The Executive Summary for the INFORMATION SERVICES SECTOR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE RESEARCH 2022
Information Services Executive Summary
The overall self-evaluation CSI percentage of this sector is 75 %, with 83% of senior executives reporting that they act on CX as a value proposition. This indicates that the information services sector not only views CX as important, but they believe their clients/customers are satisfied with their offering. The findings reveal that B2C companies lead the way in prioritising CX, followed by B2B2C, and B2B. This is consistent with our previous findings across most sectors, which is that B2B is lagging in using CX as a main differentiator.
In terms of CX tools and measurement, 64% of respondents reported using Customer Journey Mapping (CJM), saying that it works well for them, with the B2B companies finding it the most effective. All participants currently have CX measurement in place with 89% believing that it’s working.
Despite the fact that 67% of the participants (who have been in their role for 2-5 years) are in charge of CX training within their organisation, 100% lack formal CX qualifications. This means that there could be CX improvement opportunities that are being missed or overlooked.
Respondents have seen a sizable change (45%) in client expectations, with their customers demanding effortless interactions and higher standards. Some of the CX trends in this regard that are shaping the information services sector, participants observe as niche & new technology, remote working capabilities, and personalisation. This correspondents with the biggest obstacles participants are currently facing (predominantly by the B2B sector) which they reported as know-how in navigating the remote working model, adapting to digital CX, and overcoming challenges with hardware and infrastructure. In terms of issues facing South Africa, the sector highlights COVID-19 as having the biggest negative impact on their company, followed by loadshedding, price hikes, and inflation. It’s worth noting that companies are also feeling the effects of top talent immigrating overseas.
When asked what keeps participants up at night regarding their CX role, they highlighted getting the buy-in and understanding of CX across their organisation, as well as brain drain and communication gaps as top offenders. In this light, our recommendation for this sector is to consider their staff CX training options seriously. CX does not sleep, it is always evolving, just like a company’s clients, so once-off training is not sustainable. Effective training goes a long way in getting buy-in and closing service gaps.
We also recommend that respondents continue using CJM as one of their preferred CX tools since it’s one of the most effective in continuously understanding clients changing needs at every touchpoint. Lastly, with digital services being a cornerstone of this sector, to overcome hesitancies and glitches, we advise that service providers lead their digital strategy with a human-centric approach.