Omnichannel service and CX: where do we stand?
According to the Politecnico di Milano's Observatory, Italian customers prefer human contact in their omnichannel experience but use virtual assistants when they consider it necessary.
Forrester recently published the results of its annual Customer Experience Index (*), revealing that US consumers' perception of CX quality declined for the third consecutive year, reaching its lowest level.
Several factors explain the decline. Many companies have failed to provide a consistent, satisfying omnichannel experience for end consumers. Meanwhile, rushed chatbot implementation without a clear strategy has worsened the user experience, because these tools often were not designed to provide complete, effective customer support. Together, these factors have contributed to a poor perception of customer experience.
Where does Italy stand on omnichannel service and CX?
As a recent study by the Politecnico di Milano's Observatory (**) highlights, customers already experience an omnichannel journey overall. They still choose traditional channels while also using chatbots, apps, social media and websites. Across the market, however, around 60% of consumers consider interaction with company staff — shop assistants, advisers and contact centre operators — important or very important (a score of 8 or higher).
In customer service, the relationship between people and technology is delicate and sometimes contradictory. Users seek human contact while also expecting 24/7 availability and a very fast response.
Although people generally prefer human contact, they use virtual assistants when they consider it useful, for example to find product information or get purchasing advice. For more complex issues, such as product returns, they tend to prefer human support.
This offers an important opportunity for companies to recognise the importance of customer experience: a negative consumer experience can cause enormous reputational and financial harm.
(*) The US Customer Experience Index Rankings, 2024 (**) Osservatori.net Digital Innovation, Politecnico di Milano – Omnichannel Customer Journeys: consumers have their say (02/2024)
