In the six years since we began reporting on the state of CX, the industry has evolved hugely. This year’s report finds sparks of excellence and areas where business and consumer expectations show clear alignment. But there are also disconnects. 

The most striking of these is the consequence of the advanced data processing capabilities now available to corporates. By analysing vast tracts of data to extract outliers in sentiment, organisations are falling into the trap of homogenising our feedback. While there may be instances where very good and very bad are highlighted, there’s a huge ‘missing middle’ where the voice has been removed from the customer.  

A further disconnect between how consumers and business view the world of customer experience is unpacked in chapter four while we look at the contentious area of service response timelines in chapter six.

Reviews continue to play an extraordinary role in driving purchase intent while also dissecting the marketing channels / tactics that resonate most with consumers. Other chapters analyse the channels of choice in the research, purchase and after sales support phases of the relationship and our attitudes towards data gathering.