Technology has changed the game, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution is creating an ‘everything on my terms’ consumer and, resultantly, an ever more demanding customer experience (CX) landscape – forcing elevated levels of service.
This is one of many sentiments that will be shared at the 2018 Customer Experience Management Summit 2018, where Ask Afrika is not only the official research partner, but will deliver best practice insights into the customer experience (CX) market – driving key insights into the above, and much more, underpinned by its research expertise from its Orange Index annual customer service benchmarking survey.
"There is no doubt that the customer landscape in Africa is a moving target. It is constantly shifting, driven by new expectations, preferences and engagement models," says Andrea Gevers (Rademeyer), CEO at Ask Afrika.
"As a leader in customer service benchmarking and research, we certainly place focus on supporting initiatives that bring African businesses together. We believe that this type of collaboration enables us to jointly drive solid insights that affect positive change in the customer service space," Gevers adds.
"We are therefore extremely proud to be associated with the Customer Experience Management Africa Summit this year and look forward to a successful conference,” says Gevers.
The company will focus on the three following issues that need to be addressed in the CX space.
1. Smart data for smarter experiences – Measure what matters
What matters most to South African consumers today? While technology enables companies to provide greater accessibility, companies have not mastered the art of relationships and emotional satisfaction.
People, in general, are becoming more emotionally disconnected, and this includes customers as well as the companies that service them. As businesses, we need to ask ourselves: What does this mean for customer loyalty, and how will we engage with a disconnected, critical client?
2. The Practical application of key insights from data
Technology is undeniably a powerful tool within the CX practitioners armoury. But the application of the insights it produces is where the real value lies.
How are the continents’ top organisations incorporating the insights gained from technology into the operational systems of their organisations? And is this shaping business strategy?
3. Measure with purpose – learn from best practice
To truly reap the reward of a good customer service strategy, you need to understand which drivers of the service experience impact loyalty the most, what the best practices for establishing a disciplined system of customer understanding are, as well as have insights into how a flexible data management system, providing a single view of the customer through advanced customer analytics across touch points and contexts, can positively impact your business.
These best practices will be further unpacked as we look at how we can measure CX effectively, but also how we can use these measures to strategically drive better, more emotionally connected client experiences.
"Our decision to partner with Ask Afrika was an easy one. The Customer Experience Management Africa Summit has grown rapidly alongside the CX profession, and we wanted to have a research partner that is actively making an impact on customer experience in Southern Africa," says Juan Mouton, portfolio director, Customer Experience Management Africa.
"The value of data in customer experience cannot be overstated. The ability for organisations to apply the insights they glean from data is what ultimately makes an impact on the customer journey in the real world, which is exactly what Ask Afrika brings to the table for this event," adds Mouton.
"We look forward to giving businesses key insights into these key questions, and more, at this year’s premier CX event. We will aim to drive a true understanding of what is shaping the market today, and how businesses are really going to attain true customer service excellence in a market that is rife with expectations," concludes Gevers.
For more information, visit www.askafrika.co.za. You can also follow Ask Afrika on Facebook or on Twitter.