Bridging the Gap between Business Perception and Customer Experience

As we enter a new era of customer engagement and experience, businesses are realizing that providing an exceptional customer experience is no longer optional, but a critical priority. Customers today demand natural, fluid interactions with companies, where they are seen, heard, and treated as highly valued customers, rather than just transactions or tickets. Immersive customer experience (CX) has become the new norm, and businesses that fail to meet these expectations risk losing customers and revenue.

According to the Zendesk CX Trends 2023 report, business leaders clearly understand the importance of customer experience, with 81 percent of them seeing customer experience and support as growing priorities over the next year. However, there is still a huge gap between what businesses think and what customers actually experience.

One of the driving forces behind the move towards immersive CX is the advancement of AI experiences and conversational interfaces. Chatbots that closely mimic human beings and conversational experiences that allow customers to seamlessly switch between channels are empowering consumers and raising their expectations. Customers are also eager for deeper personalization, expecting businesses to use their data to tailor experiences to their needs and preferences.

However, businesses face challenges in achieving deeper personalization. The State of Engagement Report 2023 reveals that only 22 percent of business leaders believe that their organizations share data well, and 57 percent think they are not collecting enough data. Despite recognizing the value of service data in driving personalization efforts, roadblocks remain.

To bridge this gap between business perception and customer experience, businesses need to focus on capturing and understanding customer emotions. Formalizing ways to capture and interpret consumer emotions can lead to better customer understanding and enable businesses to tailor their experiences accordingly. AI-driven technology that predicts intent and sentiment can be a valuable tool in gaining customer insights and delivering exceptional experiences.

Moreover, businesses need to shift their mindset from a promotional approach to one that puts service first. Consumers today are overwhelmed with information and choices, and businesses need to use the insights they have to help customers make informed decisions. Investing in data-driven engagement tools and personalizing interactions on customers' terms can help businesses meet or exceed customer expectations.

Failure to meet customer expectations can have serious consequences. The State of Engagement Report 2023 found that 51 percent of consumers reported being frustrated with their interactions with brands in the past year, and 66 percent of consumers would quit a brand if their experience isn't satisfactory. Businesses that do not prioritize customer engagement and experience risk losing customers, revenue, and market share to their competitors.

In this changing landscape of customer experience, The Bakstage CX platform, is helping businesses meet the demand for real-time true personalization. Bakstage offers a unique approach that combines intelligent AI-driven interactions with human touch, providing businesses with the tools they need to deliver premium experiences that boost customer satisfaction and lifetime value.

One of the key features of Bakstage is its 2-way live video conversations, augmented by AI. This allows businesses to have interactive engagements with their customers, providing a personalized and immersive experience that goes beyond traditional customer interactions. Bakstage's AI capabilities enable businesses to predict customer intent and sentiment, gaining valuable insights that can be used to tailor interactions and deliver exceptional experiences.

Furthermore, Bakstage helps businesses build a loyal community through engagement and interactions, leveraging 1st party consented data. This is becoming increasingly important in the era of changing privacy laws and limitations on cookie-based tracking. By building a community of engaged customers, businesses can gather valuable data that can be used to personalize recommendations, offer shoppable content, and drive live commerce.

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