2016 Customer Experience (CX) Trends Report Reveals Big Difference in How Brands and Customers Perceive Feedback Sentiment

Comprehensive Study of Consumers and Brands Finds Where They Align
and Diverge on Key CX Elements

SALT LAKE CITY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–InMoment,
a cloud-based Customer Experience (CX) optimization platform that gives
companies the ability to listen to and engage with customers to improve
business results, today released its second annual CX Trends Report that
captures how both consumers and brands feel about key elements of
customer experience.

Key findings include:

• A Difference of Opinions: Customers and brands have very
  different perspectives on the tone and tenor of customer feedback.
  Customers report they give more positive, productive feedback than
  negative. On the other hand, companies in 9 of 12 industries the study
  tracked reported that negative feedback outweighed positive. Following
  are a few verbatim comments from customers illustrating their
  perspective:

“Many customers don’t want to complain about something. Instead, they
want to provide feedback about the experience and it is usually
positive.”

“I think it is important to give feedback for positive experiences. I
think most companies get little of that. I think in many ways the
customer can help set the tone of the service they get.”

“I feel the only time you receive a response from most companies is
when you write a critical or negative review. I personally take time out
to make reviews when I receive excellent customer service and have had
an enjoyable experience.”

• Customers Want to Know: Brands ask customers for feedback, and
  they oblige. But what comes next? The study found that many customers
  want their feedback acknowledged and would like details on how the
  company is addressing both concerns and applause. Customers are
  particularly passionate about wanting brands to pass along the praise
  they give about outstanding employees.

“Frequently the feedback loop seems ‘lost’ to the person providing
the feedback—either positive or negative. It would be nice to hear/read
a comment such as: ‘We heard you and are doing thus and so… about your
comments.’”

“Even big companies that solicit opinions give you nothing more than
a ‘Thank you’ screen at the end.”

“Saying thank you at the end of a survey is not sufficient. Tell me
more about the company, what are their plans, etc.”

“I find that many companies do not share survey information with
their staff… even if it is a compliment. Big mistake.”

“I think it would be nice to know that if I gave a positive review
about an employee’s customer service that they actually got a reward
from their employer.”

• Consensus: Customers and companies both agreed that the single
  most important element in a great customer experience is personalizing
  interactions to customers and their individual needs. Customers also
  expressed an expectation that the data they provide companies should
  and can be used to accomplish this goal:

“With all the data businesses receive—or are capable of receiving—I
would like coupons and incentives to be personalized to my purchasing
habits.”

“I enjoy the ease of ecommerce, but I also like knowing there is
someone I can talk to or a store I can go into for a personalized
experience.”

“If you can make us feel less like a mass of unknown faces and help
us to feel like we are really important to the company we might be able
to bring back brand loyalty.”

“Just as in last year’s study, we see continued indications that
customers crave a more personal versus transactional relationship with
brands,” said Paul
Warner, PhD, who heads InMoment’s Data Science Team. “Yes, customer
expectations are changing and they are insisting on more human,
collaborative interactions. For the companies that can make the
transition from the old brand-centric and transactional way of doing
business to a more customer-centered model, the opportunities for
accelerated business success are vast.”

The 2016 study also revisited six key trends from last year to see
whether priorities among consumers and companies have shifted. Those
trends include Transparency, Feeling Trumps Function, Shorter
Surveys/More Stories, 24/7 Mobile, More Reliable Online Reviews and
Personalization. For more information and to receive a copy of this
year’s report please visit the
InMoment website.

Methodology: The InMoment Panel, one of our largest (and growing)
research initiatives, consists of tens of thousands of consumers across
the United States and Canada. Representing various demographics, these
consumers constantly engage with our panel through various interactive
studies and activities. For the CX Trends study, we collected a
large-scale data set from North American consumers and from business
professionals involved in CX delivery. Overall, we collected data from
approximately 10,000 North American consumers and 500 brand
representatives across a range of industries.

About InMoment

InMoment™ is a cloud-based customer experience (CX) optimization
platform that helps brands leverage customer stories to inform better
business decisions and create more meaningful relationships with their
customers. Through its Experience
Hub™, InMoment provides Voice
of Customer (VoC), Social
Reviews & Advocacy, and Employee
Engagement solutions, as well as strategic guidance, support, and
services to more than 350 brands in 95 countries. The company is the
leading VoC vendor for the food services, retail, and contact center
industries, with expertise in B2B, financial services, lodging, and
numerous others. For more information, visit http://www.inmoment.com.

Contacts

InMoment
Jeremy Kartchner, 801-743-7379
PR Director
jkartchner@inmoment.com