1、SECOND EDITIONState of theConnectedCustomerInsights from 6,700+consumers and business buyers on the intersection of experience,technology,and trust2State of the Connected CustomerSalesforce ResearchAbout This ReportFor this second edition“State of the Connected Customer”report,Salesforce Research su
2、rveyed over 6,700 consumers and business buyers worldwide to discover:How customers expectations of companies are changing Which emerging technologies are influencing the future of customer experience Why customer trust is increasingly important,and how companies can foster itData in this report is
3、from a double-blind survey conducted from March 26April 12,2018,that generated responses from 6,723 individuals in Australia/New Zealand,Brazil,Canada,France,Germany,Hong Kong,India,Japan,Mexico,the Netherlands,the Nordics,Singapore,the United Kingdom,and the United States.All respondents are third-
4、party panelists(not limited to Salesforce customers).See page 56 for detailed respondent demographics.1,3509002,2232,250Salesforce Research provides data-driven insights to help businesses transform how they drive customer success.Browse all reports at of the Connected CustomerSalesforce ResearchAbo
5、ut This ReportIn this report,we examine survey results from three primary groups:ConsumersThose reporting on their interactions with companies when purchasing for themselvesBusiness BuyersThose reporting on their interactions with companies when purchasing on behalf of their employersCustomersAggreg
6、ated consumers and business buyersDue to rounding,not all percentages may add to the sum total.All comparison calculations are made from total numbers(not rounded numbers).3State of the Connected CustomerSalesforce ResearchConsumersBusiness BuyersAll Customers4State of the Connected CustomerSalesfor
7、ce ResearchContentsExecutive Summary.5 Customer Expectations Hit All-Time Highs.6 Companies Face a New Connected Mandate.10 Technology Sets New Benchmarks for Innovation.15 Customers Balance Personalization and Privacy Amid a Crisis of Trust.19 01020304Last Look.22Country&Regional Profiles.23Appendi
8、x.42Demographics.56 5State of the Connected CustomerSalesforce ResearchExecutive SummaryRising generations take for granted that they can order almost anything by just talking to a device.But their parents remember when mail-order catalogs were the norm.Suffice to say,technology is raising customer
9、standards at a breakneck pace.For businesses,theres more focus than ever on going beyond the expected product or service,to deliver a customer experience that truly differentiates.But while expectations for personalized,connected experiences are soaring,trust in companies to responsibly handle the d
10、ata they require is bottoming out.This report examines the evolution of these expectations,the technology thats driving them,and the balance of trust between customers and companies.With more choice,more access to information,and less incentive to be loyal,todays customers are firmly in control of t
11、heir relationships with companies.Consumers and business buyers alike seek differentiated experiences based on trust and understanding,and will shop around to find them.Eighty percent of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services.Customer Expectation
12、s Hit All-Time Highs (See page 6)01From product recommendations to proactive service,customers expect engagement thats uniquely personalized.Whats more,customers are looking for interactions that are connected and contextualized at every turn.Seventy percent of customers say connected processes are
13、very important to winning their business.Companies Face a New Connected Mandate(See page 10)02As technology evolves at a head-spinning pace,customers have been conditioned to expect newer and better experiences.Customers are far more likely to view various emerging technologies as revolutionary,rath
14、er than hyped,with artificial intelligence(AI)playing an increasingly prominent role in their daily lives.Fifty-six percent of customers actively seek to buy from the most innovative companies.Technology Sets New Benchmarks for Innovation(See page 15)03Delivering personalized experiences requires a
15、data-driven,360-degree view but more than half of respondents are uncomfortable with how their data is used.Customers say companies can earn their trust by taking certain steps,such as giving them control over how their data is applied,and being transparent with how its used.Eighty-six percent of cu
16、stomers are more likely to trust companies with their relevant information if they explain how it provides a better experience.Customers Balance Personalization and Privacy Amid a Crisis of Trust (See page 19)046State of the Connected CustomerSalesforce Researchone day are outdated the next.In this
17、context,the experience a company offers is increasingly its differentiator.But the scope of customer experience is changing,too.To win hearts and wallets,companies must not only deliver amazing marketing,sales,ecommerce,and service interactions,but also prove that they have the customers best intere
18、sts in mind.Tethered to their smartphones and accustomed to nonstop innovation,todays consumers and business buyers are more informed and less loyal than their predecessors.In this era of exponentially disruptive technological change,often referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution,products and
19、 services that are cutting-edge Customers Push Companies to Do Better a STAGGERING 95%of customerS say trusting a company increases their loyalty.ConsumersBusiness Buyers80%of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services81%79%95%of customers say they a
20、re more likely to be loyal to a company they trust96%94%67%of customers say their standard for good experiences are higher than ever73%64%01 Customer Expectations Hit All-Time Highs7State of the Connected CustomerSalesforce ResearchCompanies Are Missing the Mark on Experience 59%53%44%45%51%of custo
21、mers say most companies fall short of their expectations for great experiences54%of customers dont believe companies have their best interests in mindCustomers expect a lot from companies,but dont have faith in them to deliver much less in a principled fashion.About half of customers say most compan
22、ies fall short of their expectations for great experiences.This would be troubling enough,but there are signs of an even deeper discontent;nearly six in 10 consumers dont believe companies have their best interests in mind.The reality is that todays customers expect companies to understand and care
23、about them as individuals,and treat them accordingly.76%of customers expect companies to understand their needs and expectations.ConsumersBusiness Buyers01 Customer Expectations Hit All-Time HighsSalesforce Research8State of the Connected CustomerSalesforce ResearchExperience Impacts the Bottom Line
24、,for Better or WorseConsumersBusiness Buyers62%of customers say they share bad experiences with others61%63%57%of customers have stopped buying from a company because a competitor provided a better experience50%But this new dynamic is not all doom and gloom.Seventy-two percent of customers share goo
25、d experiences with others a full 10%more than those that share the negative.76%of customers say its easier than ever to take their business elsewhere.The ripple effect of a single bad experience goes beyond one lost sale.Fifty-seven percent of customers have stopped buying from a company because a c
26、ompetitor provided a better experience.Whats more,62%of customers say they share bad experiences with others.With the proliferation of peer review sites and social media,this practice can inflict widespread reputational damage.Two-thirds of customers will even pay a premium to companies that offer s
27、uperior experiences,thereby introducing not just competitive differentiation,but increased or even new revenue streams.61%72%of customers say they share good experiences with others77%67%of customers say theyll pay more for a great experience63%70%74%01 Customer Expectations Hit All-Time Highs9State
28、 of the Connected CustomerSalesforce ResearchBusiness Buyer Expectations Get ConsumerizedSPOTLIGHT B2B Expectations Mirror B2C StandardsPercentage of Business Buyers Who Agree with the FollowingNaturally,business buyers also have personal lives as consumers and their expectations as consumers have s
29、eeped into their professional world.82%of business buyers want the same experience as when theyre buying for themselves.At a time when personalized recommendations,proactive engagement,and deeply relevant content are table stakes,more than seven in 10 business buyers expect vendors to personalize en
30、gagement to their needs.And for 84%of business buyers,trust is a critical factor in choosing vendors.To put a fine point on this convergence of B2C and B2B worlds,69%of business buyers expect an Amazon-like business buying experience.However,only 27%of business buyers say companies generally excel a
31、t meeting their standards for an overall experience,signaling ample room for improvement.I expect vendors to personalize engagement to my needs72%I expect Amazon-like buying experiences69%I think vendors are providing more retail-like experiences than ever before67%I have switched vendors for a more
32、 consumer-like experience67%9State of the Connected CustomerSee appendix page 44 for generational breaks.Salesforce Research10State of the Connected CustomerSalesforce ResearchConnected Customers Demand Connected JourneysPercentage of Customers Who Say the Following Are Very Important to Winning The
33、ir BusinessConnected processesTodays customers want to be understood and respected as individuals.Eighty-four percent of customers say being treated like a person,not a number,is very important to winning their business.For teams accustomed to owning only one stage of the customer journey,its a tric
34、ky proposition.Customers judge companies based on their experience as a whole not just interactions with individual departments and they expect consistency.70%of customers say connected processes such as seamless handoffs or contextualized engagement based on earlier interactions are very important
35、to winning their business.Todays customers seek contextualized experiences meaning their engagement with a company reflects an understanding of past actions,product usage,and a myriad of other factors.Yet,37%of customers feel less connected to companies than they did two years ago.75%67%70%70%66%76%
36、67%73%63%Understanding how they use products/servicesInstant,on-demand engagement02 Companies Face a New Connected Mandate84%of customers say being treated like a person,not a number,is very important to winning their business83%84%All CustomersBusiness BuyersConsumers11State of the Connected Custom
37、erSalesforce ResearchWhat experiences are customers looking for before they even make a purchase?Many say that user-generated content such as product reviews and photos from other customers is important.Personalization is another common thread that customers say is important.Even if a customer hasnt
38、 interacted with a company,they still want to feel known.Customers are 2.1x more likely to view personalized offers as important,versus unimportant.59%of customers say tailored engagement based on past interactions is very important to winning their business.One area where business buyers differ fro
39、m consumers is advertising.Business buyers place more importance on retargeted offers and personalized cross-channel ads than do consumers.Respondents were not required to rate a quality as important or unimportant.Data is based off respondents who elected to rate a quality as such.Not a complete li
40、st.See appendix page 46 for a full list broken by generational segmentations.02 Companies Face a New Connected MandateBefore They Buy,Marketing Personalization MattersUser-generated content (e.g.,product reviews,photos,testimonials,and other content from other customers)Personalized offers (i.e.,a d
41、iscount based on my purchase history)Personalized communications (e.g.,email newsletters,etc.)Retargeted offers (i.e.,ads on one channel based on my actions on another channel,like an online ad for a previously viewed product)Business BuyersConsumers2.9xmore likely 2.4xmore likely 2.7xmore likely 1.
42、9xmore likely 2.2xmore likely 1.3xmore likely 1.8xmore likely 1.1xless likely Salesforce ResearchImportantUnimportantImportantUnimportantLikelihood of Customers Rating Each Quality as Important vs.Unimportant12State of the Connected CustomerSalesforce ResearchWhen it comes time to buy,todays custome
43、rs expect more than knowledgeable salespeople and a quick and easy checkout.Increasingly drawn to ecommerce sites,they value product comparison tools as well as mobile apps.On top of it all,they want to move seamlessly between various digital and offline channels,often browsing on one in the morning
44、 only to close the deal on another in the evening.Customers are 3.7x more likely to view seamless transitions between channels as important,versus unimportant.With their professional reputations and often large sums of money at stake,business buyers have set the bar even higher.Seventy-eight percent
45、 of business buyers seek salespeople that act as trusted advisors with knowledge of their needs and industry.Business buyers are more likely than consumers to value product recommendations and mobile apps a testament to the blurring lines between B2C and B2B behavior.02 Companies Face a New Connecte
46、d MandateWhen They Buy,Customers Seek Ease,Seamlessness,and Consultants Product comparison tools Seamless transitions between channels (e.g.,online to in-store)7.1xmore likely 5.7xmore likely 4.4xmore likely 3.4xmore likely Mobile apps Product recommendations (that match my buying habits)2.5xmore li
47、kely 1.7xmore likely 2.3xmore likely 1.3xmore likely Business BuyersConsumersRespondents were not required to rate a quality as important or unimportant.Data is based off respondents who elected to rate a quality as such.Not a complete list.See appendix page 46 for a full list broken by generational
48、 segmentations.ImportantUnimportantImportantUnimportantLikelihood of Customers Rating Each Quality as Important vs.Unimportant13State of the Connected CustomerSalesforce ResearchCustomer service isnt just a reactionary cost center its a core element of differentiated customer experience.To meet curr
49、ent standards,service must be quick,readily available anywhere,and even proactive.Increasingly unfamiliar with the concept of“waiting,”customers are keen on self-service tools that empower them to find quick answers on their own,when they do need more personalized help,theyre not apt to wait on hold
50、.Customers are 4.7x more likely to view real-time messaging as important versus unimportant.Despite this trend,there will always be instances when nothing but a human touch will do.Consumers,in particular,expect empowered service reps armed with decision-making authority and a full understanding of
