Customer Experience Trends – What do customers want in 2022?

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Customers have evolved tremendously over time, and the COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth largely digital experiences for them. To be able to stay relevant in a competitive market in 2022, every business needs to adapt to changes in customer behaviour. They will have to stay abreast of trends that are blazing the trail in the present times. Below are some customer experience trends that are likely to rule in 2022:

1. The desire for prompt responses

Modern-day customers look for instant gratification, and it’s about time that businesses up the convenience and speed factors of their services. Brands that are able to respond to their online customers within a few minutes are likely to gain a huge competitive advantage over those brands that don’t prioritize prompt customer services. Each moment that a brand is able to gratify customers instantly counts. So, brands should be more proactive in answering customers’ questions and offering quality-driven services.

2. The rise of WhatsApp as a buying channel

E-commerce in general has boomed at a tremendous rate over the last few years. Now, the rise is also seen expanding to various other digital channels. Social apps nowadays are not just platforms to stay connected with friends and family. In fact, they have become powerful sales generators for an incredibly large number of companies. Take our beloved messaging app, WhatsApp and Instagram. These platforms have launched features that make shopping a breeze for customers. These features include in-app chatting, personalized recommendations, and automatic query responses.

3. Robots fill shortage gaps

Companies across the globe are facing staffing paucity and supply chain disruptions—something that’s not going to slow down any time soon. However, robotic technology has come to the rescue of several companies where bots are doing various jobs on behalf of humans. In several companies in North America, robots have started performing front-line jobs traditionally performed by humans. Take, White Castle, the restaurant chain for example. Here, Flippy, a French fry robot coupled with a hamburger robot to accomplish the company’s goal to provide fresh food to its customers. Also, a partnership between McDonald’s and IBM is underway to create and test AI-powered voice systems.

4. Focus on new KPIs

Key performance indicators have always been integral to the success of businesses because they show stakeholders where they were right and where they went wrong. KPIs play a huge role in an organization’s decision-making process. In 2022, organizations are refocusing on their performance evaluation process. They now need to winnow out the best metrics that can help teams recognize inconsistencies. The need of the hour is to become more real-time and act upon metrics that really matter. It’s only when they tap into the right metrics will they be able to improve your customers’ experience with your brand and add more value to their lives.

5. Integration of innovative tools

2021 somehow tested the patience of consumers, causing them to prioritize adaptability, accessibility, security, and familiarity. Brands had to and will have to pay heed to these aspects in 2022 as well. Improving customer experiences will require them to integrate these aspects into their offerings. It’s imperative that brands create meaningful customer experiences by increasing their investment in innovative solutions. Developers of customer experiences should lay down specific expectations at every step of the customer journey so that customers can seamlessly integrate present-day technology between different channels. Doing so will help brands create and deliver a consistent customer experience and win their loyalty.

As we step into 2022, customer experience has become more important than ever before. The aforementioned trends underline dynamic customer demands and provide tips on how brands can craft strategies that win customers’ loyalty and trust. To get stay up to date with the latest news from the digital transformation world, contact us on [email protected] to discuss how you can optimize your customer experience.