“The last best experience that anyone has anywhere, becomes the minimum expectation for the experience they want everywhere” says Bridget van Kralingen, senior VP of IBM Global Markets.

In today’s world, customer expectations have skyrocketed, with people expecting immediate responses, solutions and a consistent omni-channel brand experience.

The Coronavirus pandemic has only accelerated this trend. By necessity, people are switching to not just shopping online in lockdown but also to seeking assistance if needed. This means service requirements are rising through a much greater diversity of channels than the average organisation will ever have experienced.

Brands that fall short of these expectations will see customers choosing to shop elsewhere. According to Zendesk, 84% of consumers say that service is one of the key factors in their decision whether to purchase from a particular company or not, and 68% say that they will pay more for services or products from companies with a strong record of good customer service
(HubSpot).

Download this report, produced by our friends at Merkle for top tips on how you can prepare to meet these rising expectations and ensure customers continue coming back for more.