Unempathy.
2024 is a confusing time to be a customer. AI can think faster, robots can produce better, data quality is entirely unclear, privacy is dead and traditional sources of information are the least trusted sources of information. It would appear businesses finally have an opportunity to be empathetic with customers, to be on their side when every day anxieties (visible or not) continually bubble to the surface. But that's not what's happening. There has been a rise in the uncoupling of business objectives, social and tech progress and customer lives (which, if good service design fundamentals and corporate communications are to be believed should actually sit at the center not at the periphery of this equation).
On the one hand companies have the largest recorded amount of data about how customers interact with their businesses and should be able to translate this into strategic flexibility that is driven by customer behaviour.
On the other hand, there has been an emergence of terminology like 'enshittinfication', 'shrinkflation' and other less than flattering concepts that have emerged in a high interest rate environment that is inevitably putting the squeeze on vast amounts of people.
Businesses exist to make money, and so they should. But if you're going to ask for money, ask nicely and at the right time. Troubleshooting cannot be the end of customer care. Conversely, customer experience isn't limited to personalisation for an ad that pops up on Instagram. Research is just one component of the customer journey and typically NOT the one where the customer is most invested. CX leadership teams cannot behave like political parties with a 4-5 year tenure. Customer experiences are built on empathy over the long term, through thick and thin; satisfaction scores are transitory, true customer advocacy and recommendation is not.
Customer-to-business relationships will always be at a cross-section. One side wants to take the money out of the other side's pocket. But the most successful products and services have relied on alignment in that transfer and a deep understanding of current market dynamics. The market has shifted. Exponential, 'to the moon' growth has never been and cannot be a persistent reality. Customers understand this because they can feel it right away. The social contract adjusts. And businesses need to be wise enough to create win-win opportunities for them before during and after the sale, especially in trickier times.
