Only 25% of EMEA businesses have digitised their customer service delivery: study

Most businesses in EMEA are at the transitional stage of digitally transforming their customer experience (CX) journeys, a new report by ServiceNow says.

The survey categorised participating businesses into Beginner, Intermediate or Leader based on a ‘customer experience maturity scale’.

A quarter (25 per cent) of EMEA businesses are classed as leaders, 44 per cent have intermediate status while 31 per cent are categorised as beginners.

When it comes to investing in technology to support and improve CX processes, there is a correlation between this investment and the ability to reap the rewards available from creating standout customer experiences.

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The study revealed that over two thirds (68 per cent) of EMEA companies have digitised and automated customer service (CX) management. Over three quarters (78 per cent) say they have customer relationship management (CRM) systems integrated into their digital enterprise platforms.

However, there are encouraging signs that EMEA businesses are beginning to act to correct this gap in investment and CX maturity. For example, 38 per cent of companies in EMEA are now personalising customer services and marketing. European firms are also investing more in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA), with 14 per cent doing so.

“Customer experience has always been important, but as the world starts to emerge and recover from the pressures caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, a shift towards digital experiences will be even more important to business success,” said ServiceNow Middle East and Africa regional director Mark Ackerman.

“Although millions of dollars have been invested throughout EMEA into digital transformation projects, the majority of this has focused on back-office efficiency rather than improving customer experience. The time is now for EMEA companies to prioritise customer service and to start developing transformational digital CX initiatives that put engagement, loyalty and great experiences at the forefront of their strategies,” Ackerman added.