In today’s competitive landscape, consumers frequently encounter inconsistent brand experiences throughout their e-commerce journeys. This discrepancy is particularly evident between the vision presented in marketing efforts and the reality faced during contact center interactions.

The Disconnect in Customer Experience

Research highlights a significant gap between customer experience (CX) leaders' perceptions and the actual customer experience. Many CX leaders believe they deliver highly personalized content and report high customer satisfaction; however, surveys often reveal a starkly different reality, with shoppers rating their experiences much lower.

According to Michelle Schroeder, Senior Vice President of Marketing at intelligent virtual assistant (IVA) software firm PolyAI, brands need to adopt a more operational role within their contact centers. By establishing a direct brand presence and employing cutting-edge technologies like AI, companies can deliver more personalized and cohesive customer experiences.

The Impact of Perception Gaps

The perception gap in contact centers can significantly impact customer retention and sales growth. When companies overestimate their CX performance, they miss critical opportunities to address issues that drive customers away. Schroeder states, “Every overlooked issue is an overlooked chance to improve.” Poor contact center experiences can contradict the positive brand image created through marketing efforts, resulting in customer dissatisfaction, reduced loyalty, negative word-of-mouth, and decreased repeat purchases.

The Consequences of Contact Center Failures

Customers who face frustrating experiences in contact centers are less likely to engage with upsell or cross-sell opportunities, directly impacting sales growth. Furthermore, this perception gap can lead to a misallocation of resources. Companies often invest in areas that do not address actual customer pain points, ultimately risking their competitive advantage in an increasingly customer-centric market.

Strategies for Revitalizing Brand Perceptions

In an exclusive interview, Michelle Schroeder shared her insights on how brands can revitalize perceptions through effective contact center strategies.

The Role of Contact Centers

Schroeder emphasizes that contact centers offer a unique opportunity to resolve brand inconsistencies. They play a pivotal role in shaping brand perception and loyalty at the frontline of customer interaction. “If that experience is not prioritized when customers reach out for support, it does not matter how immersive the front-end brand interactions are,” she explains.

To resolve these inconsistencies, brands must view contact centers not as reactive problem-solving units but as strategic brand assets. This shift involves moving from rigid, scripted interactions to more natural conversational engagements. By incorporating brand attributes into customer service, contact center leaders can ensure that the brand is a part of every interaction, fostering trust and loyalty.

The Power of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a crucial role in achieving this transformation. Conversational AI, particularly AI voice assistants, can deliver personalized customer experiences at scale. Historically, contact centers faced challenges in adopting new technologies, especially in the voice channel. However, advancements in machine learning and spoken language understanding (SLU) now provide solutions to meet customer expectations.

“Conversational AI is most effective when used with a human touch,” says Schroeder. Voice assistants can handle FAQs and other common queries while human agents address more complex customer needs that require empathy. This ensures that every interaction is aligned with the brand’s values, leading to a consistently branded experience.

Avoiding CX Strategy Errors

Consistent communication of brand values across every customer touchpoint is essential for establishing and maintaining customer trust. If brand values are promoted one way but the contact center’s operations and employee behaviors do not reflect them, the disconnect can damage the organization’s overall brand reputation.

For brands to be successful, Schroeder insists that aligning brand perception with operational essentials is vital. Personalization must be prioritized to avoid customers feeling like just another number, which can lead to a loss of connection and loyalty.

Identifying and Correcting CX Disconnects

To spot CX disconnects before they escalate, brands must actively listen to customer feedback across all channels. Analyzing call trends, common issues, and customer sentiment can help identify discrepancies early. Implementing robust voice analytics and AI-powered tools can surface valuable insights from real-time interactions.

Brands should also encourage open communication among marketing, product teams, and customer service. This cross-functional collaboration helps identify discrepancies between brand promises and actual customer outcomes. Regular customer surveys, mystery shopping, and social media sentiment monitoring can provide early warning signs of CX disconnect.

Bridging the Gap in Customer Perception

To correct the tendency of rating themselves higher than their customers do, companies need to prioritize objective data collection and analysis. Broadly implementing customer feedback opportunities, such as post-interaction surveys and focus groups, is crucial for obtaining a comprehensive understanding of customer perspectives.

Cultural transparency and accountability are also vital in aligning internal perceptions with customer realities. Regularly sharing customer feedback and metrics across all company levels helps bridge the perception gap.

Conclusion

Transforming contact centers from cost centers into strategic brand assets requires a focus on personalized customer experiences, effective use of technology, and a commitment to aligning brand messaging with service delivery. By regularly assessing customer sentiment and operational practices, brands can identify and correct disconnects, ultimately driving loyalty and growth in an increasingly competitive market. As Schroeder aptly states, “Every overlooked issue is an overlooked chance to improve.” Prioritizing these improvements can lead to a stronger brand reputation and enhanced customer loyalty.