WiCX Predicts: Customer Experience Predictions for 2024
As the curtain draws on 2023, our community members are sharing their predictions on what's to come in the world of customer experience next year. At WiCX, we're all about amplifying the voices of women in CX and technology, showcasing their perspectives and insights. With a diverse range of viewpoints from women and allies all around the world, we're thrilled to present WiCX Predicts 2024.
AI Continues Shaping the Industry
It seems all eyes are turning towards artificial intelligence, and as organisations strive to remain at the forefront of innovation, our community emphasises how AI is not merely a buzzword but a practical and influential tool shaping the future of CX.
"In 2024, I predict AI-driven personalization at scale will, finally, gain its traction," says Ksenia Levina, Global Customer Experience Lead at Grünenthal Group. "More experiences will be fueled by Gen AI and AI-powered automation. In the race to adopt AI, most of the companies, I believe, will be primarily focused on evolving digital customer touchpoints, while the uptake of AI technology to streamline processes and empower agents/first-line employees will remain relatively modest."
Clare White, Managing Director and Founder at Connected CX, also believes AI will take centre stage in the new year: "AI will be the one to watch in 2024. With new capabilities coming to the fore almost daily! From synthetic customers (AI-powered, digital customer personas that interact as a human would) to AI that can detect emotion and chatbots that can understand a customer's preferences better than some humans. How businesses navigate this will be interesting. My view is that there will be a temporary push to AI, which may result in poor experiences (as we're already seeing CSI declining); however, businesses will re-balance this before the end of the year."
Taking Clare’s prediction into account, 2024 will offer ample opportunities for learning. Leonora Gouveia, Senior Business Solutions Manager at SAS, echoes this sentiment. She believes that organisations "will continue trying to consolidate their customers' data and will be using more and more generative AI, which will lead to many lessons learned by the end of 2024."
Although the possibilities are evident, Kathryn Simons-Porter, Principle Account Executive & CX Specialist at Kore.ai, predicts further noise and confusion around the topic of artificial intelligence, asserting: "There are many vendors positioning AI when, in fact, there is very little (or no) Generative AI in their capability, so that is misleading. How can buyers seek out the vendors that are worth speaking to? What large language models are safe to use in order to protect data? How can Generative AI and LLMs be used across the business in order to improve everyone's working day-to-day lives? So, next year, we will hear a lot about LLMs. This topic is not going away!"
“My view is that there will be a temporary push to AI, which may result in poor experiences (as we're already seeing CSI declining); however, businesses will re-balance this before the end of the year.”
Caution around the use of AI and technology is emphasised by Ian Golding, Global Customer Experience Specialist and steadfast ally of Women in CX. He believes the AI train is not slowing down, urging us to scrutinise our relationship with technology. He warns: “My prediction is that we will become even more obsessed with technology [ . . . ] I think we're going to have to work even harder to ensure it's not being used for the wrong reason [ . . . ] So, actually, our community is going to have to manage that very openly to ensure it doesn't damage experiences.”
The Human Touch Will Prevail
When discussing AI's influence on customer experience, the conversation invariably turns to the art of balancing technological advancement with the human touch. Hannah Cornaby, Customer Experience Consultant at Simmons CX, predicts that "businesses will focus on balancing a human-centred approach with embracing technology and AI. While technology is playing an increasing role in CX, businesses will not be able to replace human interaction entirely. Customers still value human interaction, and businesses that can provide a balance of technology and human touch will be more successful at retaining customers."
While technology is playing an increasing role in CX, businesses will not be able to replace human interaction entirely.
WiCX ally Rajat Chawla, author and Certified CX Mentor at Koyopo, agrees: "In 2024, we will see a more seamless integration of technology and the human touch in CX. While technology will continue to advance, the importance of genuine human connection and empathy will remain essential for delivering exceptional customer experiences."
Empathy Skills are Vital
When asked about their 2024 predictions, members of Women in CX place a great emphasis on empathy, which they believe will play an even more significant role in the year to come, particularly with the emergence of new technologies.
Sirte Pihlaja, Customer Experience Optimiser at Shirute, believes customers will entrust digital assistants with their tasks and shopping, prompting businesses to reimagine their service models. To WiCX, she says: "Crafting revamped customer journeys or entirely new machine customer experiences will become imperative. CX professionals must hone their MCX design skills to spearhead this evolution, aiming to enhance human experiences with reduced effort. Concurrently, heightened empathy skills will be critical for human interactions that remain integral."
Empathy was also a recent topic of discussion on our Inspiring Women in CX Podcast. Sandra Thompson, Founding Director and Management Consultant at The Ei Evolution, shared her 2024 prediction with our audience: "From conversations I've been having, the idea of empathy and what empathy is, is increasing slowly but surely. So, I think that could be an accurate prediction of empathy happening more.”
A Continued Focus on Employee Experience
The intersection of customer experience and employee experience has been a hot topic of 2023. Our community foresees the connection between happy employees and satisfied customers being a focus also in the coming year.
"Organizations are going to understand the difference between 'employee experience', 'employee engagement', 'employee compensation and benefits', and 'corporate culture' as well as the impact that the nuts and bolts of an organization (e.g., operations, processes, resources, policies) have on employee experience and how the latter four contribute to the first one," says Lara Khouri, Founder & Cultivator of Contentment at There is No Spoon.
"For instance, organizations can have bike-to-work schemes, mental health days or birthdays off, education support for staff with kids or those who want to achieve PG degrees for engagement and benefits; but if, for example, the process of claiming expenses is laborious or people are expected to regularly work overtime with no compensation, or there is a strong blame culture, these will all negatively impact the overall employee experience," she continues.
“If, for example, the process of claiming expenses is laborious or people are expected to regularly work overtime with no compensation, or there is a strong blame culture, these will all negatively impact the overall employee experience.”
Reshaped Boardrooms and Organisational Collaboration
Carolyne Gathuru, Strategy Consultant, Corporate Trainer and Public Speaking Coach at LifeSkills Consulting, anticipates a significant shift that could redefine corporate strategy, stating: "In 2024, I predict that the awaited breakthrough of finally having CX in the boardroom as a non-negotiable discussion will happen more widespread across both the profit and not-for-profit sectors, as well as government and corporate spaces."
Olga Potaptseva, Founder and CX Implementation Advisor at the European Customer Consultancy and CXpanda, foresees organisational collaboration being a large focus: "In 2024, the landscape for CX professionals is at a crucial juncture, poised for continued evolution and growth. The central goal remains steadfast: delivering tangible value to customers, employees, and the overall business [ . . . ] Emphasizing collaboration across the entire organizational spectrum retains its paramount importance."
We have an opportunity to influence organizations differently, but we have to be different. We have to be asking those tough questions.
In the latest instalment of our podcast, Diane Magers, Founder and Chief Experience Officer at Experience Catalysts, also emphasised the opportunity to influence organisations in 2024: “I believe that it will be a year of reset for us [ . . . ] We have an opportunity to influence organizations differently, but we have to be different. We have to be asking those tough questions like, 'What's the financial impact of this experience?' and 'How can we improve it?' We have to be asking, ‘What is the human trying to accomplish?’ [ . . . ] We have to start thinking about the work we do differently.”
A Further Emphasis on Skills
Vicky Hampson, Consulting Partner at Defy Expectations, predicts a landscape where organisations and their budget owners make resolute commitments to a skills-based future of work. In her words: "As such, they commit to taking action and investing time, headspace, and financial resources in quality upskilling.”
Leonie Williams, Co-Founder and Director at Customer Service Solutions Group, underscores the significance of prioritising skills in the coming year: "In 2024, I predict that organisations will prioritise addressing the skills gap, with a particular emphasis on soft skills such as empathy, understanding, and emotional intelligence among employees. This focus aims to improve human-to-human interactions during [the] increasing prevalence of self-service and technology."
Humans at the Heart of the Business
When it comes to focusing on the human experience, Susannah Simmons, The Software Adoption Doctor at ProductivIT, says: "I would love to predict that 2024 will be the year that organisations consistently put humans at the heart of their business; however, the realist in me says we have a way to go before this happens.
This community and its allies will keep beating that drum to challenge mindsets and instigate change one person, one organisation at a time.
“What I can 100% predict is that this community and its allies will keep beating that drum to challenge mindsets and instigate change one person, one organisation at a time. Leading the way for better experiences and better wellbeing for all people, whether they be customers, employees or some other stakeholder."
Women in CX echoes and embraces this sentiment wholeheartedly. With our mission to challenge the status quo, we are standing with Susannah, all our diverse members and allies to push for a future where human-centricity is the top priority for every organisation in 2024 and beyond.
Women are architects of change, innovators, and empathetic leaders who bring invaluable perspectives for enriching organisational cultures. Together with our community, Women in CX is dedicated to unleashing the power of women, leading The Movement for Human-Centred Business.
