We all have had those experiences with service providers that make big promises and then fall short when a problem arises. Recently, I had great expectations for a company that sold me on a service. Their marketing was excellent, and I was excited to use their service. How quickly my expectations were shot down when I needed assistance. Everything that was originally promised from marketing disappeared, and I spent an hour navigating their support organization to get my problem resolved. It was frustrating, to say the least.

Because I am focused daily on helping businesses gain greater success with next-generation customer experience strategies and solutions, I ponder poor customer experiences from both a business and technical perspective. In the case of this recent issue with the service provider, it’s clear that they are struggling with one of the biggest challenges facing businesses today – the disconnect between marketing and customer care/support. Bridging customer experience across the business is no simple feat, but one that has become increasingly necessary to effectively manage the customer lifecycle.

Today’s customer experience is no longer just about providing service and support. More than ever, the focus is on the complete journey from acquisition through the entire customer lifecycle. With this broader perspective, it’s not always easy to get it right. With evolving expectations and rapidly advancing technologies, there’s often a disconnect between what businesses provide and what customers want and need.

In the new Genesys State of Customer Experience report, we’re diving into both consumer and business viewpoints on customer experience. As part of this first global survey, we reveal insights from nearly 2,000 consumers, which include:

  • How consumers prefer to interact with a business
  • What consumers value most when engaging with a business
  • What personal information are consumers willing to share in exchange for a better experience

Along with uncovering trends based on consumer findings, we also examine findings from 1,300 business respondents from North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific, including those with executive roles in IT, customer care and marketing. Through our research, we identify how businesses are defining the customer journey and managing customer experience goals. We also share the types of customer engagement channels and technologies that are available today and what new innovations are just around the corner.

How Does Your Business Stack Up?

With customers wanting more, faster, better service, it has become increasingly necessary for businesses to adapt to evolving expectations and have the right technology to drive change. However, findings from the Genesys State of Customer Experience indicate that business stakeholders often have ideas that stray from what customers value when it comes to service and support.

Among the findings in the report that highlight the widening gaps between businesses and their customers:

  • 83% of consumers say the ability to move from one assisted channel to another (i.e. web chat to a live conversation) is desirable. Yet, only 50% of businesses currently support cross-channel interactions, and 16% have no current plans to support cross-channel customer interactions.
  • 38% of consumers prefer a business to use their location to personalize their experience. But, 28% of businesses automatically delete valuable customer information, including location data, without personalizing the customer experience.
  • Only 19% of businesses have a customer experience team tasked with bridging gaps in the business.

Because customer experience is now the top brand differentiator across nearly every industry, it’s important to not only understand your customers’ needs and expectations, but also what you need to do to meet them. In the Genesys State of Customer Experience, you’ll gain clear insights on how to make that happen.

Read the first three chapters of the Genesys State of Customer Experience report and stay tuned as we reveal more insights from this comprehensive report.