5 Must-Read Research Reports on the Customer Experience in 2015

Customer experience.

It’s a term used with increasing frequency in today’s digital landscape.  Across a variety of industry verticals (retail/e-commerce, travel, financial services, banking, technology, etc.), customer experience management is critical to maximizing the value provided to customers and, in turn, fostering repeat business, customer retention, and loyalty.

For contact centers, which often have a direct impact on the customer experience, it’s especially critical to make each and every customer interaction count.  But, in order to provide the type of experience that makes a lasting impression on customers, organizations need to monitor customer experience data and feedback as well as stay on top of key trends shaping the industry.

To shed light on rising customer expectations and provide contact centers with actionable insight and information they can use to improve the customer experience, we’ve compiled a list of high-quality research reports from leading-edge organizations.

Take a look through the following report summaries to get a better idea of the customer experience in 2015 – and what your organization needs to do to make it a priority. •    The Critical Importance of Personalized, Omnichannel Service •    The Inevitability of a Mobile-Only Customer Experience •    Customer Experience Optimization Report •    2015 Multichannel Customer Experience Study •    Listening to the Customer: 7 New Research Findings

The Critical Importance of Personalized, Omnichannel Service

The survey results are clear: Self-service isn’t enough for demanding shoppers. Four out of five (81%) U.S. adults say that if they are dissatisfied with an order, they would prefer assistance from a live representative via phone or chat rather than using email or online self-service.

Download the study to learn important consumer perceptions of service while making online or phone purchases and why contact center agents are a critical lynchpin in the customer journey.

The Inevitability of a Mobile-Only Customer Experience

Customers are becoming increasingly mobile, and, as a result, the customer journey is in need of an overhaul. In this report, Altimeter Group focuses on how organizations can approach mobile design strategy through the lens of the evolving connected customer. Focusing on activities and outcomes with an understanding of consumer needs, objectives, and behaviors, companies are able to see past mobile as the latest “bright, shiny object.”

Following the four steps to building customer-centric mobile strategies outlined in this report, leaders can evolve mobile beyond being “just” another digital screen or channel to achieve greater business results.

Customer Experience Optimization Report

In a nutshell, we must gather and integrate user-level data, then stitch together user profiles − leaving out no device, platform, or touch point. Therein lies the opportunity and the challenge of optimizing the customer experience.

Econsultancy surveyed 600+ digital marketers and e-commerce professionals and found that a staggering 85% say they are unable to extract the full value from their data sources. And nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents report feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of incoming data.

Download the report to learn how to increase engagement and conversion rates with customer experience optimization.

2015 Multichannel Customer Experience Study

Whatever sector a company operates in, customers are becoming more demanding and competition is increasing.  Consequently, delivering the best customer experience is vital if companies are going to win, retain, and grow their revenues.

At the same time, companies need to deal with the rapidly increasing volume of interactions with customers across a growing range of channels, from email and the web to chat and social media.  They need to be able to respond quickly and consistently to customers, on their channel of choice, if they are to engage with them and build long-term, profitable relationships.

One hundred leading companies were evaluated on their ability to provide answers to 10 routine questions via email, web, chat, and Twitter.

Download for infographics, sector breakdowns, and a best practice guide to improving CX. Listening to the Customer: 7 New Research Findings

IBM’s latest report, conducted in partnership with eConsultancy, finds that while nearly 90 percent of marketers understand the importance of personalization in the customer experience, nearly 80 percent of consumers feel the average brand doesn’t understand them as an individual.

The study projects that by 2017, 80 percent of consumers will collect, track, and barter their personal data for cost savings, convenience, and customization and IBM sees each of these interactions as opportunities for brand advocacy.

What’s missing from our list of research reports discussing the customer experience in 2015?  What would you add to yours?  We’d love to hear your feedback in the comments section below or on our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Google+ pages.

Learn more about the customer experience and the future of the contact center.

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