The 2024 Consumer Trends Report from Qualtrics

The 2024 “Consumer Trends Report: Your CX playbook for the year ahead” from Qualtrics is now available (free download). Based on responses from more than 28,000 consumers across 26 countries, the report homes in on four trends. Trend 1.

Human connection is the foundation of a winning AI strategy STAT: Customers had three top concerns about AI: 1) Lack of a human to connect to (48%); 2) Poor quality of the interactions (45%); and 3) Loss of jobs for employees (45%). ADVICE: “AI offers tremendous opportunities to organizations that implement it thoughtfully, but if customers detect a pure cost-saving attempt they will leave in droves. So AI interactions must build confidence—trust from customers comes with consistency, accuracy, and convenience.”

—Leonie Brown, Principal XM Scientist, CX at Qualtrics Trend 2. Great service beats low prices in the battle for customer loyalty STAT: What’s driving consumer purchases in 2024: Product/service quality (61%), customer service support (47%), low price (43%), easy digital experience (30%), does good things for society (18%). OPINION: “Variability is the biggest challenge to creating a consistently great experience.

No company designs for a poor experience, but the level of variability can be too high and uncontrolled in organizations. Reducing that variability is the best place to start.” —Brandon Hanson, Contact Center Practice Leader, Qualtrics Trend 3.

Digital support is the weakest link in your customer journey STAT: The main issue in digital? The support experience. As consumers go from making a purchase to resolving an issue online, the journey breaks down—with satisfaction 22% lower compared with making a purchase.

ANALYSIS: “Lower preference for digital channels revealed in the data is largely influenced by consumer expectations on the quality of those interactions. As organizations improve the accuracy and effectiveness of the digital experience, we should expect consumer appetite to also rise.” —Becky Tasker, VP of Growth & Demand Generation, Qualtrics Trend 4.

Consumers don’t give feedback like they used to… so companies must listen in new ways STAT: Two-thirds (66%) of customers won’t tell you when they’ve had a bad experience (up 7.2 points since 2021) ADVICE: “Having a portfolio of listening tools is essential to success. Organizations need a combination of qualitative, quantitative, structured, and unstructured data to modernize their CX management program.”