New tech may be seen as the panacea for all customer experience ills but the stampede to combat the effects of Covid by implementing the latest wizardry has left many in its wake, and even more saddled with the wrong systems.
According to a new report from workplace training platform Soffos, which quizzed 4,000 UK workers, including 666 decision-makers, the adoption of new tech has come at a price.
It reveals than more than a third (35%) think the quality of their product or service has worsened because they have been forced to use more technology during the pandemic, while for two-fifths (39%) this tech has eroded customer experience as well.
Productivity also appears to have taken a hit; some 38% of decision-makers believe their firm uses too many different communications channels, which makes staff less productive.
Even so, many companies are looking to adopt even more technology; one in three (32%) businesses are planning to invest in artificial intelligence over the next twelve months to offer a more personalised experience to both employees and customers.
Soffos CEO and founder Nikolas Kairinos reckons that technology itself is not the issue, but rather the adoption of poor or inappropriate tech, which likely occurred because businesses had little time to prepare for lockdowns, social distancing and remote working.
He added: “With some business leaders feeling that too many technologies are in play, and employees missing out on vital collaboration, improvements have to be made.
“Going forward, technologies like AI will be instrumental to breaking bad habits learned throughout the pandemic. As AI-powered platforms allow greater scope for targeted collaboration, more personalised support and customer interaction, businesses should be able to restore these broken bonds to reimagine a better and more connected workplace.”
The Soffos study comes on the back of a global report from enterprise software specialist IFS, which found that that two-thirds (66%) of brands invest at least $250,000 (£180,000) a year on evaluating their CX performance, yet almost a third (29%) do nothing about tackling any issues they have found.
The same research revealed that for a quarter of consumers a single bad experience would make them never want to engage with a brand again, but just over half (52%) appear more forgiving, insisting they would give the company a second or even third chance.
Even so, nearly two-thirds (58%) would still share their negative perceptions with their friends and family.
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