Customer service teams are facing significant challenges throughout the customer service journey from basic data collection to deploying advanced solutions like AI, according to new research from unified customer experience management platform, Sprinklr, with more than half struggling to capture meaningful customer data and six in 10 struggling with ineffective AI solutions.
The report found that 62% of brands acknowledge inconsistencies in their digital customer communication, including not communicating the same information and not staying true to their brand voice.
Less than one in four (22%) customer service leaders say their organisation has completely unified customer data. Surprisingly, 11% of respondents admitted to making no effort to personalise interactions. Another 36% limit personalisation efforts to basic profile details in some or all communication.
The remaining 53% are making strides towards personalisation, but only 12% of respondents predict customer needs and proactively tailor interactions based on specific needs, intentions or sentiments.
Leading companies are taking actions to tackle customer service challenges with more than half (53%) viewing AI to power chatbots and improve customer data as a paramount focus for 2023 and over two-thirds (69%) plan to invest in technology that reduces agent effort.
“Providing digital, personalised service is essential to meet consumer expectations,” Sprinklr founder and CEO, Ragy Thomas said.
“Making these interactions more cost efficient and easier for agents is equally as important. The challenges uncovered in our research go beyond customer experience and contact centre teams. Insufficient intelligence hurts the entire business. Unified insight about what customers need and how they behave can dramatically improve how every customer-facing function operates.”