The State of the Connected Customer report by Salesforce, a customer relationship management (CRM) provider, has revealed that 92 per cent of customers surveyed say experience is as important as products.
The report shares insights from nearly 17,000 consumers and business buyers across 29 counties, including 650 individuals from India, on the new digital-first customer engagement landscape.
Other findings of the report shows that as customers navigate a rapidly changing world, questions of trust, values, and integrity are increasingly impacting their relationships with companies. 92 per cent of respondents in India believe that trust becomes important in times of change.
Customer engagement is decidedly digital-first, but brands are under pressure to merge online and offline interactions into a personalised experience as in-person interaction re-emerges. 80 per cent of respondents in India have purchased products in new ways since 2020, revealed the report.
As priorities and behaviours shift, established brand loyalties are undergoing tests of strength. 72 per cent of consumers have switched brands at least once in the past year.
Arun Kumar Parmeswaran, Senior Vice-President (SVP) & Managing Director (Sales and Distribution) Salesforce India said: “It is undeniable that a customer’s needs and expectations from a brand is the corporate north star today. Be it a consumer or a business buyer, organisations need to understand individual customers to earn, build and maintain ‘Trust’, which is the the ultimate currency of customer engagement.”
This new digital-first world has changed the norms of commerce, work, and everyday life, prompting customers and brands to re-establish how they connect. As customers continue to shift their preferred experiences with brands to online channels, brands must re-imagine digital-first experiences that engage customers in a way that is flexible, thoughtful, and provides a personal touch, the report said.