CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY ADOBE STOCK
ADAPTING
TO EVOLVING CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS HOW THIS STRATEGY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL .
BY CARLOS ARAGON , VONAGE
Few terms have been more topical in the last five years than digital transformation . An ongoing process for decades , its importance was further magnified when COVID-19 disrupted life virtually overnight , forcing businesses to go virtual overnight .
Though some aspects of life have returned to the pre-pandemic “ normal ,” the way consumers interact with brands and their expectations for those interactions has shifted : and continues to evolve almost daily .
Though businesses are keenly aware of the need to meet and exceed customer expectations , many of them continue to fall short , leaving consumers frustrated with subpar experiences and looking elsewhere for better options .
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In our 2024 Global Customer Engagement Report , ( our 12th ) only 42 % of consumers indicated they ’ re “ very satisfied ” when communicating with businesses . That number has actually dropped since 2022 , when 45 % were satisfied with the options for business communication .
AS BUSINESSES CONTINUE TO LAG BEHIND CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS , WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN THE STATUS QUO , IT ’ S TIME FOR ACTION .
As businesses continue to lag behind consumer expectations , with little change in the status quo , it ’ s time for action . We ’ ll look at evolving consumer habits and how businesses can make impactful adjustments to be proactive , rather than reactive , in addressing consumer preferences .
ENGAGEMENT PREFERENCES BY THE NUMBERS
From the pre-pandemic to the present , we ’ ve seen some significant shifts in how consumers interact with businesses , but we ’ ve also seen continuity .
In 2019 , consumers ’ top three preferred channels to communicate with companies were email ( 61 %), mobile voice call ( 58 %), and SMS ( 54 %).