RESOURCE CENTER

How Are Customer Touch Points Changing?

Across customer touch points, companies face a connected mandate.

Time to read: 3 minutes

Customer touchpoints are the windows of interaction between an individual buyer and your business. This encompasses any exchange, whether in person or via digital means. Research in the “State of the Connected Customer” report shows how modern customers are looking for interactions that are connected and contextualized at every turn. From product recommendations to proactive service, customers expect touchpoints that are uniquely personalized across their journey.

For business teams accustomed to owning only one stage of the customer journey, it’s a tricky proposition. Customers judge companies based on their experience as a whole — not just interactions with individual departments — and they expect consistency.

79%

of customers expect consistent interactions across departments

Source: "State of the Connected Customer," August 2023.

This can mean seamless touchpoints between departments, customized engagement based on earlier interactions, and other factors that make the customer experience more connected. Today’s customers seek contextualized experiences — meaning their engagement with a company reflects an understanding of past actions, product usage, and a myriad of other factors.

“People expect to be able to engage across multiple touchpoints anytime and seamlessly transition between them. Companies need a full picture of what that journey looks like for any individual, and understand their pain points.”

Catharine Findiesen Hays | Co-Author, "Beyond Advertising: Creating Value Through All Customer Touchpoints"

Customer touchpoints split between online and offline

In 2022, after the restrictions of early COVID lockdowns, customers rushed back to brick-and-mortar establishments in a reactive zeal, referred to as "revenge shopping." That trend has since cooled, giving way to equilibrium, with engagement evenly split between online and offline channels. No matter where they shop, customers expect the same quality of care: 74% say they expect to be able to do anything online that they can do in-person or by phone.

Diagram showing the estimated share of customers interactions taking place online

In marketing, customers want personalized touchpoints

Research suggests that the types of experiences customers are seeking are decidedly not one-size-fits-all. Sixty-five percent of customers expect companies to adapt to their changing needs and preferences. This number is even higher for business buyers, at 78%.

Indeed, as technologies like generative AI advance, customer expectations for personalization only heighten.

Customers who expect better personalization under different circunstances

In sales and commerce, customers seek connected touchpoints

When it comes time to buy, today's customers expect more than knowledgeable salespeople and a quick and easy checkout. Increasingly drawn to ecommerce sites, they value product comparison tools and the ability to shop from their mobile devices. On top of it all, they want to move seamlessly between various digital and offline touchpoints, often browsing on one in the morning only to close the deal on another in the evening. Seventy-one percent of customers prefer different channels depending on context, such as where they are and what they are doing.

74%

of customers have used multiple channels to start and complete a transaction

66%

of customers have used multiple devices to start and complete a transaction

Source: "State of the Connected Customer," October 2020.

In customer service, customers value multichannel touchpoints

Customer service isn’t just a reactive cost center — it’s a core element of differentiated customer experience. To meet current 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: 61% of customers prefer self-service for simple issues. When they do need more personalized help, they’re not apt to wait on hold, expecting instead to speak, type, or engage otherwise with an agent immediately.

77%

of customers expect to interact with someone immediately when they contact a company.

Source: "State of the Connected Customer," August 2023.

Across the journey, connected customer touchpoints are essential

Customers see one company, not separate departments, and expect connected engagement across their various touchpoints. Yet 55% of customers say it generally feels like they’re communicating with separate departments, rather than one company. To create truly customer-centric experiences, it's vital that companies unite around those customers with a 360-degree shared view of customer touchpoints.

State of the AI Connected Customer