Metaverse commerce, love to frustration, brand partnering for life, and other trends were described earlier this year by Steven Van Belleghem, a thought leader on the transformation of customer relationships and the future of marketing. We became fascinated about these trends and how they influence the indispensable part of CX — help centers.
Continue reading if you wanna know the crucial omens of the future of CX and if the trends described are really true or can be relevant in your own practice of your company. And, as usual, feel free to share your feedback!
Love, life, and robots
Steven Van Belleghem's belief is unwavering that utilization of digital and artificial worlds such as NFT communities and virtual commodities breed intolerance to digital incompetence. From the user’s perspective, both are natural and real. “Look at your CX as an unfinished work of art that you’re continuously improving and that will never be finished, — says the expert, — Always look for ways to upgrade the digital convenience.”
Steven looks deeper and goes beyond 2022 — naming 10 CX trends that are presently just early birds but are predicted to stay with us much longer — this is just the beginning. And as an experienced expert, he also gives us these golden pieces of advice which, according to him, we should:
1. Become a friction hunter and do all the little details as well as possible
Here Steven talks about the required development level for those companies that communicate with their customers digitally by minimizing the presence of un-intuitive user interfaces, superfluous time-wasting applications, and any other barriers to smooth site querying & navigation.
Additionally, they would like to see the truth of how big data algorithms actually work.
We at Lotus Themes recommend being extra attentive when developing UX design and navigation engines. We clearly understand that users who visit the self-service page need comprehensive answers to the questions while not overcomplicating with exhaustive detail. The responses need to be crisp, well-organized packets of content where small but important details make sense.
How to build a help center capable of reducing tickets?
Read the white paper and learn how to make the most of your self-service.
2. Reduce cognitive load
In the last 2 years, screentime of users increased by 30%, which led to cases of mental degradation and periods of instability. Those companies that demonstrate mindfulness towards the impact of excessive screen time through device use earn the continued loyalty of customers who perceive the company's duty of care towards them.
For example, electronic retailers who invest in healthcare projects or the launch of Headspace experience in the popular Europe navigation app Waze — when drivers can meditate during the traffic.
In basic terms, the presence of a company help center signifies a willingness to adopt a “healthy approach”. Instead of augmenting a customer’s frustration e.g. by placing them on hold while waiting to connect with a real agent, it's better they are directed to the help center, which provides a no less caring experience for resolving issues that would otherwise be handled by a support agent.
We strongly believe that a well-organized help center can be compared to a temple of tranquillity and peaceful meditation.
3. Reinvent the customer journey
While mentioning the NFT-community and the rise in customer subscriptions to new loyalty programs, Steven gives examples of Coca-Cola and Shein. The former boosted fan engagement by selling a branded jacket, while the latter provided their clients with points by liking and sharing content in the application (FYI, the Shein app was downloaded more in the US than Amazon!).
“In the next couple of years, we will see how companies transform into a branded economy, — says Steven — Customers have the feeling that if they do something for a brand, they will be rewarded instantly and clearly (shared interest).”
These CX trends 2022 are clearly exciting and worth discovering further if you haven't done so yet. Our general impression of Steven Van Belleghem's approach is that we are all customers and consumers (and we are “happier when we bump into something positive”). So while taking tips and tricks from the expert, don't forget to trust your own experience.
Moreover, once you’ve created an effective and well-organized help center — thinking and feeling as a customer also works!
What do you think about those 10 Customer Experience Trends for 2022 by Steven Van Belleghem — will they be relevant for the years to come? Are they valuable in your case? As usual, let us know your opinion!
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