ServiceNow’s Paul Turley discusses the top tech trends shaping customer experience.
Customer operations and service delivery have evolved significantly, making exceptional customer experience (CX) a crucial business strategy in today’s competitive landscape. According to PwC, a strong CX not only fosters greater loyalty but also drives measurable benefits, including a potential 16pc price premium and enhanced cross-selling opportunities. However, the CXi Customer Experience Report 2024 reveals a troubling decline in CX scores for 42pc of organisations in Ireland, highlighting that many still view CX as a ‘nice to have’ instead of a necessity.
Despite this, there are positive signs, with many businesses increasingly recognising customer relationship management (CRM) as a key differentiator in enhancing buyer journeys and overall business performance.
While artificial intelligence (AI) is a focal point for improving CX and CRM, several other emerging trends also deserve attention.
Agentic AI adoption gaining speed
Companies are beginning to adopt agentic AI as a transformative capability to balance efficiency with personalised customer service. This next generation of intelligent systems has started to manage tasks autonomously, make informed decisions and enhance workforce productivity while keeping humans in the loop for strategic oversight. It should be no surprise that we’ll see much more of this in the future.
Driven by advancements in machine learning, agentic AI is also seamlessly integrating into workflows to handle repetitive tasks such as data entry, case routing and initial customer interactions. These systems are enabling live agents to focus on higher value initiatives, such as strengthening customer relationships and addressing complex challenges, ultimately upgrading the way service teams operate.
GenAI revolutionising service engagements
Generative AI (GenAI) is already beginning to play a central role in transforming the customer and agent experience. Its ability to deliver precise, data-driven solutions to customers will significantly accelerate the spread of self-service. It will also increasingly empower customer service teams to work more efficiently and respond faster to customer needs.
As more companies begin using GenAI, their services will streamline operations, reduce complexity and foster deeper, more meaningful interactions with customers – ultimately redefining how businesses deliver value.
Digital sales dominating B2B interactions
B2B sales interactions are rapidly shifting to digital channels. This move will continue to reshape how organisations engage with their customers, significantly boosting sales and customer growth.
Digital-first strategies will remain the norm, enabling businesses to deliver seamless self-service options and frictionless buyer journeys that meet growing demands for speed and convenience.
As more businesses fully embrace and optimise digital-first engagements, they’ll enhance customer satisfaction and drive substantial sales growth. As time goes on, we’ll see the ability to offer personalised, data-driven experiences become pivotal in attracting new customers and retaining existing ones, fostering long-term loyalty and increasing market share.
These digital strategies will enable businesses to scale effectively, streamline operations and reduce costs – all of which contribute to stronger sales performance and accelerated customer growth. Companies that stay ahead in this digital transformation will be better positioned to capitalise on emerging opportunities and sustain a competitive edge in the marketplace.
Multi-agent systems transforming service delivery
The days of transactional agents handling one-off tasks are fading. Now and in the future, firms will deploy AI-powered multi-agent systems capable of executing entire workflows end to end.
Imagine a claims-processing system that not only intakes a request but also gathers missing information, evaluates policy coverage and collaborates with payout teams to finalise claims. We’ll see these intelligent systems deliver smarter and more efficient operations, resulting in better customer and agent experiences.
GenAI expanding to new areas in field service
Over the last year and a half, field service organisations have experimented with GenAI pilot programs. They are now starting to scale these pilots, expanding its use into new areas, such as multiturn conversations, advanced visual analysis and intelligent video support.
For example, GenAI is beginning to assist technicians by analysing visual data to identify equipment issues and provide step-by-step video overlays for repairs. These ongoing advancements will allow companies to address more complex service challenges, improve operational efficiency and create innovative ways to engage with customers.
Contact centres migrating to the cloud
For years, contact centres have lagged behind CX systems in moving to the cloud. However, this long-awaited shift is now gaining momentum, driven by technological advancements and a growing need for flexibility and scalability.
The transformation will not only modernise infrastructure but also enable seamless integration with cloud-based CRM systems to orchestrate interactions, streamline post-call workflows, and open the door to upselling and cross-selling opportunities. As organisations embrace this change, they’ll unlock new levels of efficiency, customer engagement and revenue streams.
Platforms replacing best-of-breed tools
Customers’ frustration with disconnected experiences across touchpoints is increasingly forcing businesses to pivot. As a result, more CX teams will move from fragmented, best-of-breed solutions to integrated platforms that deliver connected, intelligent capabilities across sales, commerce and service.
These platforms will enable companies to provide differentiated experiences at every stage of the customer lifecycle, creating seamless and effective interactions across all channels.
AI and data creating memorable moments at scale
The use of AI and data to better understand customers is gaining momentum. Organisations are already using both to recognise customer devices, intentions and desired outcomes. As uses spread, it will be common practice to make each journey unique, delivering more relevant experiences, target content and dynamic paths.
The goal is to create ‘ignite moments’– memorable interactions that show customers they matter and keep them coming back. By designing these moments at scale, companies will be able to build stronger relationships that help them stand out.
Organisations that seize the opportunity to innovate will not only stay ahead of the curve but will also set new benchmarks for excellence in service delivery. The future of CX is happening now – it’s time to embrace the evolution.
By Paul Turley
Paul Turley is senior director of Ireland Enterprise Sales at ServiceNow. He has more than 25 years of experience working in various large software businesses in Irish and international markets, including Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Micro Focus. After graduating from UCD with a degree in engineering, Turley started his career working with Enterprise Ireland, helping Irish technology start-ups build routes to market across Scandinavia.
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