What Trends Will Set the Customer Experience in 2022?

Customer experience (CX) is becoming a major concern for most organizations. In recent years, both large and small companies have invested to improve the customer experience (CX) and stay ahead of the competition.

Whether it’s keeping customer data safe by opting for IT security risk assessments or using AI (Artificial Intelligence) powered chatbots to engage with potential customers 24/7, the customer experience is evolving very fast.

Some studies have shown that customizing the CX can lead to your satisfaction. At least 55% of companies believe that improving the customer experience should become a top priority for any company intending to grow in 2022 and the years ahead.

What Trends Will Set the Customer Experience in 2022?

1) Balance Between Humanity and Automation

In 2022, brands will find a balance between humanity and automation.

Marketing automation is a proven way for any business to reduce customer service-related costs and speed up query resolution time.

While organizations want to have a chatbot that answers some of the frequently asked questions from customers, some of them would like real people to answer their queries. In 2021, most consumers have still been reluctant to trust chatbot responses. This means that human customer service remains an important requirement for any brand looking to grow.

2) Increase in Multichannel Service

Today, most companies are focusing on keeping their customers more engaged on different platforms. Brands use more than one to keep in touch with consumers.

In one of Adobe’s recent surveys, it is indicated that organizations that invest in multichannel customer engagement can increase their close rates by 25% and enjoy a 10% increase in growth rate.

For this reason, the number of companies investing in multichannel customer experience will increase significantly from 20% to 80% in 2022.

3) Improved Customer Experience (CX) on Mobile Devices

Most customers use their mobile phones to make purchases online. Mobile devices are the main source of Internet traffic today, followed by computers.

That means when companies build e-commerce websites and apps, they should focus more on developing different versions of the site and the app for displays. Increasing usability on mobile devices is one of the best ecommerce customer experience strategies to generate more profit.

Around 57% of customers are more concerned with how a brand’s website appears on mobile devices and would not recommend a company with a poorly designed (not responsive) website.

Also, 50% of customers are unlikely to visit a website if it doesn’t perform well. That means, in 2022, a business should focus more on providing a better mobile experience for customers to drive engagement and sales.

Also, when consumers seek customer service on mobile devices, they must find the process fast. Businesses looking to embrace this trend to boost CX in 2022 should put more focus on increasing website navigation, reducing load times, and improving site search on mobile devices.

4) Customer Frustration Leads to Desertion

At least 72% of customers share their positive experiences with six other customers. On the contrary, when customers are dissatisfied with a brand, they do so with 15 potential customers. Therefore, improving the Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is vital for businesses.

Thus, customers will not share their frustrations directly with the company. Quite simply, most customers will leave when they are unhappy. In fact, according to a PwC report, 1 in 3 customers will leave a brand they are loyal to after a bad experience.

What is a bad experience? Customers have a unique perception of what constitutes bad CX. For example, not following up when they inquire can be considered a bad experience.

Organizations must keep in mind that customer expectations will always remain at their peak and it is their responsibility to meet and exceed them.

5) A Change in the Role of the Call Center

In 2022, the role of a contact center in a company will change. As a result, most brands have increasingly focused on call center operations.

Since many of the clients have faced tough times in 2021, they are likely to turn to call centers for peace of mind in these uncertain times. Therefore, the contact center will continue to be the face and the point of contact for any brand in 2022.

The responsibilities of a call center continue to grow as we approach 2022, as does its importance to any brand. For this reason, contact centers must have full ownership of customer interactions. This will include revenue generation; affiliate marketing operations, and customer service. Next year, companies will collect a lot of customer information through call centers and apply data analytics in other areas of the business.

In conclusion, as 2022 approaches, many changes are expected in the way brands will approach the customer experience. Increasingly, companies will integrate technology such as CRM and cloud communication solutions to enhance CX. Likewise, the organizations will carry out an investigation of the competition and of the clients to establish what their preferences are.