Are Brands Giving Customers the Experiences They Want?

New Research from Publicis Sapient

Customers today are fundamentally different as we emerge from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. People’s expectations and values have shifted in their daily lives, and this transformation directly influences how they feel about brands and the experiences those brands provide. In light of this new reality, what must brands understand and undertake to adjust to these changes?

Our recent study reveals that there is still significant work to be done to align brand experiences with what people truly want. The Publicis Sapient Global Customer Experience Survey 2023, which surveyed more than 6,500 consumers across France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, aimed to understand people’s customer experiences, what they value about those experiences, and what they expect from the brands they love. The results were surprising and offer valuable insights to help today’s brands drive positive transformation across the customer experience journey.

What People Want from Their Customer Experience Is Not What They’re Getting

People have high expectations for a seamless, convenient, and positive customer experience, but their satisfaction with experiences across industries—including healthcare, retail, and banking—does not align with these expectations. According to our global survey, healthcare shows the largest gap (40 percent) between what customers want from experiences and what they actually receive, followed by the utilities and banking industries (37 percent and 31 percent, respectively).

Customer Experience by Industry

Airlines: Importance 59%, Satisfaction 33%, Gap 26%
Healthcare: Importance 87%, Satisfaction 47%, Gap 40%
Utilities: Importance 73%, Satisfaction 36%, Gap 37%
Retail: Importance 65%, Satisfaction 46%, Gap 19%
Technology: Importance 66%, Satisfaction 44%, Gap 22%
Banking: Importance 78%, Satisfaction 47%, Gap 31%
Grocery: Importance 73%, Satisfaction 54%, Gap 19%

*Percentages are Top 2-Box (Extremely/Very Important/Satisfied)

Customer Experience Gap Between Importance and Satisfaction by Country

Airlines: DE 22%, FR 13%, U.K. 32%, U.S. 32%, Global 26%
Healthcare: DE 43%, FR 35%, U.K. 47%, U.S. 28%, Global 40%
Utilities: DE 30%, FR 38%, U.K. 50%, U.S. 27%, Global 37%
Retail: DE 19%, FR 12%, U.K. 21%, U.S. 23%, Global 19%
Technology: DE 23%, FR 14%, U.K. 26%, U.S. 23%, Global 22%
Banking: DE 33%, FR 31%, U.K. 34%, U.S. 22%, Global 31%
Grocery: DE 24%, FR 26%, U.K. 12%, U.S. 14%, Global 19%

Customer Experience Gap by Gender

Airlines: Male Importance 56%, Male Satisfaction 32%, Male Gap 24%; Female Importance 62%, Female Satisfaction 34%, Female Gap 28%
Healthcare: Male Importance 84%, Male Satisfaction 48%, Male Gap 36%; Female Importance 91%, Female Satisfaction 46%, Female Gap 45%
Utilities: Male Importance 69%, Male Satisfaction 34%, Male Gap 35%; Female Importance 76%, Female Satisfaction 37%, Female Gap 39%
Retail: Male Importance 62%, Male Satisfaction 44%, Male Gap 18%; Female Importance 69%, Female Satisfaction 49%, Female Gap 20%
Technology: Male Importance 66%, Male Satisfaction 47%, Male Gap 19%; Female Importance 66%, Female Satisfaction 41%, Female Gap 25%
Banking: Male Importance 76%, Male Satisfaction 45%, Male Gap 31%; Female Importance 80%, Female Satisfaction 48%, Female Gap 32%
Grocery: Male Importance 68%, Male Satisfaction 52%, Male Gap 16%; Female Importance 77%, Female Satisfaction 56%, Female Gap 21%

*Percentages are Top 2-Box (Extremely/Very Important/Satisfied)

The Importance of Recent Experiences

46% say their most recent experience is just as important as past experiences.
DE: 49% | FR: 54% | U.K.: 42% | U.S.: 43%
29% say it is somewhat more important than past experiences.
DE: 26% | FR: 22% | U.K.: 35% | U.S.: 29%
17% say it is much more important than past experiences.
DE: 17% | FR: 13% | U.K.: 18% | U.S.: 19%

Likelihood to Stop Interacting with a Brand After a Bad Experience

GERMANY: 1 in 5
FRANCE: 1 in 3
UNITED KINGDOM: 1 in 4
UNITED STATES: 1 in 5

People will stop interacting with a brand after:

DE: After one bad experience 19%, After several bad experiences 60%
FR: After one bad experience 36%, After several bad experiences 38%
U.K.: After one bad experience 25%, After several bad experiences 60%
U.S.: After one bad experience 17%, After several bad experiences 54%

What Makes a Great Customer Experience?

What people value most from brands is being rewarded and sharing value through a loyalty program. This is followed by receiving promotions or discounts based on what the brand knows about them, and getting relevant product or service recommendations. Timely communications tied to key moments and reminders of things they want to know but may not be keeping track of are also important, though less so.

Percentage of Respondents Who Value Each Aspect:

Rewards and shares value with me through a loyalty program: DE 48%, FR 57%, U.K. 52%, U.S. 57%, Global 53%
Sends me promotions/discounts based on what it knows about me: DE 38%, FR 51%, U.K. 42%, U.S. 51%, Global 44%
Gives me relevant product/service recommendations: DE 40%, FR 42%, U.K. 34%, U.S. 47%, Global 39%
Sends me timely communications tied to key moments: DE 39%, FR 33%, U.K. 26%, U.S. 39%, Global 33%
Reminds me of things I want to know but may not be tracking: DE 38%, FR 31%, U.K. 27%, U.S. 38%, Global 33%
Knows me no matter where I interact with the brand/business: DE 25%, FR 26%, U.K. 22%, U.S. 37%, Global 26%
Tailors messaging to me and my needs: DE 30%, FR 40%, U.K. 26%, U.S. 36%, Global 31%
Follows up with me post-purchase: DE 20%, FR 46%, U.K. 22%, U.S. 35%, Global 27%
Shows up in my frequently visited websites/apps: DE 20%, FR 22%, U.K. 13%, U.S. 28%, Global 19%
Messages/talks to me when I am in shopping mode: DE 24%, FR 30%, U.K. 11%, U.S. 27%, Global 21%

Six Actions for Brands

Know Your Customer
Working with Miral, we built a digital platform to connect attractions on Yas Island. Visitors have a unique customer ID that enables Miral to better understand people’s preferences, collecting customer data through an integrated website and mobile app. Miral can now extend targeted offers and deliver more personalized services that improve customer experiences.
Transform the Customer Journey
Partnering with Ford, we redesigned its reservations to integrate customer touchpoints (app, web, dealer) through new dealer service advisor tools and systems in an operationally demanding journey.
Integrate the Technology
Joining forces with Universal Parks and Resorts, we created a cohesive digital experience strategy that aligns a complex ecosystem of brands, locations, and touchpoints.
Optimize the Product Experience
Collaborating with Bang & Olufsen, we developed a story-led commerce approach that engages consumers through immersive curated content, showcasing the company’s rich history and products.
Extend the Environment
Teaming up with Carnival Cruise Line, we created the Pixels Gallery, which combines a digital platform and a physical gallery space so that guests can view their photos anywhere and anytime. Now, more guests are engaging with their photos, enhancing their cruise experience while boosting photo sales.
Partner for Power
Working with an American grocery chain, we built a retail media network that provides trust, transparency, and a higher return on ad spend for the grocer’s CPG vendor partners—and in turn, delivered high-margin, non-linear revenue for their own business.

As customer expectations continue to change, brands must change with them. For over 30 years, we’ve been helping our clients use the power of digital to transform experiences for customers and unlock new value. Transformation, done right, happens with and for people, not to them. By putting the customer at the center of all that you do and using data to understand them and meet their needs, your brand can come out even stronger in this new era.

About the Research

YouGov administered a survey among 6,548 nationally representative consumers across France (998), Germany (2,087), the United Kingdom (2,297), and the United States (1,166). Conducted in January 2023, the purpose of the research was to better understand consumers’ views on customer experiences and to identify what influences their purchasing decisions. This data is meant to help brands improve their customer interactions and forge lasting customer relationships through personalized and engaging experiences.

Get in Touch

Does your business have the right strategy, leadership support, and technology to deliver the customer experiences that people want? Learn more about our Experience Transformation solutions or talk to our customer experience experts to conduct a readiness assessment.

https://www.publicissapient.com/solutions/customer-experience-transformation