CX Trends & Predictions | Annual Market Analysis & Forecasts | CX Today https://www.cxtoday.com/tv/cx-trends-tv/ Customer Experience Technology News Thu, 06 Nov 2025 15:19:59 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.cxtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/cropped-cxtoday-3000x3000-1-32x32.png CX Trends & Predictions | Annual Market Analysis & Forecasts | CX Today https://www.cxtoday.com/tv/cx-trends-tv/ 32 32 Solving Customer Journey Fragmentation with Unified Workflows https://www.cxtoday.com/contact-center/solving-customer-journey-fragmentation-with-unified-workflows/ Fri, 07 Nov 2025 13:00:24 +0000 https://www.cxtoday.com/?p=73249 Fragmented customer journeys are one of the main reasons people stop doing business with a company. People want every experience they have with a company to feel connected, but they rarely are.

The problem is simple: systems don’t talk to each other. A customer starts a conversation on live chat, calls later to follow up, and then gets an email with conflicting information. Each hand-off forces them to repeat details, re-authenticate, or explain the issue all over again. Patience runs out quickly.

The cost isn’t hidden for long. U.S. companies lose an estimated $136.8 billion every year to avoidable churn. Customers leave when systems don’t connect, data is trapped in silos, workflows run in isolation, and departments push their own priorities instead of working toward the full journey.

Fixing that takes more than patches. It needs stronger journey orchestration, along with omnichannel workflow design and dependable CDP integration. The aim is for every channel to draw from the same source of truth, so the customer isn’t forced to start over at each step.

Fragmented Journeys: The Hidden Cost and Causes

The cost of fragmented customer journeys isn’t always obvious. Customers don’t usually complain about “systems not talking to each other.” They just get tired of repeating themselves, chasing updates, or being bounced between departments. Some walk away silently. Others switch to a competitor after one poor experience. That lost loyalty is expensive.

All the while, customers that get connected experiences are helping brands grow. Studies show customers who get “excellent” experiences spend about 140% more.

The Causes of Fragmented Customer Journeys

Why are fragmented customer journeys still getting worse? A big part of the answer lies in the systems. Older ERP platforms were built for accounting and operations. They store useful data, but they weren’t designed to share it across customer touchpoints.

On top of that, many firms still run sales, service, and fulfillment on different platforms. Each team shapes processes around its own system, so when customers move between departments, the context often gets lost.

Then there are issues created by:

  • Multiple versions of the same customer: Without solid CDP integration, one person might exist in several databases under different IDs. That makes personalization, and even basic service, harder.
  • Channels that don’t connect: Phone, email, chat, apps, and stores often sit on different platforms. Customers expect one conversation. Businesses deliver five.
  • Processes that drift: Marketing offers a refund or discount, but the policy never makes it to the billing system. Customers get conflicting answers depending on who they ask.
  • Automation in silos: Generic automation often backfires. A bot that can’t see the full journey adds more friction, not less.
  • Slow-moving data: By the time an update syncs between systems, the customer has already called back.
  • Compliance barriers: Privacy and security rules matter, but poor design can block the very context agents need to help.

Taken together, these gaps explain why customers feel let down. The business may see good metrics in one channel, but the overall journey tells another story. Until the foundation is fixed, journey orchestration and omnichannel workflow automation tools can only go so far.

Unifying Journeys: The Journey Orchestration Tech Teams Need

When customers say they feel like they’re dealing with “five different companies at once,” it’s rarely the fault of the service team. The problem sits in the systems. Fixing fragmented customer journeys means building a stack where data flows from the back office to the front line without friction.

Cloud ERP Integration

Most ERPs were built to balance books and manage inventory. They weren’t built to answer a customer who asks, “Where’s my order?” That’s why cloud ERP integration is now so important. When ERP data is connected directly to sales and service platforms, answers come back in seconds instead of days.

Cloud ERP changes that. By connecting ERP directly with CRM and service systems, data is available in real time. Smarter Furnishings made this upgrade with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and reduced quote turnaround times by 80 percent. That kind of improvement comes from eliminating the delays caused by disconnected back-office systems

CDP Integration

Most companies hold records with multiple versions of the same customer. A single person might appear in the marketing database, the CRM, and the billing platform under slightly different records. This duplication makes personalization impossible and creates obvious gaps in service.

A customer data platform (CDP) takes scattered records and pulls them into one profile. It updates as new information comes in, so teams aren’t working from old or conflicting data. That single view makes it possible to keep the journey consistent when a customer moves from one channel to another. With CDP integration, journey orchestration tools have a reliable record to draw on instead of piecing together fragments.

Combining Customer Journey Orchestration and AI Decisioning

The orchestration layer is where data turns into action. Journey orchestration engines like the industry-first solution from NiCE take context from CDPs, CRM systems, and ERPs, and use it to determine the next best step in the customer’s journey. That may mean routing a case to the right team, sending a proactive update, or triggering an RPA process in the background.

Qualtrics research shows that effective orchestration can boost revenue by 10–20 percent while reducing service costs by 15–25 percent At FedPoint, NiCE CXone drove similar results in practice: IVR containment increased from 28.5% to 33.9%, customer satisfaction rose to 98.35%, and average answer speed fell from 35 seconds to 15 seconds.

Omnichannel CCaaS

Customers don’t think in terms of “channels.” They expect one continuous conversation, whether they start with a phone call, follow up via chat, or receive an email confirmation later. Without a unified contact platform, those experiences quickly fracture.

That’s why omnichannel workflow through contact center as a service (CCaaS) is now a priority. BankUnited’s deployment with Talkdesk shows the results: self-service adoption increased by 16%, abandonment fell to 5.3%, and NPS more than doubled.

Automation and CRM Intelligence

Even with orchestration in play, journeys can stall if the back office is still running on manual tasks. That’s where RPA comes in. It takes on work like refunds, policy checks, and updates, jobs that would otherwise create delays and frustration.

On the front line, CRM automation does the heavy lifting for agents. AI creates summaries automatically, enriches profiles with data, and shares recommendations with agents in real time. The agent spends less time searching and more time solving. That combination speeds up resolution and helps ensure the journey doesn’t break in the final mile.

How to Start Reducing Journey Fragmentation

There isn’t a quick fix for fragmented customer journeys. The organizations that succeed usually take it step by step. They get the basics right, test in a few focused areas, and only then expand.

  • Begin with the data: If core systems don’t share information, the journey will eventually break. That’s why so many CIOs are prioritizing ERP and CRM integration, or even tying in CDP solutions, before layering on orchestration.
  • Create a single customer profile: A CDP integration pulls records together from sales, marketing, and service. It means every interaction draws from the same source of truth. Without that, different teams are still working off different stories.
  • Pilot orchestration on high-value journeys: Trying to orchestrate everything at once rarely works. Pick a few critical touchpoints, like order tracking or benefit enrollment, and build orchestration around them. A Middle Eastern bank did this with Kore.ai, and eventually achieved 40% automation rates for workflows, as well as higher CSAT scores.
  • Add omnichannel contact. Customers don’t think in terms of “phone” or “chat.” They want one continuous conversation. Moving to CCaaS platforms helps deliver that. Particularly when those systems can speak to ERP, CRM, and CDP solutions.
  • Automate the back office. Journeys still fail when refunds or approvals sit in manual queues. RPA can process these instantly, while CRM automation gives agents context without the need to dig. Together, they prevent small delays from becoming big frustrations.

Also, measure what matters. Efficiency metrics only go so far. Average handle time may look good on a report but say little about customer loyalty. Outcome-based measures – resolution rates, effort scores, verified completions, tell you whether fragmentation is actually being reduced.

Journey Orchestration: From Fragmentation to Flow

Plenty of firms talk about improving customer experience. The real progress comes from those willing to confront fragmentation directly. They modernize their data foundations, connect ERP and CRM, put CDP integration in place, and then add journey orchestration and omnichannel workflows. Each layer builds on the last, creating a system that actually holds together.

The rewards are measurable. Containment improves without hurting satisfaction. Resolution times drop. Customers stop repeating themselves at every turn. Plus, loyalty grows stronger, the ultimate measure of success in competitive markets where switching costs are low and alternatives are one click away.

Journey orchestration is only going to matter more as AI takes on a bigger role in customer experience. But AI that runs on inconsistent data won’t deliver. Reducing fragmentation is the first step. Once that’s done, journeys become faster, cheaper to support, and more likely to end in loyalty instead of churn.

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Salesforce Report Reveals 119% Upsurge in AI – Are Customers More Willing to Interact With AI Agents? https://www.cxtoday.com/tv/cx-trends-tv/salesforce-report-reveals-119-upsurge-in-ai-are-customers-more-willing-to-interact-with-ai-agents/ Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:03:13 +0000 https://www.cxtoday.com/?p=75515 Salesforce has reportedly seen a 119% upsurge in AI adoption during the first half of 2025. 

The report revealed that both enterprises and consumers were more willing to adopt AI in customer service. 

The tech company leveraged its Agentic Enterprise Index to uncover trends in the first 6 months of the year, revealing that the quantity of AI Agents across businesses who adopted them increased on average by 119%. 

Salesforce saw an increase in consumer willingness to adopt AI, with 94% of consumers choosing to interact with the AI agent when asked, as well as nearly 60% choosing to frequently use AI agents after claiming they had become more helpful during the past year. 

Furthermore, employee willingness has increased, with agent interactions having grown 65%, along with 35% longer conversations between AI and employee. 

This increase in AI adoption highlights the speed at which AI integration will not only be implemented but accepted in the workforce. 

Earlier in the year, Salesforce revealed that 80% of global HR chiefs agreed that by 2030, most workforces will become hybrid, with a likely future of humans and AI agents working together. 

From a customer service perspective, this allows human agents to focus on complex issues to drive customer relationships, whilst the AI agent completes the human’s repetitive tasks, without worrying about how it will affect customer loyalty. 

AI Agent Adoption Not Yet Universal

Within its report, Salesforce detailed how AI agent adoption rates varied depending on the sector. 

In financial services, for example, employee interactions with AI agents had grown 105% each month during the first half of 2025, whilst 38% of their consumers who chose to interact with AI agents reportedly favored performing money management tasks with the AI. 

Ryan Teeples, Chief Technology Officer at 1-800-Accountant, claimed that “with Agentforce now resolving up to 60% of incoming requests, we can confidently address routine inquiries like tax return statuses, which frees our team to focus on more intricate tasks while still providing swift, secure and personalized support.” 

In travel and hospitality, the industry saw AI agents and employee interactions growing at 133% each month during the first half of 2025, whilst also seeing a higher activity amongst business users compared to other industries surveyed. 

Demetri Salvaggio, Senior Director, Business Development & Client Operations at Engine, highlights how tailoring their AI agents has increased its capabilities for improved routine task handling:

“This has been critical in achieving our reduction in average handle time by 15%.” 

In retail, AI agents and employees were increasing their interactions at a monthly rate of 128%, with 200% of consumers who regularly interacted with AI in retail agreeing that their overall experience with the retail industry has been improved. 

Calvin Anderson, Vice President of Digital Commerce Operations & User Experience at SharkNinja, explains how adding digital and AI enhancements to improve and support a consumer’s shopping experience would strengthen their impression of the brand, stating:

“This not only enhances brand loyalty through tailored recommendations but also allows our team members to focus on more complex, meaningful interactions.” 

The report suggests that AI agent adoption is likely to rise, with 60% of consumers who use these agents agreeing that they have become increasingly more helpful during the past year. 

Interestingly, although the vendor predicts the growing influence of AI agents, it also implies a greater reliance upon humans, with human agent escalation activity increasing by 10% between Q1 and Q2 in 2025. 

Arguably, this increase in human escalation is a natural byproduct of more customers having to interact with AI agents in the first place. As the technology becomes more advanced and customers become more adept at interacting with it, it is likely that these escalations will decrease, potentially making human agents surplus to requirements.

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Gartner Reveals Top Tech Trends For 2026 https://www.cxtoday.com/tv/cx-trends-tv/gartner-reveals-top-tech-trends-for-2026/ Wed, 22 Oct 2025 11:19:32 +0000 https://www.cxtoday.com/?p=75396 On Monday, Gartner announced its top strategic technology trends in the CX space. 

The findings were revealed during Gartner’s ongoing IT Symposium/Xpo, where the business and technology insights company announced the list of trends they expected organizations to focus on in 2026. 

Gene Alvarez, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, announced the trends at the symposium, stating:

“Technology leaders face a pivotal year in 2026, where disruption, innovation, and risk are expanding at unprecedented speed, 

The top strategic technology trends identified for 2026 are tightly interwoven and reflect the realities of an AI-powered, hyperconnected world where organizations must drive responsible innovation, operational excellence, and digital trust. 

While the announcements focused on the wider technology space, several of them directly relate to the customer experience and service space.

Multiagent Systems

This is a collection of AI agents that can work across either one or multiple environments and can achieve both simple and complex tasks. 

As described by Alvarez, adopting the Multiagent System allows organizations to automate their complex business processes, upgrade their teams, and find new ways for human and AI agents to work together. 

These agents can be used across customer service to increase work efficiency, delivery time, and reuse previously proven solutions across workflows to reduce risk, meaning scaling operations would be simpler and allow adaptations to be implemented quickly. 

Domain-Specific Language Models 

This trend is an emerging demand from CIOs and CEOs so that business value is higher from AI. 

The DSLMs are designed to fill the gap created by ‘generic’ large language models (LLMs), which often fall short of specialized tasks, with greater accuracy, lowered costs and better compliance. 

Unlike LLMS, the DSLMs allow for training or fine-tuning on specialized data for any industry, function, or process, whilst also providing higher accuracy levels, reliability, and compliance for a business’s needs. 

Gartner has also predicted that over half of the GenAI models used by enterprises will become domain-specific by 2028. 

As explained by Tori Paulman, a VP Analyst at Gartner, one of the most critical differentiators for successful agent deployments is context. 

These DSLM agents can interpret industry-related context and make smart decisions even in brand-new environments, as they thrive in accuracy, explainability, and decision-making.  

This allows CX agents to minimize customer errors and understand customer queries at a higher level of accuracy. 

AI Security Platforms

As a current trending topic in the CX space, AI security platforms can offer a unified way to introduce third-party and custom-built AI applications into a system. 

These platforms centralize visibility, enforce usage policies, and protect against various AI-specialized threats such as prompt injections, data leakage, and rogue agent actions. 

This has been a widespread issue for customer service in recent months across a number of industries, including automotive, social media and retail. 

With customer service handling large amounts of sensitive information, security is of the utmost importance. 

These platforms then become crucial tools for CX, helping CIOs to introduce use policies, monitor AI activity, and add robust guardrails to stop unwanted actions. 

Gartner has also predicted that by 2028, over 1 in 2 enterprises will adopt AI security platforms to protect their AI assets. 

AI-Native Development Platforms

These platforms have leveraged Generative AI to design simpler and faster software to allow organizations to increase their application output. 

By positioning “forward-deployed engineers” in a business, they can work with domain experts to develop new applications, as well as have small groups of employees paired with AI to expand the speed of application development with the same number of developers. 

A number of other companies have already adopted this trend to allow domain experts to produce the software themselves without additional technical knowledge to ensure that security and governance guardrails are established. 

This allows CX leaders to build applications themselves without prior knowledge of coding, using products such as AI co-pilots to assist in workflow automations, dashboards, and agent-assist tools. 

By 2030, Gartner further predicts that these AI-native development platforms will likely result in 8 out of 10 organizations decreasing their software engineering teams to work alongside AI. 

In discussing this trend, Paulamn addressed the deep changes that are set to occur in businesses:

“These trends represent more than technology shifts; they are catalysts for business transformation, 

What feels different this year is the pace. We’ve seen more innovations emerge in a single year than ever before.   

“Because the next wave of innovation isn’t years away, organizations that act now will not only weather volatility but shape their industries for decades to come.” 

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Miratech on AI Mayhem: Five Big Mistakes Companies Are Making with AI https://www.cxtoday.com/tv/miratech-on-ai-mayhem-five-big-mistakes-companies-are-making-with-ai/ Tue, 19 Aug 2025 10:42:53 +0000 https://www.cxtoday.com/?p=73020

Watch on YouTube

Many businesses have poured millions into AI, only to walk away with broken promises and frustration. That’s why this conversation with Miratech’s Erik Delorey is a must-watch for every CX leader. If your AI strategy isn’t outcome-driven, it may already be heading for disaster.

In this exclusive CX Today interview, Erik shares sharp insights and battle-tested advice on avoiding the biggest AI pitfalls in customer experience.

Key Takeaways

  • Why bad data = bad outcomes (and how to fix it)
  • The broken buying process behind AI tech regret
  • Why legacy coding mindsets clash with the LLM era
  • How to redefine “done” in AI projects
  • Building safe-to-fail innovation zones for AI

Find out more about Miratech’s services: https://miratechgroup.com/

Subscribe for more CX insights: https://cxtoday.com/sign-up/

Join our CX community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1951190/

The future of CX belongs to those who master AI. Are you ready to course-correct your strategy before it’s too late?

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The OneMagnify Approach to Mergers and Acquisitions https://www.cxtoday.com/tv/big-cx-update-tv/the-onemagnify-approach-to-mergers-and-acquisitions/ Wed, 28 May 2025 11:33:09 +0000 https://www.cxtoday.com/?p=70978 In this insightful CX Today interview, OneMagnify CFO Bill Neblock reveals how strategic mergers and acquisitions are reshaping the company’s position in the customer experience landscape. With a background spanning finance, private equity, and 12 years at Omnicom, Neblock brings unique expertise to OneMagnify‘s growth strategy.

The company positions itself as a tech-forward marketing services provider at the intersection of customer experience, data, and technology. Their “highly intentional” M&A approach focuses on filling critical capability gaps rather than pursuing growth for growth’s sake.

Recent acquisitions tell a compelling story: RXA and Splash (2023) enhanced AI and analytics capabilities, creating a data-driven foundation for customer engagements. Emodo (2024) brought programmatic media infrastructure and AI-powered dynamic creative, particularly strengthening CTV capabilities. Guidance (2025) deepened digital experience expertise, especially in e-commerce and complex web development.

Neblock emphasizes that integration planning begins before any deal closes, ensuring new capabilities enhance OneMagnify’s integrated solutions offering. This disciplined approach helps differentiate OneMagnify from traditional holding companies and large consultancies by combining the responsiveness of an independent agency with the breadth of an integrated solutions partner.

The strategy appears to be working, transforming OneMagnify from individual services into a cohesive, end-to-end digital solutions provider.

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Returnuary Is Real – and It’s a Retail Nightmare https://www.cxtoday.com/contact-center/returnuary-is-real-and-its-a-retail-nightmare-8x8/ Thu, 10 Apr 2025 09:47:16 +0000 https://www.cxtoday.com/?p=69457 The 2025 holiday shopping season may be a while away, but for retailers, the real challenge often begins in January – what many now dub “Returnuary.” With shoppers rushing to return, exchange, or get support for holiday purchases, businesses face an annual test of their customer service capabilities. While the surge in returns can seem like a logistical nightmare, it also presents a significant opportunity to build trust, improve brand loyalty, and unlock new value through more intelligent after-sales support.  

According to 8×8, more than $171 billion in merchandising returns were returned in America and nearly £1.5 billion in the UK in January. 8×8‘s retail clients highlight the same challenges time and time again: providing an aftersales experience. Poor CX lessens the likelihood of a returning customer, and increases CSAT scores and repeat sales.  

Retailers are increasingly recognizing that the customer journey doesn’t end at the point of purchase. A strong post-sales experience plays a crucial role in building loyalty and encouraging repeat business. When done right, after-sales support can do more than handle returns or refunds – it can help customers activate products or warranties, offer personalized guidance, and ensure they feel supported every step of the way. Small business insurance can help cover claims arising from negligence, mistakes, or omissions during a sale. But otherwise, retailers must abide by their returns policies and foot the bill of any losses.  

What’s Driving the Return Surge?

A return can be for several reasons. However, just over 20% of online shoppers have admitted to returning non-defective electronics due to frustration or confusion around installing or using the product. Recently, serial returns in the fashion industry have captured the headlines.   

Several consumer behaviors exacerbate the returns problem:   

  • Bracketing: This involves purchasing multiple sizes or colors of a product with the intention of returning those that don’t fit or aren’t preferred. A significant 69% of Gen Z consumers engage in this practice, compared to just 16% of Baby Boomers. Retail Management Success Site  
  • Wardrobing: Some consumers buy clothing or footwear with the intent to use them for a short period, such as for a single event, before returning them. Overall, 16% of shoppers admitted to this behavior, with higher prevalence among younger demographics. Retail Management Success Site  
  • Staging: This refers to purchasing items solely to showcase them on social media and then returning them. About 15% of shoppers have engaged in this practice, again with a higher incidence among Gen Z consumers.  

The Power of Great Aftersales Assistance

Great aftersales assistance isn’t just about solving problems – it’s a powerful strategy that can drive growth, build brand loyalty, and reduce long-term costs. Benefits include:  

  1. Increased customer loyalty and retention 
  2. Higher lifetime customer value 
  3. Reduced returns and refund costs 
  4. Better reviews and word-of-mouth referrals 
  5. Market differentiation / competitive edge 
  6. Reduced operational costs over time 
  7. Enhanced brand trust 

Happy customers will usually mean fewer returns are received. Providing aftersale assistance could also reduce the number of fraudulent returns – 70% of shoppers revealed in a Statista report that they had made false damage or refund claims. Some social media influencers treat returns as a loophole to “borrow” clothes without paying – especially if retailers offer free returns. In extreme cases, this crosses into return fraud, especially if items are returned worn or altered.  

Returned clothing often isn’t resold – especially if worn or damaged. In the UK alone, an estimated 23 million returned garments were sent to landfill or incinerated in 2023, contributing to 750,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. Serial returning fuels this unsustainable cycle, with an immense future environmental impact. 

How to Offset the Returnuary Impact

Technology can help provide solutions to the Returnary headache. With platforms like 8×8 Aftersale Assist, retailers can deliver a better post-sales experience by contacting the customer.  

How 8×8 Aftersale Assist works to drive better customer support:  

  1. Once your customer receives their new purchase, they’ll get an automated SMS from you offering help with setup or installation.  
  2. They can then respond to the SMS and choose to either connect with an agent right away or schedule a consultation for a convenient time using AI virtual agent, 8×8 Intelligent Customer Assistant.  
  3. When their consultation time comes, one of your agents will reach out to troubleshoot any issues they might be experiencing.  
  4. To simplify it, the agent will send a link directly to the customer’s phone. They just tap it, and their camera opens instantly (no app needed).  
  5. The customer points their camera at the issue, allowing your agent to see exactly what’s happening, capture any necessary photos, add notes to the account, and quickly provide the setup assistance they need.  

To find out more about how 8×8 Aftersale Assist can alleviate your Returnary blues, head to: https://www.8×8.com/solutions/retail

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CX Trends 25 – Top 10 Customer Experience Predictions https://www.cxtoday.com/tv/cx-trends-25-top-10-predictions/ Thu, 05 Dec 2024 16:00:02 +0000 https://www.cxtoday.com/?p=65795 Watch on YouTube.

As trends week comes to a close, sit back and check out some predictions for 2025 from our favorite CX pros. They include:

  • Katie Stabler, Founder and Director of Customer Experience at CULTIVATE Customer Experience by Design
  • Luke Jamieson, Content Creator at Luke Jamieson
  • Michael Fauscette, Founder, CEO & Chief Analyst at Arion Research
  • Jeff Sheehan, CX Advisor and Customer Service Consultant at CX JS Consulting
  • Rebecca Wetteman, CEO & Principal Analyst at Valoir
  • Martin Schneider, VP & Principal Analyst at Constellation Research
  • Prashanth Krishnaswami, Global Head of Marketing Strategy for CX Products at Zoho
  • Samantha Conyers, Chief Experience Officer at First Retail Group
  • Ellie Sutton, Director of Customer Strategy at Veriteer
  • Krishna Baidya, Senior Industry Director at Frost & Sullivan

Of course, AI is a common thread throughout. Yet, the perspectives vary, challenging some of the preconceptions many may have when approaching the technology.

So, get ready to vehemently nod or shake your head as you flick through our top ten trends.

Thanks for watching. If you’d like more content like this, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to our channel.

You can also join the conversation on our X and LinkedIn pages. Get involved by using the hashtag #CXTrends25.

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CX Trends 2025 – Trusted Voices, Bold Predictions https://www.cxtoday.com/tv/cx-trends-25-trusted-voices-bold-predictions/ Wed, 04 Dec 2024 16:00:12 +0000 https://www.cxtoday.com/?p=65778 Watch on YouTube.

It’s that time to unwrap customer experience trends for 2025.This time, we’ll be hearing from CX Today’s 2024 CX Award judges!

While vendors can offer an exciting vision for customer experiences, it’s the CX leaders and consultants that turn those visions into reality.

So, after yesterday’s vendor love-in, today’s predictions from CX practitioners and analysts strive to share more hands-on insight.

The participants represent various brands, from the likes of San Diego Zoo and First Retail Group through to Frost & Sullivan and The Futurum Group.

Thanks for watching. If you’d like more content like this, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to our channel.

You can also join the conversation on our X and LinkedIn pages. Get involved by using the hashtag #CXTrends25.

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CX Trends 2025 – Award-winning Foresight https://www.cxtoday.com/tv/cx-trends-2025-award-winning-foresight/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 16:00:07 +0000 https://www.cxtoday.com/?p=65732 Watch on YouTube.

It’s that time to unwrap customer experience trends for 2025.

And who better to hear from than CX Today’s 2024 CX Award winners?

Each of the winning vendors – from brands including Cisco, Verint, and Zoho – offers their biggest predictions for the coming year.

Unsurprisingly, AI is a thread that runs through many of the predictions. But, the perspectives are multi-faceted, as the experts paint a picture of the year ahead.

Thanks for watching. If you’d like more content like this, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to our channel.

You can also join the conversation on our X and LinkedIn pages. Get involved by using the hashtag #CXTrends25.

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CX Predictions for 2024: What Came True?  https://www.cxtoday.com/event-news/cx-predictions-for-2024-what-came-true/ Mon, 02 Dec 2024 15:42:45 +0000 https://www.cxtoday.com/?p=65708 As 2024 draws to a close, and before we share expert predictions for 2025, the landscape of customer experience has been profoundly reshaped by the trends predicted earlier this year. Experts across the industry forecasted significant advancements in AI, personalization, self-service, immersive technologies, and omnichannel strategies. Let’s dive into which predictions materialized, based on insights shared by industry leaders. 

Artificial Intelligence Transformation

The consensus at the start of 2024 was that AI would dominate CX innovation, and this prediction held true. From generative AI chatbots to real-time call transcription, organizations adopted AI tools to improve efficiency and customer engagement. Real-time speech analytics and conversational AI were game-changers, enabling agents to respond with more precision and speed. Moreover, AI-powered post-call summaries significantly reduced agent workloads, improving both performance and well-being. These advancements were widely implemented across industries, proving that AI’s integration into CX is no longer just a trend—it’s a foundational shift. 

Matt Yates of MaxContact emphasized AI’s potential to streamline processes, and his forecast of expanded use in real-time analytics was spot on. Gartner also highlighted AI’s role in accelerating self-service capabilities, which has seen widespread adoption across digital channels. 

Self-Service and Digital Preference

Experts anticipated a sharp rise in self-service solutions, driven by changing customer preferences, particularly among younger demographics. This year, self-service options saw substantial upgrades, supported by AI and better knowledge management systems. Customers increasingly opted for rep-free resolutions, with tools like automated knowledge bases and virtual assistants handling more complex queries. Gartner noted that almost 40% of Gen Z customers preferred resolving issues independently—a trend that gained traction throughout 2024. 

Hyper-Personalization at Scale

Personalization has become a necessity rather than a luxury in CX. In 2024, businesses leveraged AI to create tailored experiences, aligning with customers’ communication preferences and behavioral data. This shift proved effective in retaining customer loyalty, as consumers expected personalized interactions across all touchpoints. AI tools enhanced customer journey mapping and enabled companies to deliver highly customized offers and support. 

Rebekah Carter noted that personalization extended beyond content targeting to encompass deeper customer understanding, making it a central component of immersive CX strategies. 

Immersive CX: Extended Reality (XR) and the Metaverse

While extended reality (XR) tools were still in their infancy, 2024 witnessed a few pioneering applications. Companies began using AR and VR for training simulations and remote support, creating immersive customer experiences. Some forward-thinking organizations experimented with virtual environments for onboarding and even shopping experiences. Although the metaverse didn’t dominate the CX space this year, its potential was firmly established. 

Omnichannel Excellence

The push toward a seamless omnichannel experience was another prediction that largely came true. Businesses worked to unify systems and eliminate “swivel-chair” workflows, allowing agents to deliver fluid, consistent support across multiple platforms. CX leaders emphasized integrated solutions, such as CRM-driven CCaaS platforms, to streamline processes and enhance visibility. However, fewer than a third of companies have achieved true omnichannel integration, leaving room for improvement in the coming years. 

Regulatory Awareness

Although formal AI regulations did not take hold in 2024, voluntary adoption of guidelines around data security and compliance became standard practice. Companies focused on securing customer data across emerging channels, reinforcing trust and ensuring compliance with existing laws such as GDPR. 

Reflection and Misses

While many predictions came to fruition, some fell short of expectations. For example, while XR technologies saw niche adoption, they did not revolutionize CX as dramatically as anticipated. Similarly, full omnichannel integration remains an aspirational goal for many organizations rather than a widespread reality. 

To Round Up…

2024 has been a transformative year for CX, validating many of the forecasts made by experts like Matt Yates, Rebekah Carter, and the team at Gartner. AI has proven its staying power, driving advancements in self-service, personalization, and agent productivity. While immersive technologies and omnichannel integration are still evolving, the progress made this year highlights their potential to redefine CX in the years to come. 

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