As 2023 came to a close, a survey by Which? found that on average 20% of customers were unhappy with their most recent customer service interaction. Many leading consumer brands were found to be falling behind on basic service KPIs, with almost a quarter unhappy with how long it took to speak to someone who could help (23%) and how long it took to get an answer to their query (22%).

CX tech provider Avaya says the focus for 2024 will be on the impact contact centres have on CX and brand image – with AI innovation redefining CX and brand alignment. Here are their three trends to watch out for:

1.       AI to Enable the Experience Economy – Alan Masarek, CEO, Avaya
“With companies firmly in the ‘Experience Economy,’ where goods and services have been commoditised, and the customer experiences companies create will matter most, the focus in 2024 will be on innovating the customer experience to drive differentiation and growth. Brands are increasingly recognising that their contact centres are at the ‘tip of the spear’ for driving differentiating experiences for their customers, and AI-powered innovations will be front and centre to supercharge CX solutions.

If 2023 was about the ‘potential of AI,’ the dynamic will shift in 2024 to demonstrating how AI investments must translate directly and tangibly to driving tangible business value by contributing to top and bottom-line improvements and competitive advantage. And, because CEOs and Boards of Directors are increasingly focused on managing risk, privacy, security, and business ethics concerns associated with AI technology, 2024 will increasingly be a year where these issues come to the forefront.”

2.       CMO to Have an Increased Role in CX – Josh Mueller, CMO, Avaya
“In 2024, businesses will see the role of the CMO become more heavily entwined in the efforts to build stronger customer experience and interactions. In the contact centre, specifically, expect to see CMOs closer to the content delivered in the contact centre through campaign messaging, contact centre agent training, or hands-on roles in applying AI to call routing. In the coming year, CMOs will play an increasingly crucial role in the experiential side of customer interactions.”

3.       AI in the Contact Center – Omar Javaid, CPO, Avaya
“Over the next year, there will be two areas of focus for AI-powered innovation in the contact centre. The first will be using AI to delegate menial tasks away from contact centre agents, boosting overall productivity while allowing agents to focus on creating higher-quality customer experiences and driving greater agent job satisfaction and retention. The second will be on how AI and/or ML investments can help customers navigate to their desired resolution much quicker than any previous solutions have allowed, driving customer engagement, satisfaction, and, potentially, share of wallet revenue gains.”

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