When we asked Dimensional Research to survey customers and enterprises about CX, in 2020, we suspected that customers weren’t as happy with their brand interactions as companies had believed. However, we were surprised by how wide the gap in perceptions was. We explored the many reasons for that disparity in an eye-opening (and much downloaded!) report, The CX Reality Check.
To see where things stood a pandemic year later, we partnered again with Dimensional Research for a follow-up study, The CX Reality Check 2021: Momentum Interrupted.
The CX Reality Check 2021: Momentum Interrupted is also the title of our November 16 webcast, featuring David Gehringer, Principal, Dimensional Research and Cory Good, SVP, Digital Transformation Strategy, [24]7.ai™. This webcast is now available on demand.
The name gives it away. Survey respondents had the best intentions but, for varied reasons, weren’t able to make headway on their CX digital transformations over the last year. Many companies knew they were behind, that their current digital CX solutions weren’t robust. When the pandemic hit and demand spiked, they were proven right: Their systems couldn’t scale, creating many frustrated customers (and many frustrated ex-customers) and costing the companies dearly.
As a result, the overall cross-industry customer experience in 2021 has not improved. Somewhat surprisingly, companies still think they’re doing better than their customers actually give them credit for.
Businesses that were slowly adapting now have other priorities—such as implementing security and data privacy measures for their WFH workforce.
The perception gap remains. For example, 61 percent of businesses say their digital channels deliver consistent customer experiences; according to customers, these automated channels fail 50 percent of the time.
The best-laid plans come up short. For example, as companies turned to multiple support channels in 2021, they discovered it complicates their ability to deliver a consistent CX.
A new possibility emerges: CXaaS, or CX as a Service, offers many companies a clear way to close the CX perception gap. CXaaS combines talent, services, and technology to improve the customer experience while lowering an organization’s costs.
To take a deep dive on the state of CX today, and to learn more about our CXaaS offering, [24]7.ai Managed Customer Engagement, check out the following resources:
The secret sauce to enhanced engagement and reduced turnover rates.
Strategies for enhanced customer experiences in the digital age
