Brands in the UK and the rest of Europe are failing to meet expectations in Customer Experience, and it’s having an impact on customer retention, a new study has warned.
The findings are contained in the Experience Index Report from Adobe, which surveyed over 3,000 consumers from across Europe on their expectations of brands across sectors.
People cite an overcomplicated or time-consuming purchase process as their biggest turn-off, with consumers from the UK (43 percent), France (50 percent), and Germany (41 percent) inclined to abandon their online shopping cart following a negative experience. One in three consumers from the UK and France say they would never buy from a company again following a bad experience.
Meanwhile, a poor Customer Experience has a significant impact on a brand’s reputation, with over a third (36 percent) of people across the three countries surveyed likely to discuss a poor experience with friends or family.
The report revealed the biggest expectation among consumers is more personalisation, with over two-thirds (68 percent) of British, German, French consumers demanding personalised experiences both in-store and online. Augmented reality museum tours, loyalty programmes sending out test products, and retailers using voice activated tech in-store ranked as the experiences that impress the most.
When asked to rate brands on the Customer Experience they are currently receiving, the average score was 54 percent for UK consumers and 50 percent for those in Germany and France.
Complicated websites are the biggest turn off for consumers across the three countries, with more than two-fifths (45 percent) stating this is the biggest barrier to a good Customer Experience. Another pain point for British customers (27 percent) is brands failing to honour their returns policy.
John Watton, Senior Marketing Director at Adobe said: “Whether it’s retail, hospitality, travel, or finance, brands are now operating in a buyer’s market where one bad experience can put consumers off for good. It means that Customer Experience Management is now an imperative for brands, so that they can effectively manage experiences across all points of interaction, whether it’s digital, in-store, or via a contact centre.”