At the start of each year it’s almost a tradition that we look forward and try to predict the future. We made our own educated guesses back in January about what the software trends would be for CPQ during 2018 and once they have all come true we’ll make sure we let everyone know of course. There’s really no good reason why futurism should be limited to January 1st or to CPQ, so it is with delight that our partners, BPI OnDemand, share their views on the future of Customer Experience.
The Future of Customer Experience (CX)
As we are now well and truly in the swing of things this year, it is becoming more evident that the era of the customer continues to reign. This undoubtedly means continued change and uncertainty for organisations. Having studied the market and emerging CX technologies, here are three predictions for 2018 in the world of Customer Experience.
1) Customers will hold more power than ever
Ah yes, we do have to begin with GDPR. Whilst it feels like its mandatory to begin every article with this in 2018, there is no doubt that GDPR will have a major impact on businesses CX strategy. The customer has more power over their data and how it is leveraged than ever, meaning every interaction is key. But shouldn’t we be looking at this with more optimism? This change places renewed emphasis on organisations to become more creative and strategic in their content marketing strategy (if that isn’t the goal already!)
2) Organisations will take one step closer to becoming data obsessed
As customer expectations continue to grow each year, providing an intimate experience will continue to remain at the heart of every business. To achieve this, there is a substantial need for organisations to become more data obsessed. Knowing your customer’s persona and preferred means of communication gives your organisation the ability to hyper-personalise all your interactions with them, and every piece of data that organisations capture should be centred around this.
3) AI is here to stay
Don’t worry, AI (Artificial Intelligence) hasn’t replaced us humans just yet but it still isn’t leaving anytime soon; in fact, it is here to stay. Although the thought of introducing or even increasing the use of AI into your CX strategy can be daunting, it has the ability to enable deeper connections with your customers. Currently, AI has only a small place in terms of CX – it’s mostly being used for things such as chat bots for lower level interactions. However, predictions for this year show that AI will begin to gain importance. As it begins to steadily evolve, we will notice it starting to be able to hold conversations in a more natural way across even more channels, bringing in a fresh way to engage with customers.
BPI OnDemand are an award-winning consultancy specialising in all things related to Customer Experience. For more information about what they do, visit www.bpiondemand.com
