New 2019 CX research reveals customer frustrations

Empathy in the age of AI study reveals what brands can do to improve customer experience

This was supposed to be the decade in which customer experience (CX) came of age.

Consumers everywhere were promised smooth and intuitive interactions with brands. In return, they’d dotingly offer their loyalty and affection.

That was the vision. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to have become the reality.

New CX and AI research

According to our new Empathy in the Age of AI research, consumers are generally frustrated with their brand interactions.

Nearly two thirds would like to reduce the time spent dealing with brands. More than half say interactions tend to be too drawn out and complex. And more than three-quarters call on brands to make their interactions easy.

The Empathy in the AI Age study set out to answer a range of CX questions, from what a consumer-brand relationship looks like nowadays, to how brands can stay close to customers while automating interactions.

More than 4,000 customers and 600 CX leaders from large businesses and enterprises were surveyed.

Among the CX frustrations voiced by consumers were too much communication and spam, being kept on hold by call centers, and being unable to communicate on the channels they wanted.

Just over a third (36%) said brands were doing a good job of understanding when customers need human assistance. And only 39% said brands helped them get what they want in the fewest steps possible.

How can consumer-brand relationships improve?

The good news is businesses aren’t in the dark about what’s going on.

A near-majority 96% of CX leaders voice concerns about the state of their respective brands’ customer interactions.

And 97% of them say developing empathetic relationships with customers is becoming more important as CX and AI come together, and interactions become increasingly automated.

What can CX-focused brands do next?

The importance of a more caring approach is underlined by the research findings.

A huge 90 per cent of customers said they would be more likely to use – and recommend – an empathetic brand over alternatives. And 86 per cent would spend more money with an empathetic brand.

All in all, the study delivers clear and exciting insights about the type of CX that wins consumer loyalty – and what brands should do next.

Read the Empathy in the Age of AI report here.