A recent report released by Forrester has revealed that the quality of customer experience in the United States has experienced a significant drop, marking the third consecutive year of decline.
This alarming trend was established based on a comprehensive survey that involved over 98,000 US customers across a variety of industries.
A staggering 39% of brands, as the report reveals, have suffered a noticeable deterioration in their customer experience. The average rating on the Forrester index has dipped to 69.3 out of a possible 100 scores, a noticeable drop from a peak score of 72.0 recorded in 2021. This index score was evaluated based on three key parameters – effectiveness, ease, and emotional connection with customers.
Rick Parrish, a key analyst from Forrester, pointed out that consumers in the United States are grappling with the worst experience in the past decade. He asserted the crucial need for businesses to pivot towards customer-centric strategies to turn the tide and restore a positive customer experience for their clientele.
Brands that have established customer satisfaction as their core objective have evidently recorded an accelerated growth trajectory in terms of revenue, profitability, and customer retention, in stark contrast to their competitors.
Most industries have seen their customer experience scores plummet. However, a silver lining in this scenario is the aviation sector, which has demonstrated a marginal improvement in their customer experience.
In its report, Forrester also acknowledged a few top-performing brands that have clung on to their high standards of customer service. This elite 5% group on their index includes renowned brands like Chewy.com, Edward Jones, Etsy, H-E-B, Lincoln, and Navy Federal Credit Union.
The growing dissatisfaction among consumers can be traced back to increasing additional fees and the phenomenon of shrinkflation, which implies that customers are being charged more without realizing a proportional enhancement in the quality of service.
