Zendesk annual CX Trends Report shows 70
percent of leaders completely reimagining their customer
journey
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Zendesk, Inc. today
released its annual Customer Experience (CX) Trends Report, the
findings of which signal a rapid transition towards intelligent CX.
In this era, the shift to AI-driven service will create a big
divide between companies who use AI to create the best customer
experiences and those that miss the mark on implementing, or worse,
don't embrace AI at all. Those with the ability to bridge this
divide will completely transform CX, delivering personalization at
scale and elevating service quality while reducing costs.
"We're on the verge of the most significant inflection point
we've ever seen in CX with the latest advances in AI," said
Adrian McDermott, chief technology
officer, Zendesk. "Businesses will need to rethink the structure of
everything, from their tech stacks to their teams to how they
deliver support. Companies that thrive will shift to a much more
intelligent CX strategy, using AI to manage volume, lower costs,
increase quality and ultimately improve customer satisfaction."
The report reveals 70 percent of CX leaders are reimagining
their customer journeys using tools like generative AI. This
adoption has real benefits – 83 percent of CX leaders who are using
generative AI in CX report positive ROI, proving these changes set
a new standard for successful CX. The report also places a
spotlight on some defining elements of the era of intelligent
CX:
- Chatbots are evolving into advanced digital agents:
generative AI and evolved chatbots are revolutionizing consumer
interactions by facilitating personalized, instant and interactive
experiences.
- Live and immersive interactions will redefine
experiences: as consumers expect more engaging and interactive
experiences, CX leaders will need to transition to tools like
conversational commerce, live streaming and voice.
- CX leaders are the new drivers of data privacy: CX
leaders, not IT, are the new drivers of data privacy, integrating
security seamlessly into CX for protection and ease.
Chatbots evolve into advanced digital agents
Two-thirds of CX leaders believe chatbots can build a stronger
emotional connection with their customers. This is largely due to
AI chatbots evolving into skilled digital agents, playing key
roles in customer service and the overall customer
experience. Their ability to mirror brand styles and evaluate their
customers' feelings and desires enables them to deliver tailored,
accurate responses.
The transformation of chatbots into digital agents aligns with
escalating expectations – 68 percent of consumers believe chatbots
should have the same level of expertise and quality as highly
skilled human agents. Furthermore, over half expect to soon
interact with advanced bots for quick and immediate responses.
Businesses are grasping the importance of upgrading chatbots into
digital agents and plan to boost their AI investments to speed up
this process.
Live and immersive interactions redefine
experiences
Consumers have now come to expect more than just
traditional support to truly enhance their experiences. More than
half of those surveyed believe the way they interact with a company
will completely change within two years.
People are embracing conversational commerce – buying products
within chat interactions – and turning to live-streamed sessions
for immediate help with shopping. To keep pace with this change, 72
percent of CX leaders are partnering with external vendors and
experts to implement conversational commerce. Brands are also
turning to social media and in-store influencers for sales – an
approach that attracts new consumers and caters to those who prefer
shopping at home. Sixty-five percent of CX leaders believe failure
to leverage tools like live streaming that provide real time
support will lead to lost opportunities.
CX leaders are the new drivers of data
privacy
Amidst escalating privacy concerns and rising
demands for AI-enhanced personalized experiences, data privacy is
becoming a central responsibility for CX leaders. In fact, 77
percent of CX leaders see themselves as responsible for making sure
their customers' data is safe. Another 83 percent say data
protection and cybersecurity are top priorities in their customer
service strategy.
With CX leaders now active drivers of data privacy
decision-making processes, they're focused on delivering solutions
that protect data while facilitating personalized experiences and
deploying AI. More than half of consumers feel they're constantly
under the threat of being scammed. When they see that a company is
proactive about data security, they're more likely to feel
comfortable providing personal information, leading to stronger
trust and loyalty.
The future outlook for CX
Leaders are confidently
preparing for the future of CX, not just waiting to see what
happens. They're betting big on smart customer experiences for
2024, signaling a landmark year for CX due to new technology. To
learn more, download the Zendesk CX Trends Report and access all 10
key trends shaping the era of intelligent CX.
Methodology
Data from CX Trends comes from two survey
sources. Zendesk surveyed 2,818 consumers and 4,441 customer
service and experience leaders, agents, and technology buyers from
20 countries and organizations ranging from small business to
enterprise during July and August
2023. Results from each survey were weighted to remove bias
from the survey samples.
About Zendesk
Zendesk is on a mission to simplify the
complexity of business and make it easy for companies and customers
to create connections. Our customer experience software unlocks the
power of billions of interactions, enabling businesses to build
rich, meaningful relationships with their customers. The company
was conceived in Copenhagen,
Denmark and today operates in more than 20 countries around
the world.
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