Digital transformation is the biggest CX trend in 2022
Digital transformation has been an area of focus for many industries for some years now and the report revealed that it is the biggest trend impacting CX roles in 2022. With 14 percent of respondents flagging digital transformation as a major trend it edged ahead of data analytics, which took second place after being flagged by 13 percent of respondents.
Emily Shirley, general manager of business card and marketing product retailer Vista UK and Ireland, suggested that the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing disruption offers an explanation for the prominence of digital transformation as a trend. With, in many cases, physical interactions with customers no longer possible, brands were forced to switch to a digital-first approach which has now become the accepted standard for customers.
Perry Gale, regional vice-president, EMEA at Cyara, offered his explanation for the prominence of the trend: “The surge in businesses shifting online has put pressure on [EMEA] companies to meet the high bar set by digital-savvy leaders who are investing heavily in CX engagement and innovation. Delivering a memorable and great experience has never been more important in the channels that customers prefer to engage in the most.”
Digital customer experience and CRM are the biggest investment priorities
Digital customer experience and CRM systems topped the list of CX investment priorities according to the surveyed practitioners. With both being flagged by 10 percent of respondents, 3 percent higher than the next investment priority, digital marketing, it is clear that brands are showing confidence in digital solutions.
In the report, Cyara’s Gale offered his three best pieces of advice for those looking to implement digital solutions:
Take baby steps
Gale believes that the early stages of investment in digital solutions should involve evaluation of the digital channels that customers are already spending time on. This will help inform on the most popular channels and identify the most promising opportunities for the introduction of digital solutions, and one or two channels can be selected to begin with.
Focus on quality assurance
According to Gale, it is critical that a solid quality assurance and testing process is implemented before digital solutions are made available to customers. If solutions fail either on a technical level or in providing value, then the initiative can be considered a wasted opportunity.
Include self-service options where possible
With the level of customer contact coming through digital channels now higher than ever some businesses may struggle to keep up, particularly if they lack the necessary resources. The application of self-service channels like chatbots can help to alleviate some of the pressure on contact centers and allow agents to spend more time focusing on more challenging customer issues.
Integration into existing tools is a major investment obstacle
When questioned on investment challenges, 15 percent of respondents flagged integration into existing tools putting it in second place alongside the challenge of demonstrating ROI. The top spot was taken by the challenge of finding budget, which took fourth place in the 2021 issue of the report, suggesting that brands are no longer as keen to invest in digital solutions.
Respondents flagged integration into existing tools as a challenge due to the potential to create data and tech silos when it is carried out. Such silos will leave businesses in a worse position despite the implementation of tools that are intended to smooth customer experience, due to the lack of interconnectivity between systems.
Saki Takeda, director of product management at Netflix, suggests that brands endeavor to understand the difference between multi-channel and omnichannel and focus on the customer journey:“The top things to avoid are expanding channels blindly for the sake of ‘being omnichannel’ or ‘needing to show the brand presence’ and creating unnecessary silos by segmenting or grouping support agents per channel.”
These trends will be explored in detail during our webinar, EMEA in Focus, on 2 November, 2022. For more insights into the top CX trends in 2022, download the full report here.
Have you noticed any of these trends taking shape in your own organization? Let us know in the comments below.