Brand Trust Takes Over As Lead Factor In The Customer Experience

Brand image, or trust, is now the most decisive factor in customer experience globally -- with 46% of U.S. consumers saying so, according to the 2022 X Index Report, a study from Havas CX, Havas Group’s customer experience network. 

In contrast, 28% cite the purchase as the most decisive factor, while 16% cite customer service and 10% cite the relationship. 

Moreover,  56% of U.S. consumers are now rating brands by emotional rather than functional criteria. But only 40% globally think the brands they interact with are centered on their needs as a customer.  

Email marketing teams must constantly change their approach to accommodate shifting consumer needs and behavior. Here are some insights on what customers want this year, and which brands are delivering it.  

Havas surveyed 50,000 consumers across nine markets and evaluated 500 brands for their customer-experience performance. 

The index rates 13 significant predictors of overall CX satisfaction, including:

Brand

  • I trust the brand — 7.6
  • The brand always keeps its commitments — 7.5 
  • The brand treats its frontline employees well — 7.3

Relationship

  • Online experience (website and apps) is customized to my needs — 7.2 
  • Provides extra attention that goes beyond my expectations — 7.1

Purchase

  • It’s simple to find what I’m looking for — 7.5 
  • The purchase process is seamless for its websites/apps/social media platforms — 7.4 
  • The in-store experience is aligned with what the brand promised in nits advertising — 7.5
  • The staff is efficient — 7.5 
  • The staff is committed to the brand’s values — 7.4
  • The brand optimized its shopping experience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic — 7.5

Customer Service 

  • Customer service is efficient & easy to use (on the phone) — 7.5
  • Customer service reacts promptly to my requests — 7.5

Overall, the CX Index rose to 8.06 in the U.S. in 2021, up from 7.96 in 2020. 

And now the winners. The top brands in the U.S. (and their index scores) are:

  1. Chewy — 991.1 
  2. Toyota — 83.2
  3. Hilton — 80.4 
  4. Etsy — 79.7 
  5. Michelin — 78.1 
  6. Moen — 76.0
  7. Charles Schwab — 75.0
  8. Costco — 74.5
  9. Fidelity Investments — 73.6 
  10. Sephora — 73.3
  11. Marriott — 72.0
  12. Samsung — 70.4
  13. AmeriSave Mortgages — 70.2 
  14. Volkswagen — 69.8 
  15. Microsoft — 69.8

 

 

 

 

1 comment about "Brand Trust Takes Over As Lead Factor In The Customer Experience".
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  1. David Vawter from Doe-Anderson, February 3, 2022 at 8:37 a.m.

    The fact that VW is in the top 15 tells you that either consumers have short memories, or that studies such as this one are to be taken with a mountain of salt.

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