Moving into a new year usually always indicates a fresh start with new ideas about how to successfully spend the next 12 months. This is particularly the case in business – especially as we’re in an age of renaissance, moving past the difficulties of the pandemic. According to Zendesk, 76% of customers have expressed satisfaction with the service they’ve received over 2022.
A key trend that has seemed to make a substantial difference to customers is in new immersive experiences. These fluid and innovative interactions are wide-ranging – from seamless omnichannel to exciting new tech opportunities. No matter the delivery, immersive experiences are enhancing the experiences your customers receive. 81% of leaders see customer experience and support as growing priorities over the next year.
The 5 trends driving immersive CX
To accommodate investigations into the predictions this year and how immersive CX will take precedence, Zendesk have released a report based on those trends driving it. The report uses findings from over 99,000 Zendesk Benchmark participants, alongside survey data from 3,700 consumers and 4,800 business leaders.
Here are the five trends that Zendesk has discovered as fuelling these new experiential standards:
#1 AI experiences are becoming more evolved and seamless
Zendesk data found that 65% of leaders believe AI and bots are becoming more natural and human-like. So why not use them in the development of excellent human experiences?
AI is becoming more and more worth the investment, with 59% of leaders attesting measurable ROI to a result of AI investment. And the promise of AI is still yet to be fully realised. 73% of consumers expect more interactions with AI in their daily life. Now is the time to innovate and use it to your advantage.
#2 Conversational experiences are empowering customers
Zendesk have found that business leaders are beginning to recognise the power of conversational customer experiences and how it can drive great customer service. These forms of CX are fluid, casual, easy to navigate, and convenient. 70% of consumers purchase more from companies following seamless conversational experiences.
This form of immersive CX is seeing a substantial rise, and for good reason. Not only are there many advantages for the customers, but the business too. Especially being that this is easy to implement – using either direct human agents, or AI chatbots.
#3 Customers are eager for deeper personalisation
While personal data is still a tough subject to broach sometimes, 59% of consumers actually want businesses to use their data collected. This is so that businesses can create more personalised experiences. By offering these uniquely personal experiences, companies can expect to see an influx of loyal customers.
There are a multitude of ways to use different customer data for these experiences. There’s no reason not to invest in this practice.
#4 Consumer wellbeing and sentiment are reshaping CX
Only 56% of consumers felt positive about their support interaction over the past year, with 19% being negative. A further 52% stated that support interactions left them feeling exhausted.
These are staggering figures, and this year we should be striving to do better. To better protect your customer’s emotions and leave them with good-feeling experiences, let’s bring out the tools to identify sentiment and protect wellbeing this year.
#5 CX teams are breaking down silos as they become more integrated
Only 22% of business leaders say their teams share data well. Siloed teams with little connection to the wider organisation can lead to disastrous side effects. Without relevant customer data, how can they attempt to provide fantastic experiences?
It’s time, in 2023, to put this behind us and unite our teams. Sharing customer insights could make all the difference in the value of the business’ success.
The solution to these trends
A great place to start working through these trends for greater immersive CX is learning more about them. You can expand your knowledge and adapt your business plans after reading more about these trends. To find out more, check out the Zendesk CX Trends 2023 report
Zendesk’s report also offers a myriad of solutions to each individual trend – making it easy for you to adapt. Download the full report today for free. You can learn more, not only about immersive CX trends and innovations, but, most importantly, how to target them.
You can download the Zendesk CX Trends 2023 report from the CXM website today. Make 2023 your best and most immersive year yet.