Introduction
In today’s fiercely competitive market, brands strive to capture customer attention by focusing on exceptional customer experience (CX). However, companies have struggled to deliver superior experiences due to outdated systems, fragmented data, and organizational silos, which hinder agility and consistency in operations.
The Role of AI-Powered Agents
According to the Connected Customer study by MIT Technology Review in collaboration with Nice, artificial intelligence (AI) presents opportunities to revolutionize the customer shopping experience. Specifically, AI applied to agents can make informed decisions based on workflows.
With AI-powered agents, businesses can provide personalized and agile support at scale, enhancing workforce productivity and customer satisfaction. This transformation requires a unified platform that connects people, data, and decisions throughout the entire customer relationship cycle.
“AI as a Management Capability”
Ingrid Imanishi, Director of Solutions at Nice for Latin America, emphasizes the importance of viewing AI as a management capability to transform businesses and drive change. By placing customer experience (CX) at the core of corporate strategy, companies can successfully navigate this shift.
“Openly addressing employee concerns, exploring innovations, and fostering a culture that embraces mistakes as part of the process are crucial for executives,” Imanishi adds. “Rapid learning is essential for a successful CX strategy, and listening to customers consistently is key.”
Disparity in Perceptions
The study by Nice and MIT reveals a disparity between companies’ and consumers’ perceptions of the customer experience offered.
Generally, companies have a much higher self-assessment than consumers, suggesting that current CX improvement measures have been inadequate.
According to the study, 35.3% of companies believe they offer an excellent customer experience, while only 14.7% of consumers agree. More than 60% of companies claim to provide a good experience, but only 40.6% of consumers concur. Conversely, 1% of companies state they offer a regular experience, yet 36.3% of customers rate it as such.
Furthermore, the improvements implemented by companies in customer service have not been noticeable to consumers. While 78.2% of companies report service enhancements over the past year, only 31.5% of customers agree. Meanwhile, 5.2% of companies claim their service has worsened, and 33.7% of consumers report a decline in service quality.
The gap in perceptions is attributed to rising customer expectations. Today’s consumers anticipate flawless experiences and have little tolerance for errors. To bridge the gap between perception and reality, companies must offer more visible improvements.
