New Findings Uncover Significant Shift to Digital Technologies Among Customer Experience Leaders in the Age of COVID-19

By AIT News Desk On Oct 26, 2020

Research from Corinium and Precisely Examines How Customer Experience Leaders Must Reinvent their Strategies to Meet Consumer Expectations

Precisely, the global leader in data integrity, today released the findings of a report commissioned with market intelligence firm Corinium that examines the significant changes that customer experience (CX) leaders must make as a result of COVID-19, and the acceleration of data-driven technologies shaping the future of CX in the post-pandemic world.

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The report finds almost 90 percent of organisations have updated their CX strategies in response to COVID-19, with a quarter of respondents indicating they’ve totally rethought their CX approach. Additionally, nearly 80 percent of respondents said COVID-19 has increased the volume of digital customer interactions with their brands and that half of customers now expect even more seamless and integrated digital experiences.

Other key findings from the report include:

Migration to Digital Channels Marks a Permanent Shift in Customer Preferences

The findings indicate digital touchpoints will replace many in-person ones moving forward. A full quarter of respondents expect to fully eliminate their brick and mortar presence, replacing physical locations with 100% digital alternatives, while an additional third of respondents said they expect to shutter some stores, branches or offices.

The report confirms demand for omnichannel experience has reached a critical mass with 50 percent of respondents saying customers now expect more seamless, integrated experiences when interacting with brands. Most survey respondents agreed there are some aspects of the job that will always require a “human touch.” In fact, two thirds say customers still generally want to talk to a human when dealing with their businesses. In these cases, it is up to CX leaders to meet customers where they are, and to design journeys which allow customers to use their preferred channel and escalate to a human when needed.

It’s All About the Customer: Data Integrity and Integrated Multichannel CX Platforms Lead Investment Prioritization

CX leaders are focusing on using data to deliver more seamless and personalised customer experiences in the wake of COVID-19. Sixty percent of business leaders indicated they plan to invest more in achieving data integrity through data integration and data enrichment technologies as a result of COVID-19. Forty-six percent of leaders are considering investments in integrated, multichannel CX platforms.

Other high priority investments for business leaders include chatbots with live takeover functionality, chatbots that use Natural Language Processing (NLP), digital self-service platforms, and interactive and personalised video.

“The pandemic has accelerated the digital shift dramatically, increasing timelines from years to a matter of months. These data-driven investments are about engaging people in a personal and interactive way – across different channels of engagement – to ensure they get to the answers they need quickly. It’s about making the complex simple,” said Greg Van den Heuvel, EVP and GM, Precisely.