The bright lights of 2022 are nearly in sight and that means new opportunities, and new ways to succeed in our work and play. That always means some change is needed after a successful effort, we can’t keep doing the same old tricks, so change is upon us. Technology is at the forefront of everything we do and it’s a no-brainer that we need to use those technologies as well as our great minds to bring success to the ecosystem.
According to Hubtype, $641B will be spent on CX technologies in 2022. Through our learning and our foresight, here are the predicted Trends we will see in CX for 2022!
Redesign the Journey According to the Customers
Shaping or redesigning the business refers to changing tactics, tools and approaches in order to deliver a better, more accurate customer journey. It’s now 2022 and your customers are different. They aren’t going to be ok with some tools you offer when they are sitting on social media and their phones. You need to understand the expectations of your customers quickly. For this, you can deploy a behavioral psychology approach to interact with your customers.
A recent case study by McKinsey & Company, a consumer-services firm has added behavioral psychology to customer interactions and found some changes they needed to implement and when applied, their customer satisfaction scores and business operations went through the roof.
AI and Machine Learning Offer “Humanization”
Knowing what to and who to prioritize is key to any business. But with the power of AI and machine learning, businesses can understand who is needed, and serve them the best way, in the right time. These can come in the form of chat bots, live chat or pop ups mid customer journey to assist the user, or product actions within social media and WhatsApp. Being native within a familiar product is key to streamlining processes and helping customers in their journey. We saw during the pandemic that the adaptations were loved by customers – why change them or revert them because we are back to “normal”. Customers have responded really well to the changes (such as quick online deliveries or pickup) and are more open than ever to remote solutions such as healthcare). The industry expects many big and small brands will keep the pandemic-era opportunities that have become popular with customers going. And if they make your business money, and retain customers, why not?
Privacy Will Be a Key Design Feature
In an era where privacy is key, and customers are fully aware that their data is at the hands of big names out there and there’s nothing they can really do about it, your brand must consider privacy as part of the customer journey. According to Harvard Business Review, Customers having the best past customer experiences are likely to spend 140% more than those who had the poorest past experiences. Privacy is what your customers are concerned about so be available to them, share and be transparent and make sure the customer feels comfortable giving you their information, in a world where they feel like it’s too late to be protected.
Bring in Community
According to a study, 67% use Customer Service Communities (those built to have peer to peer support) to collect new ideas or concepts for new products or features from customers. To make sure of a better customer experience and satisfaction, companies have started developing customer service communities so that their most beloved users, with the most knowledge can be championed and also help other customers. We see it in google support tools and we will see it in other brands this coming year. These communities are developed to interact with customers, listen to their issues, and take customer feedback but also somewhat gamify users so they can be empowered. Its a two way relationship that benefits both sides. What better research than actual users who know and love your product.
Instant Gratification is No More
Constant shortages in everything from timber and microchips to internationally shipped goods such as our daily amazon shopping must mean that many people will feel a desperate need for products and there’s no real time frame. Customers are already frustrated by empty shelves and long (sometimes unknown) wait times to receive products, a situation that will get worse before it gets better. This means that brands can no longer rely on a plethora of products as their main selling point; instead, they will have to use CX to differentiate themselves.
There’s no doubt that the coming year of 2022 will bring a whole new world of challenges but it will also bring some trends that we can embrace for the good. Many factors can affect the industry which is likely to affect CX trends but if companies remain agile and listen to their customers, then they can stay on top.
Agile companies with good solid strategies for business and their customers will keep up with changes and they will more likely emerge as leaders. By listening to the customer and constantly looking to improve the customer experience, brands, and companies can continue to grow. Those who don’t focus on empathy, technology and usability will face real competitive threats. That means customers will switch to whoever gives the best experience and will tell their friends. As marketers, we know this and this is why it’s vital to stay focused and agile.
