Companies are making CX (Customer Experience) a priority for achieving their business goals. Brands that don’t meet customer expectations are likely to lose out in the big race. So, if you are a business owner, what customer experience trends should you focus on to win your target audience? What are the big trends that will rule in the coming years?
Here’s our take on top customer experience predictions for 2020 and beyond:
1. Offering Personalisation with the Help of AI
By 2020, 76% of customers will expect customer service agents to know who they are without an introduction.
Several leading brands have already jumped on the AI-bandwagon with AI-enabled chatbots. These intelligent bots can provide each customer with a tailored CX based on their preferences, purchase history and other data. Not just AI-enabled chatbots, but businesses will embrace AI and machine learning tools across all communication channels.
2. Proactive Customer Service Will Help Brands Stand Out
Earlier, it was common for brands to receive feedback from customers and use it to improve future customer interactions. However, this trend is so outdated in 2019. 89% of customers feel frustrated when they have to explain their problems to several customer service agents.
In 2020, brands will make use of big data analytics to provide customers with proactive solutions before they ask for help.
3. Local Customer Service Agents anywhere in the World
The world is truly a digital village today. Even small mom-and-pop stores and startups can sell their products and services to customers anywhere in the world, thanks to the rapid rise of e-commerce. This means a brand has to handle queries from customers across the globe.
To meet this challenge, companies will invest in virtual call centre. These call centre that provide customers with an enhanced customer experience by engaging a local workforce who interacts with customers in their local dialect, understands the local culture and more.
4. Digital Transformation will become a Must for all Businesses
Businesses will realise that offering a seamless customer experience will be possible only with the help of digital transformation. It’s expected that more companies will take a conscious effort to become fully digitally transformed by 2020.
5. Moving Away from Agent Support to Self-Support
It’s predicted that by 2020, 85% of all customer interactions with a brand will happen without a human customer service agent. This is so true with younger consumers – millennials and Gen Z who prefer solving a problem without talking with a customer service agent.
Brands will offer AI-chatbots, voice-enabled tech, virtual assistants and other features to help customers find the solutions they require without human intervention.
6. Multi-channel Experiences will give way to Omni-channel
For customers, this translates into a seamless, cohesive and rich shopping experience. Brands will be better able to understand consumer needs across channels and provide them with a niche experience that will increase customer loyalty.
7. VR and AR to enhance CX
The best example of this is Ikea. The furniture giant retailer offers an AR-enabled app that allows customers to see how a particular product will fit in their home before they make a purchase. This reduces the likelihood of returns and refunds, as customers understand what they are getting exactly.
Marketers can expect AR and VR technologies to enhance customer service not just in B2C but in B2B as well.
8. Transparency at every step of the Customer Experience
Brands are well aware that today’s customers are highly savvy, and providing them with misleading information could potentially backfire. Companies will make all their policies transparent to build customer trust and loyalty.
What do these trends mean for marketers?
In the highly cluttered and hyper-competitive market space of today, customer experience plays a huge role in retaining and building customer loyalty. Marketers and brands that keep themselves aware of these trends and integrate them into their customer channels will not just stay afloat but thrive while meeting increasing customer demands efficiently.
