Interestingly, while many of AI's capabilities can indeed automate functions, it's essential to discern that automation doesn't mean impersonality. AI's brilliance shines when it complements the human touch in businesses. Think of it not as replacing the human aspect but enhancing it to deliver the best possible customer experience. It's not about AI or humans; it's about AI and humans.Feefo has created this in-depth guide to help you better understand AI's understated yet groundbreaking role in today's business world. Whether you're an IT decision-maker, a marketer, or an entrepreneur, the transformative potential of AI beckons to redefine and elevate business functions in previously imagined ways.<h2>What is AI?</h2>Artificial intelligence, more commonly called AI, has travelled an exciting journey from the imaginative world of science fiction to the boardrooms of modern businesses. Despite its grandeur depiction in popular culture, the actual implementation of AI in our day-to-day lives is less dramatic and more functional. For instance, consider the omnipresent chatbots. Not as glamorous as sci-fi robots, but definitely as effective. Businesses across the globe are harnessing the prowess of AI chatbots, which use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to quickly respond to customer queries, ensuring that their support teams are calm and can focus on more intricate issues.But AI doesn't just stop at chatbots. It has made significant inroads into online retail, helping businesses understand their customers better. By analysing customer feedback and tracking sentiments, AI tools provide a rich insight into what a shopper might want, ensuring they have a seamless user journey. AI's impact even extends to recruitment. Automated screening processes powered by AI are becoming indispensable tools for HR departments, ensuring that only the most suitable candidates make the cut.The real power of AI in contemporary business settings lies in its adaptability. Whether it's making online shopping experiences more personalised, helping customer service teams prioritise queries, or aiding companies in retaining their existing clientele through data analysis, AI has become a versatile solution for many challenges businesses face today.<h2>What do we expect from AI, and how will it work?</h2>As we embrace a new era of digital transformation, the role of AI in business settings becomes more pivotal. Artificial intelligence has discreetly woven itself into the fabric of our daily operations, promising solutions to myriad business challenges.AI's potential extends beyond automating mundane tasks. Its capacity to foster enhanced customer experiences, streamline operational processes, and offer real-time data-driven insights is gaining widespread acknowledgement, especially in business environments.<h3>Scope and Expectations in Business Settings</h3><ul><li>Improved Customer Service: With increasing customer expectations, businesses can no longer afford delayed or ineffective customer service responses. Here, AI comes as a saviour. Take chatbots, for example. With their growing sophistication, these AI companions employ natural language processing to quickly and accurately respond to customer queries. This not only ensures timely customer support but also allows human teams to focus on more intricate issues, thereby amplifying customer satisfaction.</li></ul><ul><li>Enhanced Online Conversions: AI’s prowess in analysing customer feedback and tracking sentiment enables the creation of a self-directed user journey. This personalisation fosters an engaging user experience that drives purchasing decisions. Moreover, tools like Feefo's Performance Profiling leverage AI to decipher trends from customer reviews, enabling tailored marketing strategies that resonate more closely with target audiences.</li></ul><ul><li>Effective Customer Retention: The intelligence of AI doesn't stop at acquiring new customers; it plays a crucial role in retaining them. By analysing customer behavioural patterns, AI can predict potential churn and help devise strategies to ensure continuous engagement, centring around customers needs.</li></ul><ul><li>Enhanced Traffic Generation: Businesses struggling to navigate the complexities of digital marketing can find solace in AI. For instance, Google's AI-driven approach in Google Ads simplifies the PPC advertising process, allowing even novices to design customised ad campaigns, ensuring higher visibility and increased traffic.</li></ul><ul><li>Streamlined Recruitment Process: Recruitment is a resource-intensive process, and AI is here to simplify it. By automating the CV screening procedure, AI ensures that only the most relevant candidates are selected, saving time and ensuring quality hires.</li></ul>

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<h2>Making a success of AI in customer engagement</h2><h3>1. Boosting Online Conversion Rates</h3>A decline in online conversions is a concern for any business. Enter AI, which has transformed online retail. Machine learning tools, such as Feefo’s Performance Profiling, sift through customer feedback, identifying trends and sentiments. This provides invaluable insights that drive tailored marketing campaigns, enhancing the overall user experience by offering personalised content paths and helping customers make purchasing decisions more efficiently.<h3>2. Retaining Existing Customers</h3>Customer loyalty is gold. While acquiring new customers is essential, retaining existing ones is equally crucial. AI tools analyse vast swathes of customer data in real-time, highlighting potential issues or spotting customers who might be contemplating leaving. With this kind of intelligence, businesses can formulate dynamic strategies that prioritise the customer's unique needs, ensuring they stay loyal.<h3>3. Driving More Web Traffic</h3>Getting noticed in the saturated digital space can be daunting for many businesses. However, platforms like Google are leveraging AI to simplify digital marketing. Google Ads, for instance, now uses AI to tailor ad campaigns, offering better predictions about audience responses and driving more targeted traffic to businesses.<h3>4. Streamlining the Recruitment Process:</h3>In the realm of HR, AI tools are revolutionising the recruitment process. The traditional method of skimming through countless CVs is becoming obsolete, with AI providing a streamlined approach. By automating the initial stages of CV screening, businesses can zero in on the most suitable candidates faster, ensuring that only the best talent is onboarded.<h2>Using AI to get to know your customers better</h2>The essence of a successful business relationship lies in understanding your customer. It's not about having a personal rapport or sending them birthday wishes but truly grasping their desires, needs, and feelings towards your business. By deeply understanding customer sentiments, organisations enhance sales and fortify customer loyalty.<h3>Innovative tools for enhanced customer insight</h3><ul><li>Zendesk's Satisfaction Prediction — One of the remarkable AI-powered products, Zendesk’s Satisfaction Prediction, demonstrates how AI can practically enhance customer service. This tool harnesses previous customer interaction data to anticipate the trajectory of a conversation. Businesses can prioritise support tickets that demand urgent attention by predicting how a customer might react to specific issues, ensuring that potentially escalating complaints are swiftly addressed.</li></ul><ul><li>Feefo's Performance Profiling — In the intricate world of online reviews, sifting through to understand key trends and sentiments can be overwhelming. Here's where Feefo's Performance Profiling comes into play. This AI-driven product identifies recurrent themes and emotions in customer feedback. By focusing on specifics, like repeated mentions of 'delivery' in a negative context, businesses can take proactive measures to enhance those aspects. Similarly, recognising positive feedback allows companies to highlight their strengths, ensuring they cater to customer preferences more effectively.</li></ul>

<h2>Striking the perfect balance between AI and CX</h2><ol><li>Empower Customer Service Teams — Instead of replacing them, use AI to supplement the efforts of customer service teams. Automate the routine, but let humans address the complex, emotional issues. This ensures efficiency and retains the warm, human touch that customers value.</li><li>Deep Dive into Customer Sentiments — By harnessing the power of AI, businesses can glean more profound insights into how customers truly feel. AI-powered sentiment analysis, for instance, can decode emotions behind feedback, enabling businesses to cater to their audience's intricate needs and desires.</li><li>Personalise the Customer Journey — One of the most notable advantages of AI is its ability to tailor experiences. By analysing past interactions and preferences, AI can recommend products or customise content, ensuring that customers feel valued and understood.</li><li>Prudent Deployment of AI Tools — While it's tempting to fully automate processes, it's crucial to evaluate which tasks truly benefit from automation and which ones demand human intervention. The key is to use AI to enhance, not overshadow, the human element.</li></ol><h2>Enhancing your business with Feefo</h2>In a digital landscape that constantly evolves, it's imperative for businesses to not only keep pace but to anticipate and adapt. Through the myriad opportunities AI presents, we have the chance to reimagine the customer journey, refine business processes, and redefine success. The question isn't whether to integrate AI into your strategy but how to do it effectively and meaningfully.<a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/contact" target="_self">Get in touch </a>with our friendly team today to see how we can help you navigate the world of AI to enhance your business.

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How AI is the Key to a Successful Customer Experience for Businesses

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Unprecedented, uncertain and challenging. Just a few adjectives that can describe the last few years in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many things have paused or shut down, there has also been a great acceleration in innovation — both in business and science. The need to meet changing customer expectations and transform digital experiences became a real-time event, coming to fruition in a matter of weeks and months, rather than years.&nbsp;Customer experience (CX) has been at the forefront of this changing dynamic between brands and their customers. The expectations have changed from what customers ‘want’ to what they absolutely ‘need’ - and the acceleration in innovation has been driven by each company’s own need to keep trading and, ultimately, to stay in business.&nbsp;Businesses large and small have had to become more agile, more flexible and more empathetic, taking care of both their employees and their customers. The way in which we think, do business and work will continue to evolve, with even more digital transformation on the horizon.&nbsp;With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the CX trends predicted by Feefo and leading industry experts.&nbsp;<h2>1. Agile CX strategy&nbsp;</h2>No one could foresee the full effect of the pandemic, but companies that were reactive and adapted successfully were the ones who maintained their operations and met their customers’ changing needs with efficiency and effectiveness.&nbsp;&nbsp;Many UK firms, large and small, were reactive and creative in developing more hygienic ways to keep their customers safe. Asda, for example, became the first supermarket in the UK to roll out autonomous cleaning robots helping prevent the spread of COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;Businesses will continue to transform their approach to CX in the future by adopting reactive strategies that put customers’ personal experiences at the forefront of their operations.&nbsp;Ash Finnegan, Digital Transformation Officer at digital document management experts, Conga:&nbsp;“Companies will have invested heavily in digital technologies as a result of the pandemic and naturally this will be reflected in their future budgets. From now on, companies will prioritise how they can deliver their services more effectively. For example, leaders will consider if there is another way that their company can accomplish the same results with less money or more online tools, or perhaps reconsider where best to apply particular technologies to further streamline their operations. Now is the time for service providers to be more commercially agile, perhaps reconsidering their product line and identifying something more pertinent to what customers need right now.”&nbsp;<h2>2. Relationships over transactions&nbsp;</h2>It’s no longer enough for businesses to deal with customers only on a transactional basis. Customers need to value your brand, beyond a single transaction, and develop a meaningful customer relationship that lasts.&nbsp;According to research conducted by Edelman, <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/sg/Documents/strategy/sea-cons-podcast-tivt-epi-5-opportunity-for-brand-trust-and-customer-loyalty-transcript.pdf" target="_self">65% of people</a> will base their future purchases on how well a company responded to the COVID-19 crisis. Many customers would stop using brands that have not acted appropriately, and 90% of consumers want to know what support a business's employees and customers are getting from them.&nbsp;&nbsp;Compassion, honesty and understanding matter a lot. Brands the world over have shown signs of empathy and alignment with community culture by striving to be a part of the global solution. Guinness’s <a href="https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/guinness-promises-march-again-poignant-st-patricks-day-spot/1677782" target="_self">‘We’ll March Again’ campaign</a> was met with encouragement and support after its patrons had to cancel St Patrick’s Day parades and celebrations. Big brands like KFC and Pizza Hut were met with praise from the public after they set up <a href="https://www.yum.com/wps/portal/yumbrands/Yumbrands/relief" target="_self">relief funds for employees</a> diagnosed with COVID-19.&nbsp;Paige O’Neill, CMO of customer experience management platform, <a href="https://www.sitecore.com/" target="_self">Sitecore</a>:&nbsp;“When COVID-19 hit, being an ‘empathetic brand’ meant reaching out to customers to see what they needed and being sensitive to how they might be affected by the pandemic. Now, this has evolved to being able to put customers’ desires, feelings and expectations at the heart of a CX strategy.“"<a href="https://www.sitecore.com/customers/nonprofit/macmillan-cancer-support">Macmillan Cancer Support</a> created a new Coronavirus hub that offered users online support and guidance, as well as personalised guide modules that provide curated and more tailored Coronavirus and cancer information. That’s how to connect in an empathetic way, and Macmillan says user engagement levels are up, based on click-through and bounce rates, as well as user feedback.<a href="https://www.sitecore.com/customers/healthcare/johns-hopkins-medicine?utm_websource=customers.experience-awards.2020winners" target="_self">"Johns Hopkins Medicine</a> was also able to show empathy at scale and immediately respond to the pandemic by providing accurate Coronavirus information in a rapidly changing environment. They used content to power a COVID-19 self-checker, built infographics to inform, and ultimately grew visits to coronavirus content by more than 38 million in just seven months.”

<h2>3. Trust, safety and inclusion&nbsp;</h2>According to a Forrester survey, only <a href="https://go.forrester.com/blogs/customer-experience-predictions-zero-ui/" target="_self">13% of consumers</a> trust retailers to provide effective guidance and solutions during the pandemic. The events of 2020 have shaken people across the world, and consumers are looking for new ways to feel safe and seeking brands they can depend on.&nbsp;It’s not just about making promises; brands will have to deliver on them, experiment with protocol and enforce actions that bring solutions in the eyes of the customer. The expectations will vary depending on the industry. The travel industry is very much focused on restoring consumer confidence, whereas retail has had to try and maintain standards throughout 2020. Many businesses really stepped up their game to support and reassure their customers during the pandemic, something that has become a 'new normal'. People now expect a high level of engagement and customer care as opposed to seeking it.&nbsp;&nbsp;Many airlines have introduced leniency when it comes to their <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelgoldstein/2020/09/02/alaska-joins-united-delta-and-american-airlines-in-dropping-hated-ticket-change-fee/?sh=26a67eea7a65" target="_self">ticket change fee</a>and hotel chains. <a href="https://www.hilton.com/en/corporate/cleanstay/" target="_self">Hilton</a>, for example, installed special stickers, wraps and informative guides to help set their guests’ minds at ease while travelling. Keeping customers happy during turbulent times is challenging, but in 2021 you can expect businesses to invest more in implementing processes and procedures that provide security and trust, especially in travel and tourism.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ian Crawford, Brand Manager of online travel retailer, <a href="https://www.holidayhypermarket.co.uk/" target="_self">Holiday Hypermarket</a>:&nbsp;“Omnichannel has never been more crucial for businesses to connect with their customers. Our engagement stats have gone through the roof in the last nine months, so it’s essential we offer our customers different channels to connect with us. Things won’t revert back to normal overnight, so it’s our job to stay close to our customers throughout the booking journey, and that includes gaining feedback post-holiday to continuously improve. Now is the time that brands are starting to consider trust metrics in the marketing mix.”&nbsp;<h2>4. Shifting customer behaviour&nbsp;</h2>Consumer behaviours have permanently shifted since the pandemic, with fear and anxiety acting as fuel for certain purchase decisions. Customers are adapting to new digital alternatives to satisfy their need for information, guidance and reassurance. Businesses need to provide a seamless experience to reassure customers across all platforms while speaking to them in a language they understand and can trust.&nbsp;More emphasis will be placed on open communication and multiple channels of feedback to fully understand the customer’s expectations and provide them with what they need. The demand for <a href="https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/348076/47-of-consumers-want-human-interaction-not-ai.html">human interaction versus artificial intelligence</a>seems to be split down the middle, so it’s imperative that businesses look for ways to incorporate a healthy balance between the two. Whether it's their attitude towards travelling, spending, socialising or shopping, the entire world has seen a drastic change. Businesses need to study the new shifts and keep adapting quickly.Benedict Ireland, Head of Experience at web design and development agency, <a href="https://www.splendidunlimited.com/" target="_self">Splendid UNLIMITED</a>:&nbsp;“Consumer behaviour has necessarily changed, and will continue to do so. This creates a shift in demand and, therefore, fulfilment. Grocers were suddenly overwhelmed — click-and-collect and home delivery have been around for years, but the sudden change in demand was unprecedented. Banking saw the largest shift to digital channels since they became available. These are consumer behaviours that the high street has been trying to change for years, and suddenly, overnight those shifts happen through necessity. As consumers have begun that exodus to digital, we expect it to be mostly a one-way street — for many, there will be no going back.”&nbsp;<h2>5. Digital experience (DX)&nbsp;</h2>As we start to trade physical connections for virtual interaction, digital technology has become an essential part of post-COVID life.&nbsp;More than <a href="https://www.acquia.com/sites/acquia.com/files/documents/2020-10/AQ%20-%20CX%20Trends%20Report%20-%20UK%20Edition%202021.pdf" target="_self">40% of UK consumers</a> say they purchase more online now than they did in 2019, and a fifth of them would like to interact with brands through an online channel. 84% of global consumers use digital channels like social media, websites and apps more frequently than they did last year, so the shift to digital is real and not going to slow down any time soon.&nbsp;Restaurants across the world have adopted contactless methods to enable their customers to browse their menus and place orders using their mobile phones. The use of QR codes has <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/199328/qr-code-scanners-by-age/" target="_self">significantly increased</a> across the UK and US since the pandemic, with seamless integration between different apps, platforms and devices. Customers want a smooth transition between every platform and expect information to be available at the click of a button.&nbsp;&nbsp;Brands must reconsider their digital strategies and consider that much of the COVID-driven consumer behaviour may be here to stay.&nbsp;Ian Golding, global customer experience specialist at <a href="https://ijgolding.com/" target="_self">Customer Experience Consultancy</a>:&nbsp;“Digital technology has been increasingly significant for the last ten years – 2020 saw an even greater acceleration in the adoption of technology as the need to make products and services more accessible became essential as customer mobility decreased. This trend has continued post-pandemic and will hopefully be supported by increased awareness of how technology should be used to improve the customer journey — rather than technology being adopted in isolation of the customer journey.”&nbsp;<h2>6. Data privacy and consolidation&nbsp;</h2>The pandemic saw a number of data breaches and threats to cybersecurity across the world. Almost <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2020/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2020">half the businesses in the UK</a>were reported to suffer from a cybersecurity breach, many experiencing an issue on a weekly basis. From phishing attacks to viruses, malware and ransomware, a data breach can cost companies millions of pounds a year and many customers too.With more people working remotely, the use of cloud-based storage and security has increased. The UK’s cloud adoption rate is currently at <a href="https://www.cloudindustryforum.org/content/uk-cloud-adoption-rate-reaches-88-finds-new-research-cloud-industry-forum" target="_self">88%</a> and the industry predicts a steady rise over the coming years. <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190917005012/en/New-Global-Research-Shows-Poor-Data-Security" target="_self">44% of UK consumers</a> will stop transacting with a business after a security breach. In 2021, customers will be turning to companies that assure them of their privacy and respect their data in ways never asked for before.&nbsp;&nbsp;Josh Schoonmaker, Senior Director Strategy at digital experience platform Commerce, <a href="http://www.episerver.com/" target="_self">Episerver</a>:&nbsp;“The last few years have proven just how complicated the concept of privacy is in a digital-empowered world. One useful way of exploring the space is to separate out the arenas of legal privacy and perceived invasiveness. While GDPR, Privacy Shield and CCPA have brought far more explicit guides to privacy, only very recently have the distinctions behind privacy towards compliance and privacy toward customer experience been fully explained.&nbsp;“Retailers worried about privacy concerns related to personalisation can rest assured that compliance adherence is rapidly getting coded into most cloud and software solutions. The real issue we’ll see now and in the next 12 months will be meeting customer expectations around the perceived level of intrusiveness.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>7. Data science and AI innovation&nbsp;</h2>We will see the proliferation of data continue exponentially, with more connected devices, more people online and more digital consumption. This will lead to a boom in advances in data analytics, data science, AI and data democratisation. Consumers can expect exciting things coming from businesses that implement new data-driven CX strategies.&nbsp;Here are some data trends businesses can expect to focus on:&nbsp;<ul><li>Data and AI democratisation: Businesses and customers alike are seeking an open, honest and transparent outlook when it comes to data sharing and the democratisation of data and technology. More businesses are looking to adopt open-source data and code, pre-existing plugins and intuitive tools that sustain a shared economy.</li></ul><ul><li>Segmentation of data: Businesses will be expected to target each demographic of customers differently and market to them appropriately based on customer data. Grouping data together and identifying patterns according to location, age, marital status, income and education will help businesses maximise the value each customer brings and provide them with what they need.</li></ul>When executed efficiently and used appropriately, data science will help businesses in 2021 to adapt their business operations to enhance customer experiences.&nbsp;Richard Roberts, Vice President, UK & I and Northern Europe at telecoms network operators, <a href="https://www.mitel.com/en-gb" target="_self">Mitel</a>:“Since the beginning of the pandemic, many businesses have ramped up their digital capabilities in an effort to drive customer engagement and ensure business continuity. Our recent research into the impact of COVID on consumer behaviour revealed that nearly half (45%) of UK consumers have increased their use of online customer service during the pandemic and, of that number, more than 73% will rely more on digital options going forward.&nbsp;&nbsp;This will drive faster adoption of <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com_-3Furl-3Dhttps-253A-252F-252Furldefense.proofpoint.com-252Fv2-252Furl-253Fu-253Dhttps-2D3A-5F-5Fcan01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com-5F-2D3Furl-2D3Dhttps-2D253A-2D252F-2D252Furldefense.proofpoint.com-2D252Fv2-2D252Furl-2D253Fu-2D253Dhttps-2D2D3A-2D5F-2D5Fwww.mitel.com-2D5Fsolutions-2D5Fbusiness-2D2D2Dneed-2D5Fcall-2D2D2Dcenter-2D2D2Dcustomer-2D2D2Dexperience-2D5Fai-2D2D2Dcontact-2D2D2Dcenter-2D2526d-2D253DDwMFAw-2D2526c-2D253DHdAUNv-2D5FEOZyljLc1cjbHCq-2D2DEo7r1kRHoywhQbi81uaA-2D2526r-2D253DzCEKmfHVa9s19LqJa0C3RELQxF6Bm3Tb0wFIjlk-2D2DU0fD2-2D5FQGaNdxojg-2D2DQyoXE0wX-2D2526m-2D253DRiiN079jmMtZm2RU8M-2D5F-2D2DETh4gxYom6-2D2DsFupY9wyVYwY-2D2526s-2D253Do6XSpaGQpP7YxpJHUkCOTKl1RPshmvJDCu6rfYPSY3c-2D2526e-2D253D-2D26data-2D3D04-2D257C01-2D257Csandrine.quinton-2D2540mitel.com-2D257Cad94586120cd4215963908d89dced39e-2D257C4bff5a2bb30d493981ff8f76138347df-2D257C1-2D257C0-2D257C637432858949900237-2D257CUnknown-2D257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0-2D253D-2D257C1000-2D26sdata-2D3DtxTt6b4aydkT2T058qF12nMvnc2e4oefVMCMr-2D252BQ2c9M-2D253D-2D26reserved-2D3D0-2526d-253DDwMFAw-2526c-253DHdAUNv-5FEOZyljLc1cjbHCq-2DEo7r1kRHoywhQbi81uaA-2526r-253DYgMRWtfrPCczVDABHiQMA4nXeHhZUV5-2DJeiXvn4Dx1Y-2526m-253Dfa249dsvoXSjB9Cn4EJjoZ1ZX-5FfX40zxAh91A0HxBOg-2526s-253Dit6RRECahIK-2Dr5oeWRE-2D66wfJyVFM3Vy6Ppte80tBhk-2526e-253D-26data-3D04-257C01-257Csandrine.quinton-2540mitel.com-257C1b4eeffcdf734af7a0b208d89de982cf-257C4bff5a2bb30d493981ff8f76138347df-257C1-257C0-257C637432973540482681-257CUnknown-257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0-253D-257C1000-26sdata-3DeIjPz-252FEdA1lr-252Bvsfd-252FhrL07WmhFUrHlXlFwiZoGqKWg-253D-26reserved-3D0&d=DwMFAw&c=HdAUNv_EOZyljLc1cjbHCq-Eo7r1kRHoywhQbi81uaA&r=zCEKmfHVa9s19LqJa0C3RELQxF6Bm3Tb0wFIjlk-U0fD2_QGaNdxojg-QyoXE0wX&m=XCsfJyPnrONhhvJKJgpdGL0kCYSAs93iYV01l4yp5I4&s=R24FuBvWy-Yl7QW4DLy83IliUWKytvK-Q8IP-Y25E_w&e=" target="_self">artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics</a>, with businesses looking to bundle AI-powered chatbots and agent-assist technologies with contact centre platforms to create more personalised and seamless online experiences. As AI becomes more widely used, virtual assistant apps will become easier to train and deploy, enabling smaller businesses to compete more successfully with larger brands when it comes to customer experience.”&nbsp;<h2>8. Hyper-personalisation&nbsp;</h2>The term ‘hyper-personalisation’ relates to the use of data to provide more personalised and targeted products, services, and content. This level of personalisation goes beyond the traditional methodology in that it allows organisations to drive personalised customer experiences in real-time.&nbsp;&nbsp;The modern-day consumer uses multiple devices, often 2-3, such as smartphones, laptops or wearable tech. These devices help businesses gather lots of useful information about customer lifestyles and online behaviour. Harnessing this data to implement personalised customer experiences across the purchase journey is the key to brands achieving hyper-personalisation.&nbsp;&nbsp;There were many great <a href="https://www.ventureharbour.com/hyper-personalisation-examples/" target="_self">examples of hyper-personalisation</a> during the pandemic. In fact, <a href="https://internetretailing.net/customer/customer/73-of-uk-consumers-say-current-online-experience-from-brands-will-change-future-spending-post-lockdown-21387" target="_self">73% of customers</a> expect a personalised experience from a business as standard and feel that many companies are not doing enough in these efforts to customise it for them.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Richard Robinson, Managing Director, <a href="https://econsultancy.com/" target="_self">Econsultancy</a>:&nbsp;“Data is central to everything, and the way in which this data is owned, used, analysed, and manipulated by data analysts, scientists, engineers and marketers will become the defining hallmark of whether a business survives or thrives. Hyper-personalisation and the ability to conduct millions of relationships in real-time, guiding, supporting, and predicting the thought process of a human being faced with the binary choices they see on a screen will become the epicentre of CX.”&nbsp;<h2>9. Evolution of chatbots&nbsp;</h2>Chatbots have revolutionised the way businesses deal with customers, helping them cut operational costs by up to 30% in recent years. However, the pandemic has shown us the importance of human interaction and the need to combine AI technology and humans to achieve a greater depth of customer experience, while gaining operational efficiencies.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the past, the likes of insurance giants <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/case-study-how-zurich-uk-boosted-customer-satisfaction-with-chatbots-2020-1" target="_self">Zurich UK</a> successfully used chatbots to boost customer satisfaction, by gathering feedback and meeting customer demands through this automated digital user experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;Businesses are predicted to develop more seamless integrations between chatbots, live chat and call centre support, with the introduction of humanoid avatars also predicted.&nbsp;&nbsp;Roger Beadle, CEO of gig CX platform, <a href="https://www.limitlesstech.com/" target="_self">Limitless</a>:&nbsp;“Chatbots as we know them will die and we’ll see more humans in the loop: AI adoption will increase by improving the effectiveness of a blended chatbot/human model. 2021 will be the year where automated and human interaction comes together to improve CX journeys for customers. With more humans in the loop reviewing automated responses, customers will also experience significantly higher levels of accuracy in the answers they receive. This will enable companies to train and maintain the accuracy of their AI algorithms at higher confidence levels.”&nbsp;<h2>10. Authenticity and transparency</h2><div></div><a href="https://go.forrester.com/blogs/welcome-to-the-b2b-marketing-renaissance/">A study by Forrester</a> shows that people base their trustworthiness of a company on its integrity, capability and transparency. Businesses need to earn customers’ trust, and this starts by conveying an honest message from top to bottom. Transparent pricing is key, especially when customers have a world of choices available to them at the click of a button.Engaging in real conversations online, keeping up-to-date with industry trends and offering advice and solutions in a timely fashion will go a long way.&nbsp;Today’s consumer is mindful of where products and services are sourced and aware of unethical practices. Both employees and customers expect transparency and successful companies are creating online communities both internally and externally. These digital environments are a place where employees and customers can share ideas, provide feedback and have open and two-way conversations. They establish a culture of trust and accountability throughout the business and provide a platform for authentic engagement. Today's customers — especially Millennials and Gen Z — want to contribute in a meaningful way.&nbsp;

<h2>11. Employee experience (EX)</h2>HR leaders across the world are relooking at the business culture they can offer future employees and what steps they can undertake to revamp existing work culture and employee experiences in a post-COVID world.&nbsp;The number of people working from home in the UK has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/oct/01/number-of-people-working-from-home-in-uk-rises-following-government-u-turn" target="_self">increased</a>, and the trend seems to be steady over the next few years. Staff are happier without having to worry about the commute, flexible working and a better work-life balance. Businesses need to look at automating a number of tasks to provide support for their workers, no matter where they are, and think about what it means for career growth and management.&nbsp;Customers will also be experiencing a shift in how they manage their own work alongside life as they navigate the balance. They will be seeking brands that make this merger of personal and professional a bit easier and more seamless. Employees at all levels and departments need to be trained on how to deliver a consistent message to customers.&nbsp;Ian Golding, CCXP, global customer experience specialist, <a href="https://ijgolding.com/" target="_self">Customer Experience Consultancy</a>:&nbsp;&nbsp;“Businesses who have survived 2020 have done so largely down to the commitment, passion and persistence of their people. The significance of the employee experience will continue to grow as more and more businesses recognise that the way they treat their people has a material effect on the way their people treat their customers. Customers desperately need to feel empathised with — especially in times of stress — that can only happen if a business empathised with its employees first.”&nbsp;<h2>12. Video will transform customer engagement&nbsp;</h2>53% of consumers want to see more video content from the <a href="https://www.feefo.com/en/business/solutions/brand-development" target="_self">brands they follow</a>. The pandemic might have put a hindrance on live sport and entertainment, but it’s accelerated the push for online video. UK consumers have increased their spending on video streaming services, watch more social media videos and have shown <a href="https://www.iabuk.com/opinions/iab-uk-video-demand-trends-audience-insights-during-coronavirus-pandemic" target="_self">more interest</a> in video-on-demand.&nbsp;&nbsp;Videos allow customers to ‘see’ your brand in ways they otherwise may not be able to from wherever they are. As more people are turning to online experiences, video provides them with a 360-degree view of your offering and engages other senses like sound and visuals to make the experience more memorable. That said, with up to <a href="https://www.nexttv.com/news/mobile-videos-often-watched-without-audio-study-finds" target="_self">92% of consumers now watching video with the sound off</a>, changing consumer patterns and behaviours need to be considered by all, which is why there has been such a rise in the introduction of subtitles and annotations over the last few years.&nbsp;Most importantly, the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of video beyond entertainment, serving both sales and operational needs. Whether that be the meteoric rise of Zoom, estate agents providing virtual viewings or doctors offering video consultations, video has finally demonstrated its true potential in the commercial world, and beyond.&nbsp;David Parry-Jones, VP of EMEA at cloud communication platform, <a href="https://www.twilio.com/" target="_self">Twilio</a>:&nbsp;“Perhaps no digital channel has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic as much as real-time video. Since the pandemic started, we’ve seen a 500% increase in daily Twilio Video usage and video minutes have almost tripled year-to-date.&nbsp;In the early days of the pandemic, companies rushed to deploy short-term emergency solutions to enable video. Now they are looking to developers to build long-term video solutions that are more tailored and integrated for optimal user experience. Video is flexible and adaptable to different business needs — whether it’s 1-to-1 customer interactions or group calls — and there’s plenty of room for customisations.”&nbsp;<h2>What can we take away from the pandemic?&nbsp;</h2>The learnings we can take from 2020 will benefit the changing world in which we find ourselves. If anything, 2020 has driven businesses forward at an accelerated rate, laying the foundations for even greater evolution over the next five to ten years. Technology-driven customer experience is at the core of future business success. Those that master the complex — and increasingly proliferated — purchase journeys consumers take will lead the way, while those who choose not to will struggle to compete.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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12 Customer experience (CX) trends to protect your business from changing conditions

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2021 has certainly been a turbulent year for businesses, and customer experience (CX) has continued to adapt and improve at a rapid rate. CX is more important to consumers than ever before, with four out of five (86%) revealing they would pay more for a brand with great customer experience.We have looked back on our predicted CX trends for 2021 to see whether they were right, and also delved into some of the customer experience trends to look out for in 2022.From the rise of first-party data to predictive customer insights, 2022 is set to be the year of hyper-personalisation, AI-led insights and improved data security.Download our full report below to get all the trends our specialist predicted for 2022.<h3></h3>