The top customer experience statistics of 2021

As the end of another year approaches, CX Network takes a look back at the top statistics revealed in our reports in 2021.

What were the top customer experience trends?

There were a number of CX trends that rose to prominence during 2021, with the top CX trends of 2021 concerned with using technology and data to improve CX.

1. Over half (58 percent) of CX industry commenters and 39 percent of solution providers surveyed for CX Network's Global State of Customer Experience 2021 report cited artificial intelligence (AI)/chatbots as the top CX trend of 2021.

2. Contact center experts surveyed for CX Network's Contact centers 2021 report voted customer loyalty and retention as the top trend of 2021.

3. Over a third (34 percent) of CX practitioners surveyed from the Global State of Customer Experience noted that digital customer experience was the top CX trend of 2021.

4. Personalization was also popular, with 45 percent of CX experts surveyed for The Big Book of Customer Data and Analytics saying they introduce product improvements from feedback data and process improvements from feedback data to personalize customer experiences.

5. Raconteur found that nine out of ten US consumers reported wanting brands to show empathy through their behavior, and a further 86 percent said empathy is 'critical to fostering loyalty'.

What were the top customer experience investment priorities?

Investment priorities in 2021 trended towards customer service and retention including witnessing an acceleration around automation and collecting voice of the customer (VoC) data.

6. Artificial intelligence was cited as the top investment priority for 2021 by 26 percent of those within the CX industry who were surveyed for the Global State of Customer Experience 2021 report.

7. Almost half of companies that said they employed AI/machine learning (48 percent) in CX Network's Artificial Intelligence in Customer Experience report said they use it for mapping, mining and improving customer journeys.

8. Just over a quarter of CX practitioners (26 percent) surveyed for the Global State of Customer Experience 2021 report said that customer journey mapping was their number one investment priority.

9. Forbes reported that 79 percent of marketers say the main goal of their customer experience strategy is improving customer satisfaction and retention.

10. Contact center experts surveyed for CX Network's Contact centers 2021 report said that their top investment priority for 2021 was proving return on investment (ROI) from CX initiatives, with 56 percent saying the pressure to prove ROI from CX is increasing.

What were the top customer experience challenges?

There were a number of customer experience challenges seen in 2021, including proving ROI, implementing new technology and introducing customer centricity.

11. ROI was cited as the top investment challenge for 40 percent of the hundreds of CX experts surveyed for the Global State of Customer Experience 2021.

12. Forbes found that 83 percent of executives said unimproved CX presents them with considerable revenue and market share risks.

13. When surveyed for The Big Book Customer Data and Analytics, 30 percent of CX practitioners reported that their customer data sets do not tie together into a unified view of the customer.

14. When it comes in implementing AI and machine learning technology, 37 percent of CX practitioners said that competing priorities were the number one challenge in introducing the technology.

15. Building a customer-first culture was also a challenge for those within the industry, with 38 percent of CX practitioners and 29 percent of solution providers surveyed for the Global State of Customer Experience 2021 citing it as their top CX challenge in 2021. 

16. Additionally, data silos were a main challenge for CX practitioners, with 46 percent citing them as their biggest customer data challenge when surveyed for CX Network's Digital Customer Experience 2021 report.

What were the customer behavior trends?

Customer behavior also influenced customer experience trends, investments and challenges in 2021, through various buying habits.

17. Convenience was key for customers, with 52 percent of CX practitioners surveyed for the Global State of Customer Experience 2021 agreeing that customers are happy to spend more on convenience.

18. Likewise, of those surveyed for Global State of Customer Experience 2021, 51 percent of CX experts agreed that customers are willing to switch brands if unsatisfied.

19. When surveyed for the Forbes Insights Report: Proving the Value of CX, almost three quarters (74 percent) of consumers reported that they are at least somewhat likely to buy based on experience alone.

20. Eight out of 10 of the CX practitioners surveyed for the Global State of Customer Experience 2021 report agreed that customers are becoming more conscious of sustainability.

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