We always tell businesses that their survival in an increasingly competitive landscape depends on their adaptability. And the best way to stay ahead is to keep up with the latest trends. Looking ahead to 2020, we can expect to see many of the existing technologies advancing and becoming more complex. This might seem daunting, but it also means that there will be more application possibilities available to businesses.
As consumer demands become more rigorous and digitally driven, customer experience is and will remain one of the biggest driving forces for digital transformation. We will see many other technologies supporting and shaping CX. Predictive analytics, AI and machine learning and data ethics will become the new competitive advantage.
Here’s a look at some of the top CX trends that brands need to keep track of in the coming year:
1. Building on artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence has been on every trends list since 2018 and will remain relevant for the foreseeable future. We can see businesses building on existing AI technologies that will include predictive personalisation.
AI and its capabilities in the CX space are an exciting development and we expect to see machine learning introducing many changes in the workplace. Along with accelerating digital transformation, AI helps to automate many time-consuming business functions that save working hours and money and eliminates human error. Perhaps the most thrilling benefit to CX is the ability to predict customer preferences to help build more personalised experiences and improve your overall customer engagement strategy.
2. Data ethics and compliance
Data ethics and compliance was one of the top trends in 2019 and should remain at the top of everyone's priority list in the coming year. The more data we have at our disposal, the more careful our approach will be in handling it.
Data-governing laws like the GDPR and the POPI Act have corporates paying far more attention to data and how it is gathered, analysed and shared across operations and departments. This obviously changes how we approach CX initiatives such as the collection and disposal of data.
Remember what happened to Facebook? A lack of transparency can seriously damage your customers' faith in your brand, and, in a worst-case scenario, have legal and monetary consequences. This is the most important question we need to ask ourselves: Is my data processing ethical and compliant?
3. Proactive CX through automation
Automation has already had a major impact on how businesses operate. From manufacturing and agriculture to the more conservative financial sector, process automation has improved operations across multiple industries and sectors.
Increased capabilities of robotic process automation will give us the ability to accurately predict future customer behaviour and the potential success of a product or service. This will transform CX to make it more proactive and personalise customer touchpoints.
4. Hybrid cloud CX platforms
We have witnessed tangible success with cloud-based CX with our own customers. While it has been around for a few years, the ease of use and low cost have made cloud CX solutions an attractive option for smaller businesses.
In the future, we can expect to see larger and more complex deployments of this technology through hybrid cloud environments to service bigger corporates. But the transition is not likely to be a smooth one. Along with legacy in-house infrastructure and software, the cost of moving the CX process to the cloud and the added security this requires will become areas of concern for larger enterprises.
5. Customer feedback = the heart of CX
Last but definitely not least on our CX trends list is the power of customer feedback. Collecting feedback directly from your customers has become a critical driver for many businesses when defining their CX strategies. In fact, it should be the foundation on which you build all your campaigns.
Customer feedback becomes even more effective when it’s combined with insights gleaned from your CX campaign reporting. Bringing together critical reviews of your products or services and real-time data from your website, social and other customer touchpoints will become the most powerful weapon in your CX arsenal.
At League, we are always looking ahead and our solutions reflect this. Download our CX brochure to find out how we can help your brand to remain competitive.
