CX Report 2024: UX is King
Last week, the Now Boarding leadership team attended the CEM Africa (Customer Experience Management) Summit, hosted by the VUKA Group. Although the conference largely focussed on human-to-human interactions and the role that technology plays in facilitating and improving these key moments, one recurring theme stood out for us: customers prefer to self-serve as far as possible.
This highlights the critical role that User Experience Design plays in creating long-lasting, positive relationships and brand associations with customers when they can accomplish most of what they’re trying to achieve online.
What consumers really want
During he conference, the sixth annual 2024 South African Customer Experience Report was unveiled. This report has become the go-to benchmark for insights into the state of customer experience (CX) in South Africa.
Created by market research company ovatoyou, digital agency Rogerwilco, and Julia Ahlfeldt CX Consulting – the report digs into the highs and lows of consumer experiences when engaging with brands, and reveals what customers actually want and expect.
“Brands are no longer just competing against their industry peers,” says Julia Ahlfeldt. “They are competing against the next best experience out there, whether that’s from Takealot, Checkers Sixty60 or the fast food restaurant down the road. This report offers unbiased insights about the state of CX in South Africa.”
One of the most exciting findings was the importance consumers placed on user experience when shopping online. When asked what is key to a successful online shopping experience, “Exceptional customer service” was the least selected option by the 2000 South Africans surveyed. Comparatively, a seamless user experience came out tops with 66% of consumers indicating that being able to easily find what they are looking for is most important, followed by a secure payment solution and an easy checkout process.
“We know that customers believe that emails and calls into a call centre for help are efficient when trying to solve a problem. But we also know that, in the main, customers prefer to self-serve online,” commented Amanda Reekie regarding the findings. “I have started thinking of customer service as the equivalent of a goalkeeper catching the ball when that businesses’ customers have been unable to self-serve.”
Download the 2024 South African CX Report
The power of user-centric design thinking
Jacques Oberholzer, Now Boarding’s Co-Founder and Head of Product Design at the BetterHome Group, also joined a design thinking panel at CEM Africa alongside NCBA Bank Kenya, Momentum Health Solutions, Nedbank and Discovery.
The panel shared specific case studies that spoke to the importance of user-centric, intuitive platform design in creating positive, deeply engaging experiences for customers.
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, consumers’ expectations will only grow. By prioritising digital platforms and crafting intuitive, delightful interfaces, businesses can reduce the support burden on their teams and transform customers into brand advocates.
Ready to harness the power of UX in your CX?
