Customers Increasingly Demand Convenience

CX Network found recently that demand for convenience is the number one customer behavior to influence customer experience practitioners' planning this year, up from fourth place in 2023.

Conversely, ethical working conditions and sustainable or ethical products have dropped in importance, with just 19 percent and 16 percent of respondents indicating this as a top behavior-influencing strategy respectively.

The CX Network survey also found the following:

• Customer loyalty remains a top-10 trend for practitioners for the rest of this year and one of only two trends not directly related to technology.
• 56 percent of respondents strongly agreed that customers will switch brands when unsatisfied, with organizations needing to focus on a customer-centric strategy and technological innovation.
• Separately, 55 percent of CX practitioners strongly agree that data privacy and security are becoming more important to customers.
• Transparency of data usage is key to boosting customer loyalty. Organizations must do more to improve customer understanding of the purposes and benefits of data collection and better communicate the value exchange of information for improved service.

In response to these findings, Sam Phillips-Lord, senior customer insight manager for Hastings Direct, is urging colleagues to "go back to basics and deliver to expectations. As a customer, I want to be able to do what I want to do in the quickest way possible. That means if I can't do something online, don't make me try. Don't lead me down the garden path on a journey that takes in all the things I can do if the thing I want to do cannot be done."

Vinay Parmar, CEO of Dhruva Star, says companies need to be aware of customer's time demands and shorter attention spans.

"Utilizing AI and data analytics to understand customer preferences and behavior in real time allows for the creation of tailored interactions that resonate on a personal level, minimizing the time spent by customers on finding the products that match their expectations," he says. "By recognizing and valuing a customer's time, companies can foster a sense of loyalty and encourage continued engagement."

Phillips-Lord takes it even a step further.

"Businesses are quickly realizing that while AI and automation are key trends, doing those in conjunction with personalization is what's really going to drive winning experiences," he says.