CX Insights

When getting help is the struggle

Many of your customers do not enjoy calling customer service to resolve a problem and it can be more draining that the problem itself. One survey found that for 71% of consumers, calling into customer service is equally or more stressful than the actual problem. The survey had some other notable findings:

• Two-thirds of consumers hesitate to reach out via phone, expecting long hold times
  

• 77% of customers value companies that remember their interaction history

• Over one-third of Gen Z worries about sounding uninformed when calling into customer service
  

What can CX leaders do to address these customer needs and concerns?

• Invest in self service materials so that consumers can resolve more of their own issues, skipping the stress of calling in altogether

• Develop easy-to-understand customer onboarding materials to inform customers
  

• Use an omnichannel tool so you can deliver customer service wherever they prefer

• Use a CX tool that keeps streamlined records of customer history and interactions
  

• Use AI Agents for Voice which can expedite service and reduce hold times

• Share externally how your brand has invested in CX improvements and improved metrics

One (perhaps unlikely) example of the last point: The United States Social Security Agency. Its recent blog post explains how it implemented an enhanced telephone system, features it offers, and recent improvements. It reduced the average caller wait time by almost half, from 24 to 13 minutes, and shared a further goal to get it down to 12 minutes.

CX leaders - partner with your marketing team. Borrow some space on your company blog and social media channels to educate your customers.

Consumer satisfaction up

The latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) report reveals a remarkable alignment between economic growth and consumer satisfaction in the U.S. For Q3 2024, the national ACSI score holds steady at 77.9, near its historical peak, even as GDP and consumer spending climb. This is a rare feat, especially when compared to other G7 countries where economic challenges remain more pronounced.

While customer satisfaction levels have shown resilience, individual companies and industries demonstrate varied performance. High-sensitivity sectors like banks, ISPs, and wireless services experience stronger demand shifts based on satisfaction, while general merchandise and supermarkets face less financial volatility from changes in customer sentiment.

For CX leaders (and business leaders in general) the message is clear: customer satisfaction remains critical to competitiveness, and those that invest wisely in CX improvements will lead.

Employee retention and CX

Happy employees create happy customers— check out the latest data around retail store operations. Retailers investing in employee satisfaction are seeing clear benefits in customer experience, but challenges persist. Nearly 40% of retailers report rising turnover rates among frontline employees, driven by low pay, inflexible hours, and lack of growth opportunities. This turnover disrupts operations, drains resources, and impacts customer satisfaction.

To combat this, forward-thinking retailers are directing their budgets toward innovative gamified training, flexible scheduling, and engagement tools like video and VR. These investments not only empower employees but also ensure they’re aligned with the company’s mission.

Your frontline CX employees build valuable institutional knowledge. Keeping them around pays dividends with reduced turnover costs and better training between team members.

Prioritizing employee retention doesn’t just save costs—it drives better customer experiences and boosts profitability.

BFCM Insights

Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are already happening, but this season is marked by changing consumer expectations and how brands are reacting. Brands that are launching their sales now are perhaps late to the game, with some brands stretching sales as far back as October.

For 2024, the National Retail Federation projected relatively low holiday spending growth between 2.5% - 3.5%, with Black Friday still being the busiest day of the season. Retailers are facing consumers who have been stretched thin by ongoing inflation and have cut back on non-essential spending.

Even as consumer expectations change, what’s something that’ll always be key to a great customer experience? Inventory - both in store and online. Customers showing up in store and not finding the product they need will leave empty handed and often frustrated with your brand.

It’s down to the wire for anything inventory related this season, but CX leaders should stay informed about inventory challenges and be prepared to proactively communicate about shortages or backorders. As always, it’s a reminder to collect data and use that to evaluate opportunities for improvement next season.

AI Insights

A new study found that consumer confidence rises with human-like AI agents. With the launch of AI Agents across many different customer service technology platforms, it’s important to understand how they work before you decide how you want to implement them for your CX team.

CX professionals are asking themselves: Why do I need more than one AI Agent? Why do I need a team of AI Agents?

We answer all your questions about the benefits to having more AI Agents on the blog.

Golden Nuggets

What makes employees provide quality service? The role of employee customer-oriented perspective taking
Does service innovation reduce customer defection intentions among disappointed customers?
From Cherry Farms to AI Chatbots: Transforming Without Losing Your Roots