience is to “create a faster, less complicated process,” followed by “make live agents more accessible.”

This suggests that some companies have inadvertently overcomplicated the customer experience in their pursuit of a multichannel approach, forcing customers into specific channels. Research has shown that this is a major customer complaint.

At XperiSource, our approach is to build customer experience programs with the customer at the center. We believe in letting consumers define their own journey. Recognizing that every customer is unique is the only way to achieve a genuinely customer-centric approach that leads to higher satisfaction.

With that in mind, we commit to:

• Always make speaking with a live agent an available option.
• Provide user-friendly self-service tools for customers who prefer these channels.
• Leverage Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Modeling to understand individual customer behavior and preferences, ensuring that all inquiries are handled according to each customer’s unique needs.
• Acknowledge that consumer preferences evolve and adapt our approach accordingly.

Struggling to implement a consumer centric CX program that caters to your unique customer base? Our XperiSource team is here to help you, please feel free to reach out to me directly at louis.ochoa@xperisource.com. We also invite you to stay informed about the latest trends, news, and resources in our field by following XperiSource’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xperisource/ .  Let’s work together to meet and exceed the evolving preferences of today’s consumers in the world of customer experience.