Over the last few years, companies have embraced the knowledge that CX (Customer Experience) is the key to success in every industry. Today’s consumers no longer make decisions based on which product is cheapest, or which brands they’re familiar with. They search consistently for the most personalised, convenient, and meaningful experiences.
73% of customers say CX is the top deciding factor in their purchasing choices, and around 59% of these consumers will walk away from a brand after being exposed to repeatedly bad experiences. Unfortunately, delivering interactions which meet consumer expectations is often easier said than done. We’re living in a world where clients have grown accustomed to incredible speed, sensational support, and phenomenal personalisation.
The only way for most brands to stay ahead of the curve, is to invest in technology capable of enhancing the experiences they have to offer on a fundamental level. Brands still relying on outdated, old-fashioned contact centres and disjoined data silos will inevitably fall behind. Here are the main reasons why every business should consider upgrading and updating their CX in 2023.
1. Adhere to Changing Customer Expectations
Increasingly, consumers are holding organisations to much higher standards than they did only a few years ago. Unfortunately, many companies are struggling to keep up with demand. While 73% of support leaders today say customer expectations are increasing, only 42% think they’re living up to those requirements. Old-fashioned technology in the CX space prevents brands from providing clients with the key factors they’re looking for in each interaction: speed, convenience, and knowledge.
Alternatively, modern CX tools pave the way for rapid improvements to the customer journey. For instance, up-to-date CCaaS software allows organisations to build omnichannel experiences for customers on the channels they prefer. These tools can transfer data from one environment to the next, so clients don’t have to repeat themselves, and open the door for more meaningful interactions through channels like video and text.
At the same time, new CX solutions allow companies to adhere to the growing demand for hyper-personalisation in the consumer landscape. With CRM tools built into contact centres, brands can provide their agents with in-the-moment insights into each customer they interact with.
2. Address Evolving CX Teams
It’s not just customers that have transformed significantly in the last few years, but the employees who serve them too. Since the pandemic, we’ve seen an astronomical rise of hybrid and remote working practices, implemented by companies searching for consistent business continuity. Up to 62% of companies have now embraced the hybrid work model, according to some studies.
This new future of work makes old-fashioned CX strategies ineffective and obsolete. Team members working at home can’t be reliant on in-office contact centre systems to interact with customers. They need to be able to access secure communication tools, customer data, and knowledge base articles wherever they are. At the same time, managers need new tools to help them manage and support their remote teams. Workforce management and engagement platforms are becoming increasingly important among brands working with distributed staff.
With modern CX tools, companies can ensure they’re keeping a close eye on the performance of their agents wherever they are, while also giving these team members access to the training, information, and resources they need on-demand.
3. Improve the Employee Experience
Upgrading the CX stack in 2023 doesn’t just pave the way for new workplace models like hybrid and remote work. It also gives businesses the opportunity to better engage and support their team members, in an environment where agent turnover is higher than ever. To deliver amazing customer experiences, brands need to find ways of attracting and retaining the best talent.
This means making technology investments which focus not just on CX, but “TX”: the Total Experience created by a brand. Investing in modern CX solutions helps to empower agents to perform more efficiently in any environment, with access to valuable, productivity-boosting tools. Virtual assistants can help agents access information more quickly on the move, while automation platforms remove repetitive tasks from their to-do-list.