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Total Experience: The technology trend set to shake up customer service in 2021

A woman smiles as she holds a tablet in her hand.

Total Experience has been pegged as one of the top technology trends to watch in 2021. So what is it and why is it especially important for contact centres this year?

At its annual IT Symposium in October last year, Gartner declared Total Experience (TX) one of the top strategic technology trends for organisations to explore in 2021. Brian Burke, research vice president at Gartner, claimed companies that provided a good TX would be more likely to “outperform their competitors across key satisfaction metrics over the next three years” [1]. So naturally, businesses and contact centres are now racing to incorporate it into their plans.

The goal of TX is simple – to provide an all-round exceptional experience to anyone who interacts with your brandincluding customers, users and employees. It encourages companies to stop thinking about multi-experience (MX), user experience (UX), customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) as separate disciplines or silos, but instead as key elements of their total experience. 

Remember:

  • Multi-Experience refers to the overall experience of your brand, product and/or service across various channels and devices 
  • User Experience refers to the design, usability and functionality of your product or service 
  • Customer Experience refers to the overall look, feel and quality of your interactions with customers at every touchpoint across their journey 
  • Employee Experience refers to the overall look, feel and quality of your interactions with employees at every point within their career or tenure with your company, from recruitment to retirement 

In short, to deliver an exceptional total experience you need powerful, well-designed tools that not only provide your customers with the best possible experiences across all channels and touchpoints, but also enable, delight and inspire your employees to deliver that perfect service.

What does TX look like in action?

Finding ways to improve your MX, UX, CX and EX all in one fell swoop isn’t easy – that’s why Gartnepredicts it will be a key differentiator in 2021. But it can be done! 

Gartner describes one large telecommunications company that improved its TX by developing a new appointment system in response to Covid-19. When a customer now comes within 75 feet of a store, they are automatically sent a notification via the company’s app that guides them through the check-in process. Once in store, employees are then able to use tablets to co-browse with customers and guide them without physically touching their personal devices [2]. 

Why is TX important for contact centres in 2021?

Research shows that while most customer-facing employees want to provide outstanding customer experiences, many do not feel enabled to do so. This could be because their technology is too clunky or complex or perhaps due to broader cultural problems. Incorporating TX into your contact centre strategy can therefore help you design a 360-degree experience that empowers and motivates your agents, reduces effort and improves your customer service. 

This is especially important this year, as contact centres continue to face challenges as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. New customer behaviours, expectations and channel preferences, combined with more unpredictable demand and agile working practices mean the time is ripe for innovation and a more unified approach. 

Puzzel CEO Frederic Laziou says: “To succeed in today’s experience-driven economy, businesses must take a more holistic approach. Breaking down silos and unifying your brand experience will not only deliver happier customers and employees, but help remove barriers and transform your business.” 

To learn more about Puzzel and how we can help you achieve an exceptional Total Experience, visit our Why Puzzel page.

[1] https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2020-10-19-gartner-identifies-the-top-strategic-technology-trends-for-2021 

[2] https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/gartner-top-strategic-technology-trends-for-2021/  

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