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6 Customer Experience Trends to Watch in 2023

From multiple communication options to faster response times, customers now expect more for a positive customer experience.

While product quality and the level of service your business or organization delivers are crucial to the customer experience, quality and service alone are not enough to gain customer loyalty, according to SuperOffice, a customer service, sales and marketing software provider.

“While that might have been true two-three years ago, it’s no longer the reason why customers choose to do business with a company. Today, it’s all about providing the best customer experience,” says SuperOffice, which conducted a survey of nearly 2,000 business professionals on their number one priority over the next five years.

Customer experience topped the list of priorities, coming in ahead of both product and pricing, according to the Superoffice survey.

Read on for more survey results that reveal six customer experience trends for 2023.

1. Customer experience is the new “battlefield”

How customers feel after interacting with a customer service center has a great impact on their future buying decisions with your company.

“No one wants to do business with a company that treats you poorly,” says the Superoffice report. “A good interaction keeps [customers] happy and satisfied, while a poor interaction could lead [customers] to stop doing business with your company again.”

Superoffice recommends evaluating comments from customer surveys, web forms or Net Promoter Score programs used to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty to learn what they excerpt from your brand. Then invest in the projects that will allow your company to meet their expectations.

2. Omnichannel customer service is on the rise

Today’s customers prefer more than just a couple of communication options. They expect “omnichannel” communication platforms, a variety of venues for asking questions and resolving issues.

“To successfully meet customer demands for more immediate, personalized attention, companies are leveraging new technologies that go beyond traditional voice and email,” according to a report from customer service software company Zendesk.

Zendesk recommends utilizing channels such as mobile apps, live chat, SMS/text messaging, self-help solutions and more in addition to offering traditional call centers to meet customers’ communication preferences and expectations.

3. Customers expect positive mobile experiences

A negative mobile experience can do “serious damage” to your brand, according to the SuperOffice report’s consumer survey results:

  • 66 percent say a frustrating website experience hurts their overall opinion of the brand
  • 55 percent say a bad mobile experience makes them less likely to continue engaging with a company
  • 53 percent say they’re disappointed if the mobile experience is poor when they really like a company or brand

4. Customer frustration leads to churn

When your company doesn’t receive negative feedback, you may consider that a sign of satisfaction. However, that’s not always the case.

“Your customers may not be happy, or worse, they’re sharing their bad experiences with others,” says the SuperOffice report.

“Customer expectations are at an all-time high, and it’s a tough time for companies to meet and exceed them. Even if you provide a positive customer experience nine out of ten times, that one time you do not could be fatal.”

5. More customers choose self-service options

In 2023, companies should offer a wide range of self-service options such as online databases, according to the SuperOffice report.

“Customers are willing to find the answers themselves. So much so that by 2030, Gartner estimates that a billion service tickets will be raised automatically by customer-owned bots,” says the SuperOffice report.

6. Customers demand fast response times

When it comes to the customer experience, “Your customers don’t care about how great your product or service is,” says the SuperOffice report. “All they care about is that if they have a problem, you are there to help them. And quickly.”

According to the SuperOffice report, the most important aspects of the customer experience are:

  • Fast response times: 75 percent
  • Consistency across communication channels: 55 percent
  • Knowledgeable staff: 52 percent
  • Clear, consistent messaging: 46 percent
  • Speaking with a person: 37 percent
  • Multiple contact points: 28 percent
  • User-friendly tools: 23 percent

“The longer it takes for a business to reply, the less likely it is that the customer will engage,” says SuperOffice. “If this happens regularly, then your customer will stop trying to contact you. Eventually, they’ll leave.