Despite organizations’ efforts to improve customer experience (CX), the 2019 Forrester CX Index indicates little to no rise in CX scores from last year across a range of industries, and that technology is the key forward in improving CX.
Forrester surveyed over 101,000 Americans concerning their interactions with 260 brands across 16 industries and found that an overall 81 percent of brands stagnated in CX score. Five percent of scores declined, and although 14 percent rose, the gain sizes were only about three points.
The CX Index measure CX effectiveness, ease, and customer emotion, as well as customer retention, enrichment, and likelihood of recommendation to others. 65 percent of brands received “OK” CX scores from customers, only a one-percent decrease from last year’s 66 percent, and this year, 17 percent of brands received a “good” score, a slight increase from 15 percent the last two years. For the fourth year in a row, no brands received an excellent grade in CX.
Forrester predicts that technology has and will continue to play a critical role in organizations’ efforts to improve CX.
“Next-gen CX will use technology to deliver human-centric experiences,” Forrester said. “We will see traction for more creative productive uses of [artificial intelligence], automation, the internet of things, and voice tech that will allow brands to fit more effortlessly into customers’ lives.”
Considering human emotion, however, is also a significant factor. Forrester warned that technology can also alienate customers, so organizations must recognize that “tech only improves CX when it’s employed to help customers achieve their goals.”