CNN recently aired a series called The 80s. This flashback to life in that decade is worth a look because so much of the technology was just being invented. The mobile phone and the personal computer both came out in that decade. They didn’t have the capabilities of our modern devices, but they were a beginning for technology we enjoy today. There weren’t a lot of communications choices, and back then, the customer journey may have actually been referring to a customer physically going to their bank to resolve an issue.
Digital Evolution
Today, it’s a different world with smart phones, mobile apps, and multiple choices. Customer journeys refer to the customer’s end-to-end experience across communications channels that can skip from voice to web to social media and back again.
We are in a digital evolution, but are you evolving fast enough to keep up with your customers? You may not be if you look at these statistics from the 2015 Global Contact Centre Benchmarking Report by Dimension Data, one of the largest and most respected global benchmarking reports for the contact center industry. The report has been published annually for the past 18 years. Findings in this report were based on responses from 901 participants, covering 12 industry sectors in 72 countries. The 2015 version, published earlier this year, shows:
- Up to 40% of companies stated their existing contact center didn’t meet their current needs, and
- Nearly 80% said their contact center wouldn’t support their future needs
Commenting on this research, Rob Allman, Group Principal Director of Customer Experience and Collaboration at Dimension Data, said, “Within two years, we believe that nearly 75% of contact centers will have omnichannel capabilities, and our recent research clearly illustrates the need for brands to make this transition in order to prepare for future growth and differentiate from their competitors.”
What to Expect Next
Some of the findings in the report regarding next steps in the digital evolution may surprise you. Here are just a few top trends from this report that may indicate where this evolution is going:
- Connected omnichannel journeys and customer experience are both top focus areas in 2016.
- Digital interactions account for over 42% of all interactions and mobile applications are a top channel choice for customer service.
- Mass personalization of services is the top trend while emerging micro-personalisation techniques are expected to radically transform the industry in the next five years.
- Over 60% of survey participants are actively planning for cloud customer experience solutions, which are becoming an industry standard.
A Bumpy Road for Customer Experience
While these data points from the report give some clues to the future, there are a couple of areas that indicate the road ahead for the customer experience may still be a bit bumpy:
- Although connected omnichannel journeys is the #1 industry trend in 2016, currently only 17% of organizations can locate problem hotspots in an omnichannel journey. Only 35% of organizations can track a customer journey across multiple channels.
- Data analytics is another hot area of attention that the report predicts will change the industry within the next five years. Despite the importance of this trend, 79% of organizations still don’t have a big picture view of interactions across their service channels.
These limitations certainly impact the customer experience and prevent seamless, omnichannel customer journeys.
It’s “Do or Die”
In conclusion, the Dimension Data report says, “The biggest blockages to a contact center’s advancement of their technology capabilities revolve around flexibility, the ability to integrate, and the costs linked to creating the required architecture. However, the speed at which the digital revolution is affecting contact centers can no longer be ignored.”
How about it? Is it time for you to quit ignoring the digital evolution? If your answer is “YES,” we can help you test and monitor your customer experience to make sure you get it right.
Contact us to find out more about the Cyara Platform!
