Top 5 customer experience (CX) trends in 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic, digital-first models and artificial intelligence (AI) have radically changed the way customers perceive the experience your brand delivers.
The great resignation and rapidly evolving technology are forcing organizations to reimagine their CX strategy. Amid the shifting landscape, brands that want to stand out from the crowd must adapt quickly to deliver against customer expectations.
Here are the top 5 CX trends that brands must keep pace with in 2022:
1. Artificial intelligence and machine learning
According to Deloitte, 56% of the contact center leaders stated that AI is a focus area and that it is ready for broad adoption Building a digital customer experience (DCX) is not an option, in today’s hyper-connected era DCX is a business necessity. Today’s consumers demand digital relationships. What’s more, organizations that proactively engage with customers through digital channels can increase business efficiency.
Two of the biggest enablers of DCX are Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).
AI and ML enable brands to predict customer behavior and needs and make it possible to customize their journey at every touch point for a swift and personalized CX. Brands can use AI to meaningfully engage, support, nurture and delight a customer. Automating and streamlining workflows with AI also supports brands to become more productive and profitable.
2. Human-centric CX design
Automation offers fast, efficient service at scale, but it is essential not to overlook the importance of empathy in your customer interactions as you roll out the latest technology.
The pandemic demonstrated just how important it can be to connect with a live agent and organizations must carefully build customer journeys that leverage technology to deliver instant, 24/7 services in moments of low emotional need, while routing customers to a live agent in the moments of high emotional need. To create meaningful, long-term relationships organizations must seamlessly weave together automated and live experiences, to ensure customer feel heard and understood but also have access to the fast, 24/7 service they crave.
3. Total experience
According to Gartner, by 2024 organizations providing an integrated approach to total experience (TX) will outperform competitors by 25 percent across satisfaction metrics for both CX and employee experience (EX). But what is TX?
TX is a strategy that aims to deliver a superior experience for all those who engage with your brand – customers, employees, partners, users, and so on. TX is created by breaking down silos and weaving together a better customer experience (CX), a satisfying employee experience (EX) and a smooth user experience (UX) across devises, channels and platforms to deliver a seamless multi-experience (MX).
In practice, TX means synchronizing people, processes and technology by providing solutions for better collaboration between teams, empowering employees through AI, implementing process automation empowering agents to deliver better experiences by streamlining the work they do and leveraging technology, including chatbots, to automate customer support.
4. The use of omnichannel
With the rise of millennials and Gen Z - groups always-online and frequently hopping between social media, emails, apps and devices - not providing omnichannel support is not option. These generations seek out quick, accurate information made available on the channel of their choice. In order to provide them with a frictionless customer experience brands must provide a seamless omnichannel experience to deliver swift, customized services — clearly and consistently across all channels.
5. CX and the Metaverse
The metaverse is the new talk of the town – according to Gartner, 25% of people will spend at least one hour per day in the metaverse by 2026. With the growing popularity of metaverse amongst gen Z, brands are exploring the metaverse as an opportunity to provide engaging, deeper and more immersive connections with their customers.
Using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) brands can interact with customers in real-time, creating life-like virtual environments and more personal connections than are possible through traditional channels.
The metaverse offers the possibility to break down global barriers and create an unforgettable customer experience that will keep customers coming back for more. While an emerging channel, those who create a space for their brand early can leverage the metaverse to attract younger consumers eager to embrace the latest trend.