The Future of Customer Experience: Technology and Trends

What is the future of the retail customer experience? It's a question that has gained traction in recent years. As a result of the health crisis, a series of changes have occurred, with the digital transformation diverting people's consumption habits in unexpected directions.

But first, let's break it down. Why has customer experience become so important? We can understand a couple of things here: First, businesses and brands have become more human and they recognize that their ability to alleviate or solve customer problems is critical to their survival.

Also, businesses understand that a customer is more than just a client at the point of sale; they also recognize that they must consider the entire funnel, from the "trigger" stage to the process's conclusion.

Throughout this evolution, the digital transformation has been raised as a necessary flag to ensure the continuity of the customer experience.

Because the various competitors are all racing to see who can provide the greatest immediacy and transparency of information that customers require, the digital transformation has a significant impact on new consumption habits.

However, it is important to note that the digital transformation would not be what it is today without the use of social media, as these platforms have evolved into new markets that improve the customer experience.

Social media will continue to trend in 2022 and beyond, with reviews, videos, and timely product follow-up. That is where a portion of the customer experience is headed in the future.

Nonetheless, it is not only social media that will determine the future of this sector, but also the "wow" moments, which are those unexpected moments within the client's journey or experience; they always have a positive impact.

These moments improve response times (the quicker, the better) and help keep the flow of communication open, forming bonds of trust; all of this from a technological and quantitative standpoint.

Despite the fact that customer experience has had an impact on final consumers, it has also had a significant impact on retailers, as the latter have had to implement changes from the ground up to transition from being product-centric to customer-centric organizations.

Moreover, businesses are establishing and investing in customer experience departments in growing numbers.

According to IT service management firm Gartner, 89 percent of companies polled "believe that customer experience will be their primary basis for measuring competition" in the future.

Similarly, it is estimated that only 10 percent of companies did not have a chief experience officer (CXO) or a chief customer service officer (CCO) during the last three years.

It's worth noting that there are new technology-based methods for improving customer satisfaction, allowing businesses to keep track of their clients throughout the customer journey (CRMs or simpler tools for entrepreneurs).

Furthermore, it is critical to use solutions that enable the seamless integration of the entire logistics process, allowing companies to provide insight to their clients at critical stages, whether through tracking capabilities or proactive notifications to keep them informed.