Dive Brief:
- Customers around the globe say their overall customer experience modestly improved across all markets and sectors compared to last year, KPMG research released last week found. KPMG conducted nearly 80,600 interviews, evaluating nearly 2,700 brands across 16 countries and regions.
- Healthcare, retail, grocery and banking provided the best experience when comparing sectors, according to KPMG’s Customer Experience Excellence scale in which customers rate their experiences across personalization, integrity, expectations, time and effort, resolution and empathy.
- Half of the top brands belong to the retail sector, according to KPMG. Both retail and grocery continue to lead thanks to consistent, high-quality engagement, and retail’s greatest strength is its operational efficiency, performing well when it comes to time and effort.
Dive Insight:
While the improvements in customer experience were minimal, the practice is undergoing a massive shift with the proliferation of AI.
Just over half of CEOs — 55% — rank AI as their top investment priority, according to KPMG. CX is a leading use case. While the technology can provide fast resolutions, it also lacks empathy and too often fails with more complex issues.
No matter the technology used, the leading brands displayed consistent themes in the experience they provide, KPMG says. They start with the customer’s world, leverage data responsibly, break down silos, empower employees, and invest in technology that appears invisible to the customer but facilitates their experience.
In the United States, Texas-based grocery chain H-E-B took the top spot for customer experience quality. The brand's operational excellence, community-first mindset, investment in local service, well-stocked stores, and staff empowerment all contributed to its continued excellence, KPMG said.
The grocery chain also has embedded AI throughout the business, but it's not apparent to the average consumer. AI-powered predictive stocking ensures shelves meet local expectations and personalized offers encourage customers to return. H-E-B stores, for example, will offer a tailored range of products based on the cultural preferences of the neighborhood it's situated in.
After H-E-B, Edward Jones, USAA, Patagonia and Costco Wholesale followed as CX leaders in the U.S.
