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Hidden in Plain Sight: 20 Global CX Blindspots Uncovered

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54% of consumers report they’d stop  using a brand after just one bad experience.

60% of business leaders in Telco identified  the Integration Gap as their top concern.

The telecommunications industry is under immense pressure to evolve at a daunting pace. With the rise of competitive alternatives, Telco services are increasingly commoditized. Margins are being eroded, and the question of how to stay relevant and competitive is at the forefront for every industry decision-maker. To create impactful differentiators, Telcos must harness the power of customer experience (CX) for both B2B partners and end users. 

The status quo won’t retain or win over customers today. To distinguish their brand in the marketplace, Telco leaders are looking for opportunities to break out of the stereotype of laughably poor customer experiences often projected on the industry. Their CX gaps provide that opportunity.

The water is getting warmer in the Telco world, unfortunately, and not in a good way.

Why Are Telcos Still Struggling with Customer Experience?  See The Top CX Gap In Telco 

Why Are Telcos Still Struggling with Customer Experience? See The Top CX Gap In Telco 

35% of business leaders believe the Service Gap is actively widening.

44% of business leaders attribute the widening gap to inadequate employee staffing or training.

Businesses face a challenge—one growing the longer it goes unaddressed—and Retail is no exception.  

The change and pressure in Retail is relentless. Customers’ expectations aren’t just evolving. They’re being entirely reshaped with the rise of autonomous stores, the ever-increasing reliance on e-commerce, and the injection of GenAI into all experiences. With each innovative and disruptive service introduced to the market, the benchmarks for customer satisfaction and value completely reset. 

As retailers compete to stand out amongst the noise and the competition, one thing is increasingly clear. Experience is the last competitive edge to capturing more market share. Creating branded, connected experiences that both meet the immediate needs of customers and create enduring brand value at every touchpoint presents formidable challenges for retailers. Retail leaders find their organizations at a critical juncture.  

To close in on that edge and differentiate through exceptional customer experiences, Retail must start with its 

Retail Has a Customer Experience Problem: Discover Retail’s Top CX Gap 

For Telcos, Customer Experience is Everything

Experience is the last competitive advantage for most industries—but few more so than Telco. And while 84% of Telco leaders think they’re nailing CX, only 34% of their customers say their Telco company lives up to their expectations, 

According to Stellar Elements’ CX20 Global Report, Telco faces five main experience gaps: the Integration Gap, CX Perception Gap, Innovation Gap, Talent Gap, and Service Gap. Failure to bridge these CX gaps can result in lost revenue, eroded customer trust, and much more.  

There is a positive outcome for Telcos uncovering these gaps, however. It's difficult to fix what you can’t see, and exposing these gaps reveals hidden opportunities to differentiate yourself in the marketplace. 

This Telco Delivered the First Complete eSim Activation App in Canada

This Telco Delivered the First Completely Digital eSim Activation App in Canada

Customer experience is the final competitive frontier for today’s businesses.

It is an opportunity ripe for exploration, considering many customers are not satisfied with current CX standards. Indeed, 

 between what companies are providing and what customers expect when it comes to CX is wide: 90% of retail leaders believe they are delivering the best customer experience possible, while only 34% of customers agree. The divide is similar across other industries like telco (84% vs. 34%) and financial services (83% vs. 41%). 

Companies looking to seize that sizable opportunity for a competitive advantage are turning to industry-leading, AI-driven technologies and strategies to reach the next level of CX—connected and continuous orchestration.  

Next Best Experience: Unleashing the Power of Real-Time CX Orchestration

76% of customers say that loyalty programs  strengthen their relationship with a QSR.

Companies across all regions are putting personalized experiences at the center of their QSR brand strategy. 

Digitally-driven, channel-less, highly personalized experiences are no longer aspirations—they are table stakes. Thankfully, the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry has responded quickly.

From QR-enabled loyalty perks to contactless orders and deliver—and everything in between— the future of QSR is already in progress.

Let’s be frank. The Quick Service Restaurant industry has faced more challenges and changes in recent years than they have in decades prior. And the gaps only continue to widen.

Experience is the last real competitive advantage—but a successful experience can’t be built from cookie-cutter guidelines or by copying your competitors.

It’s time to get real about the future of QSR—and what that means for you right now.

Uncover the powerful forces shaping the QSR industry and the important connections QSRs need to win in today’s world.

QSR of the Future: Built on Connected Experience Today

QSR of the Future: Built on the Connected Experience

Only 34% of customers are very satisfied with companies meeting their expectations. 

While 80% of business leaders believe they are meeting these expectations.

Introduction: Personalization as Principle

Personalization has long been a driving force in businesses’ efforts to engage and retain customers. Before the Internet, before personal computers, before even the automobile, savvy business leaders found ways to tailor their products and services to better suit the unique wants and needs of individual customers.

Restaurateurs remembered regulars’ favorite dishes and preferred table arrangements. Clever barbers took note of which customers enjoyed small talk and which ones preferred the silence. And in all cases, they did so to ensure the best possible experience for each customer—inspiring return visits, nurturing loyalty, and giving them good reason to recommend the business to others

Modern personalization—one that leverages data, analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML)—looks and feels a bit different. Nowadays, we plop down on the couch, hit the “Order Again” button on GrubHub, and take it for granted when Netflix opens to a literal mosaic of personalized content recommendations—determined by an elaborate calculus of past viewing habits, personal reviews, and a sprawling constellation of personal data and information not known even to ourselves.

Different as these experiences may seem at first, beneath the surface, they’re both driven by the same fundamental purpose: to tailor your service to the unique needs of each customer.

Personalization 2.0 & The Dawn of the Singular Customer Experience 

While it may feel like hype, GenAI is one of the most disruptive technologies of our time—and it’s on the path to becoming one of the most transformative, too. 

Block out the noise around GenAI to uncover tangible opportunities to make your mark in 2024. Get to the core of what it takes to win with GenAI, regardless of budget or size. Check out our practical roadmap.

 We’re sharing all our best GenAI insights and tips in our new guide, designed exclusively for leaders like you.

The Path to Success: The AI-Powered Customer Journey

Building the Right Foundation: Unified Data & Intelligence

Winning with GenAI: Top CX & EX Use Cases Every Leader Should Consider

Unlock the potential of AI in your enterprise—enhance your customer and employee experience and captivate your stakeholders.

Businesses today move faster than ever. Leaders are constantly seeking innovative ways to elevate customer satisfaction and empower employees. Enter GenAI, the game-changing force that has disrupted work as we know it and has had an undeniable impact on customer (CX) and employee experiences (EX). 

This guide will help today’s leaders navigate the GenAI hype and cut through the noise to uncover tangible opportunities. Get to the core of what it takes to win with this technology, regardless of budget or size, and build a practical roadmap for applying GenAI to your CX and EX. 

The Practical Leader's Guide to Making the Most of GenAI in Your CX and EX

Digital Entertainment & Streaming Services

Retail E-Commerce

Telco

Financial Services

Healthcare

Fintech

In-Store Retail

Logistics

Transportation/Travel

Customer

Business Leader

91% of business leaders acknowledged that CX played a central role in revenue generation.

44% considered investing in CX to be extremely important.

35% of business leaders believe this gap is widening.

44% of business leaders attribute the gap widening to inadequate employee staffing or training.

50% of business leaders believe this gap is widening.

39% of business leaders attribute the gap widening to inadequate employee staffing or training while 36% point to insufficient resources as key reasons for why this gap is widening.

47% of business leaders attribute the gap widening due to a lack of inadequate technology and 41 attribute it to inadequate employee staffing or training.

60% of business leaders in QSR acknowledge a widening customer perception gap.

40% of customers excited about companies incorporating AI.

60% of customers have expressed concern or indifference about AI.

TOP GAPS TO ADDRESS (RANKING)

TOP GAPS WIDENING

43% of business leaders believe this gap is widening.

44% of business leaders attribute the gap widening to rapid company growth.

70% of fintech business leaders pinpoint unclear CX metrics as the key reason why they are unable to provide seamless, integrated experiences.

67% of healthcare leaders said a lack of personalization also added to their Integration Gap widening.

40% of business leaders believe this gap is widening.

48% of business leaders cite a lack of customer feedback while 42% point to insufficient resources as key reasons for the gap widening.

Customer expectations keep growing. And businesses continue to face a persistent issue: the widening gap between experiences customers want versus what companies deliver—the Experience Gap. Despite heavy investments in tech, process, and data, the gap remains—and it’s a big problem for growth and profits. Simply meeting expectations is no longer enough.

Hidden In Plain Sight: 20 Global CX Blindspots Uncovered

We recently sat down with our Sr. Strategy Director, 

, and our Managing Director of Northeast, 

, to get their take on what to expect in 2024, including the biggest trends, challenges, and opportunities that will shape CX and EX. From the impact of GenAI to advancements in personalization to what’s in store in the startup landscape, we anticipate a year of exciting transformation.

Top Predictions & Trends for CX & EX Leaders—From Our Experts

Stellar Elements Generative AI Series (Article 5 of 5)

Generative AI (GenAI) can be a game-changer for customer experience (CX) leaders, with some killer applications across CX which we explored in 

Now, as we conclude our GenAI series, we explore the significant ways this technology can enhance the employee experience (EX).

Here are the GenAI applications that should be on every EX leaders’ roadmap:

EX to the Power of AI: How Leaders are Transforming Employee Experience with GenAI

EX to the Power of AI: Transforming Employee Experiences

Stellar Elements Generative AI Series (Article 4 of 5)

GenAI has stirred up quite a storm. In less than a year after ChatGPT made its public debut, 

 of organizations are now using GenAI regularly in at least one function. The pressure to make use of GenAI across the customer experience (CX) has never been more intense.  

, we offered practical advice on how CX leaders can get started with GenAI, explored where GenAI can be used to optimize your customer’s journey, and discussed the backbone of successful AI-enabled customer orchestration. 

compelling use cases that every CX leader should consider as they plan their CX innovation pipeline. 

We’ll dive into how you can use GenAI to: 

Today’s customers demand personalized attention and instant gratification. Beyond omnichannel, they expect brands to meet them where they are and where they want to be—in essence, 

customers expect a channel-less experience

. GenAI empowers businesses to analyze vast troves of customer data in real time, enabling for precision targeting and dynamic, real-time interactions.

From personalized product recommendations to bots that anticipate and respond to customers’ needs, one thing is clear: Generative AI has a huge impact on how we build connected and ownable customer experiences. Companies not leveraging GenAI to optimize the customer journey are missing out on serious loyalty-building and revenue-generating opportunities.

Let's see how industry leaders are incorporating GenAI into their businesses today.

CX to the Power of AI: Exploring Real Applications

When it comes to QSRs, trust is a big deal. In short, accuracy begets trust, and trust unlocks everything else. Every restaurant earns it differently. For some, it’s the value of their food. For others, it's the quality of their customer service. 

No collaboration embodies this better than our partnership with a leading American QSR operating in 3,000+ stores nationwide. It’s a partnership that helped unify their brand experience and built a relationship founded on trust—while also strengthening their relationship with their customers.

Creating a Connected Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Experience 

Moving from a multichannel to an omnichannel customer experience (CX) strategy marked a significant milestone for CX teams and customers, transforming choppy interactions into consistent ones—regardless of channel. Now, however, omnichannel isn’t enough.

The New Era of CX is Channel-less

Stellar Elements Generative AI Series (Article 3 of 5)

We recently overheard author and evangelist 

 explain AI this way: “AI is just data times math.” But the truth is, it isn’t “just data.” Gathering meaningful customer journey insights is about more than just how much data you have. It starts with having the right data that is comprehensive, well-organized, reliable, and easily accessible. We refer to it as a unified customer intelligence repository, and it can transform your CX from a lackluster, one-size-fits-all experience to a customized, in-the-moment interaction.

Harness GenAI with Unified Customer Data for CX & EX Orchestration

Stellar Elements Generative AI Series (Article 2 of 5)

We’ve been exploring GenAI opportunities with experts and clients across the globe, running experiments, and building new applications across the CX spectrum. We’re tapping into those conversations to bring you real talk about where your organization can make the most of generative AI.

Drivers for CX Success: GenAI and Customer Journey Orchestrations

Drivers for CX Success: GenAI & Customer Journey Analytics

Stellar Elements Generative AI Series (Article 1 of 5)

We’ve been exploring GenAI opportunities with  experts and clients across the globe, running experiments, and building new applications across the CX spectrum. We’re tapping into those conversations to bring you real talk about where your organization can make the most of GenAI.