In the ever-evolving landscape of customer experience, organizations are constantly striving to improve their interactions with clients. Metrigy’s recent Customer Experience Optimization 2024-25 research study sheds light on the state of customer interactions and reveals key factors that differentiate successful companies from those lagging behind.
Metrigy asks all research participants a series of quantitative questions that measure the success of companies when they use various CX technologies. For example, how did the use of virtual agents affect customer satisfaction or revenue? If it increased or decreased either, by what percentage? Companies with the most measurable success were placed in a research success group, while those with the lowest measurable success were placed in a research non-success group. This enables us to compare behaviors of both groups.
Based on that analysis, here are a few areas CX leaders should consider to drive more success in business metrics.
People vs. Technology: Striking the Right Balance
One of the key takeaways from the study is the debate between the importance of people and technology in delivering successful customer service. The majority of companies still prioritize people over technology, with 77% saying the former is more important. However, the success group was more favorable toward technology. About 45% of the success group said technology plays a crucial role, while only 18% of the non-success group said the same. The top technology that helps to improve customer service is AI, underscoring the measurable value successful companies are already realizing with the technology.
Agents Need a Break!
Another area of focus for the success group when it comes to improving customer service is being attentive to agent experience. One of the big things the success group does is leverage AI to identify when agents need breaks during the day. Overall, 43.9% of companies are addressing the increased complexity of agent interactions by providing more 15-minute breaks each day. The success group is giving four more 15-minute breaks per day (in an eight-hour shift), compared to the non-success group, which is providing two more breaks. Adequate breaks not only prevent burnout but also ensure agents remain attentive and effective. Without these mental breaks, companies see higher turnover rates—and that affects customer service overall with fewer, experienced agents and more newly (and often inadequately) trained agents.
Transforming Customer Experience
The technologies and operational practices to manage an effective CX organization are ever-changing. That’s why so many companies are regularly engaged in CX transformation projects. We define CX transformation as the application of new or existing technologies to improve the agent and/or customer experience, ultimately driving measurable business value.
More than 60% of companies have completed, are in the process of completing, or plan to start a CX transformation project in 2024. Among those already finished, 61% say their projects were successful. The projects generally fall into three buckets: Apps and channels, foundational projects, and worker-focused projects. The research success group not only has completed more transformations than the non-success group, it’s also 83% more likely to have a successful outcome of their project.
Successful companies are focusing on the following projects significantly more than the non-success group: Adding or improving agent assist applications; adding or improving voice of the customer programs; improving CX security; moving functions to carrier networks; moving from on-premises to cloud platforms; improving agent hardware; and automating scheduling and capacity planning.
Metrigy’s research underscores the evolving nature of customer interactions and highlights the need for companies to regularly adapt their strategies. By addressing the aforementioned areas, businesses can increase their likelihood of driving more success, whether in the form of higher revenue, better customer satisfaction, or lower costs.
