Inaugural research report finds major CX gaps and areas of opportunity, with only 12% of organizations collecting an equal amount of solicited and unsolicited feedback data

A new global report released by CallMiner reveals that 70% of contact center and customer experience (CX) decision makers acknowledge some improvements are needed to the ways their organizations use data to enhance CX. The inaugural CallMiner CX Landscape Report, conducted in partnership with Vanson Bourne, identifies how organizations today are collecting and acting on customer data to effectively overcome challenges, maximize opportunities and drive better experiences.

In order to drive positive CX, it’s necessary to gather the right data, yet according to the report, over 3 in 5 (62%) respondents believe their organization doesn’t collect all the data they need.

Only around 1 in 10 (12%) say their organizations collect about an equal amount of solicited feedback (e.g. customer surveys) and unsolicited feedback (e.g. customer interactions that happen within customer contact or service centers). And with 79% reporting that at least the majority of the feedback they collect is solicited and 44% reporting that all the feedback they collected is solicited, organizations are clearly missing out on a significant opportunity to gain a holistic view of CX.

“The CX industry is rapidly evolving. Businesses are navigating an increasingly complex technology market, while looking to meet changing customer expectations,” said Paul Bernard, President and CEO, CallMiner. “Our CX Landscape Report provides a critical lens into the CX industry, and gives decision makers the insights they need to succeed.”

Limited data collection and analysis is holding organizations back

While 100% of senior decision makers surveyed say they collect some data and feedback from customers about their experiences, organizations are still maturing when it comes to how they use that data. If organizations are going to drive improved CX, they must use innovative methods of customer data collection, while efficiently and effectively analyzing data to uncover insights and intelligence that result in meaningful action.

The report found:

• Almost all respondents (96%) surveyed say their organizations are using manual analysis to some extent, such as hand-coding feedback or aggregating data using Excel or PowerPoint. With so many still using manual processes, organizations aren’t maximizing the potential of the data they’re collecting.
• The majority (70%) say some improvements are needed to the ways their organizations use data to enhance CX. With only a portion (48%) actually recording calls and so few collecting an equal amount of solicited and unsolicited feedback, it’s clear most don’t have a complete view of CX.
• Six in 10 (60%) say their organizations are unable to accurately track ROI regarding customer data and feedback all of the time, which could be holding them back from understanding the value of their CX efforts.
• Despite 94% of respondents believing their organizations are very customer-centric, more than half (58%) report that their organizations’ CX departments and teams are not completely aligned with the rest of the business.

As long as organizations have departmental silos and are using outdated methods to analyze customer data and feedback, they’ll be limited in their ability to identify key trends and adapt to customers’ needs – ultimately making it hard to connect the dots and drive enterprise-wide CX improvements that showcase the ROI of their efforts.

Employee experience plays an important role in CX

There’s strong agreement (99%) that the way employees deal with customers has a direct impact on the perception of the organization’s brand, products or services. Similarly, the vast majority (99%) believe employee experience (EX) is at least somewhat important to the success of CX.

However:

• While the majority (93%) of respondents report that their organizations use insight from the analysis of CX data to improve training, onboarding and coaching for customer service representatives, less than half (44%) are using unsolicited feedback sources to understand the experience of their employees.
• Further, a third (34%) of those surveyed say customer service representative disengagement or lack of productivity is one of their top three biggest challenges.

Improving EX is critical to improving CX. Though organizations have started to take the steps to utilize data to drive employee satisfaction, engagement and retention, there is much to be done to close the gap in addressing the workforce challenges that ultimately impact CX.

“There are a lot of benefits to solicited feedback, like customer surveys, but they only provide a small window into any experience – whether it’s from an employee or customer or both,” said Bernard. “It is critical for organizations to understand the value of both streams of feedback in developing a positive culture that creates richer experiences for employees and customers.”

Artificial intelligence is critical to the future of CX

Organizations clearly recognize the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI). In fact, according to those who have or plan to implement AI, three of the areas that organizations say have been or will be positively impacted are how effectively departments can share insights and data with each other (41%), brand reputation and crisis management (38%) and employee engagement and productivity (36%).

Yet, the report shows organizations still need more guidance and support to successfully invest in and implement this technology, and in turn, reap the full scope of benefits they know to be possible.

According to the report:

• AI has been widely adopted to collect and analyze data about CX and customer satisfaction, with 71% saying their organizations have at least partially implemented it. However, almost half (48%) of these organizations report that they aren’t fully realizing the benefits.
• The most common challenges faced by this group are that AI-powered technology is too expensive and organizations don’t have the budget (41%), or it’s too complex for them to implement and manage (41%).
• The vast majority of all respondents (93%) believe AI will become very important or even critical to how their organizations approach CX in the future, making it vital for organizations to overcome these challenges.

“At CallMiner, we recognize the value and importance in being able to build better customer experiences,” said Bernard. “Working with CX leaders across industries, we have a deep understanding of the needs of our customers and with the launch of this annual survey, we have the opportunity to share that knowledge with the industry at large.”

Download the full CallMiner CX Landscape Report here: https://callminer.com/callminer-cx-landscape-report

Report Methodology

450 senior decision makers from contact center and CX departments in the US, U.K. / Republic of Ireland and South Africa participated in the CX Landscape Report survey. Respondents hailed from organizations that had a contact center, with 100 or more employees in the healthcare, financial services or retail sectors.

About CallMiner

CallMiner is the global leader in conversation intelligence to drive business performance improvement. Powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, CallMiner delivers the industry’s most comprehensive platform to analyze omnichannel customer interactions at scale, allowing organizations to interpret sentiment and identify patterns to reveal deep understanding from every conversation. By connecting the dots between insights and action, CallMiner enables companies to identify areas of opportunity to drive business improvement, growth and transformational change more effectively than ever before. CallMiner is trusted by the world’s leading organizations across retail, financial services, healthcare and insurance, travel and hospitality, and more. To learn more, visit CallMiner.com, read the CallMiner blog, or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Vanson Bourne

Vanson Bourne is an independent specialist in market research for the technology sector. Their reputation for robust and credible research-based analysis is founded upon rigorous research principles and their ability to seek the opinions of senior decision makers across technical and business functions, in all business sectors and all major markets. For more information, visit www.vansonbourne.com.

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