Companies blame customers for poor CX

In a remarkable twist, some companies are blaming their customers for shortfalls in customer experience satisfaction.

According to research from InMoment, 11% of Australian brands said customers are completely responsible for creating better customer experiences.

In the 2019 CX Trends Report, 36% of brands said they believe they are “definitely” improving their customer service; however, only 13% of consumers agreed.

More than three times as many consumers than brands believe that experiences are “definitely not getting better”.

“It’s evident that there’s a significant divide in Australia between how brands and customers rate the experience they are delivering and receiving, respectfully,” said Claire Fastier, VP, APAC at InMoment.

“This gulf in perception should be ringing alarm bells for brands who need to better understand customer expectation and deliver stronger CX.”

The solution proposed by customers participating in the report is simple — the most effective thing that brands can do to capture customer sentiment and experience is to “ask them directly”. Nearly 78% of customers nominated this option, but only 43% of brands said the same.

The importance of effectively engaging with customers in person is also of paramount importance. The top customer response (50%) for improving a brand’s CX was “better service from staff”.

Fastier said that brands should “harness technology to capture and understand the authentic voice of their customers”.

“By doing so, staff can adapt the way they interact with customers based on their wants and needs and deliver a much stronger customer experience as a result,” she said.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Worapong Saleewong