ServiceNow Consumer Voice Report: What customers want

ServiceNow Consumer Voice Report

Show me a business without customers, and I'll show you a business that's failing. It's an inescapable fact that customers are central to business success. However, in today's competitive, service-centric landscape, brand loyalty—the key to keeping customers—is getting more and more difficult to obtain.

The latest ServiceNow Consumer Voice Report, created in partnership with Opinium, shows an ongoing brand loyalty dilemma across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). In fact, 78% of consumers are less loyal to brands than they were two years ago.

The decline in loyalty is more prevalent in some countries—particularly Ireland (83%), the United Arab Emirates (85%), and Spain (80%). With the right customer experience strategy, however, organisations can build long-lasting relationships and drive better business outcomes. Doing that requires an understanding of what customers want. We surveyed 15,000 consumers to learn exactly that. Click the image below to see our infographic.

Accessibility note: The infographic is transcribed at the end of this blog.

The brand loyalty crisis is here to stay. 78% of customers say they’re less loyal to brands now than they were 2 years ago, compared to 76% last year.

https://your.servicenow.com/consumer-voice-2024/items/consumer-voice-report-infographic

Experience over price

Economic factors continue to play a key role in consumer behaviour. The majority (65%) of those who reported spending less in the past year cited increased cost-of-living as a factor. Additionally, 39% of EMEA consumers prefer to buy the cheapest option (compared to 42% in the previous year).

This reality presents a challenge for organisations in the region: Not everyone can afford to compete on price. Those looking to improve customer loyalty must differentiate themselves in other ways.

The top three elements consumers want to see organisations prioritise are:

When cutting prices isn’t an option, organisations must focus on delivering efficient, effective service at all stages of the customer journey. What this looks like can vary, but 86% of respondents want quick, real-time support.

Across EMEA, 60% say customer service response times are a very important aspect of the experience, but only 49% of Swiss consumers agree. When it comes to similar service preferences, just 22% of Swedish consumers say seamless service is very important—compared to 50% of consumers EMEA-wide.

A balance of high tech and high touch

Generative AI (GenAI) solutions, which empower round-the-clock, near-instant issue resolution, can help organisations meet the current demand for fast, seamless service.

Customers in EMEA have reservations when it comes to AI, however: 25% of survey respondents don’t trust AI alone. Instead, they want to be offered a blend of tech and human interaction.

This combination of tech and human interaction can provide an experience that satisfies customer demands for speed and ultimately promotes long-term relationships and brand loyalty. It’s about striking the right balance between high-tech—making use of innovative technology solutions such as GenAI chatbots or self-service portals—and high-touch, human-centric service.

Both digital and human service options

Across EMEA, 21% of consumers prefer GenAI solutions like chatbots for basic information they can obtain quickly, whilst 35% would rather seek online human support for more complex issues.

Additionally, 83% of consumers consider readily available digital channels and services an important part of good customer service. Being able to swap out technology with human intervention when an issue arises—and easily navigate between each method—is also crucial.

That said, 81% of Italian and Spanish consumers say self-service is one of the top features they value in customer experience, compared with 72% of respondents across EMEA.

Digital standardisation

EMEA consumers value an excellent customer experience underpinned by the right technology. By 2030:

Mitigating the impact of declining brand loyalty isn’t about simply investing in more technology, however. Making use of solutions that add genuine value for customers requires a strong data management strategy.

Organisations must use the data available to them to understand customer preferences. Then, it’s possible to use those insights to provide solutions that are seamless, personalised, and meet customers where they are in their journey.

Find out more about what consumers expect from a standout customer experience in the complimentary 2024 Consumer Voice Report.

Infographic transcript

Consumer Voice Report 2024: Tackling The Brand Loyalty Crisis

We asked 15,000 consumers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) to share their behaviour, articulate their expectations around good customer service, and suggest what organisations can do about it.

Voiced Perspectives

The brand loyalty crisis is here to stay: 78% of customers say they’re less loyal to brands now than they were 2 years ago, compared to 76% last year.

Organisations must balance high tech with high touch: 21% of consumers prefer chatbots for basic info and 35% choose online human support for complex issues.

What customers want changes at different stages of the journey: 83% of EMEA consumers consider a choice of engagement methods to be an important element of customer service.

Generative AI has a role to play in the CX of the future: 21% customers would choose to use a chatbot over phoning a customer service representative (16%) when looking for general info.

The brand loyalty crisis isn’t going anywhere any time soon. But organisations that focus on driving better customer experiences through technology can still build long-lasting relationships — and boost sales.

Consumers voiced, the most important aspects of a customer experience today are:

The top 3 things customers want to see organisations prioritise are:

Explore our full research report to hear directly what your consumers want in 2024.