Indian brands are yet to keep up with the rising customer expectations: Havas CX report

Havas CX, part of the Havas Group India has launched The X Index 2023 report. 

 

According to the report, customers’ expectations from brands remain higher than ever. Havas has labelled this era as the ‘Era of Hyper Experience’. 

 

It also stated that the three key principles for brands to create a ‘Hyper Experience’ include:

 

 

Of the ten countries surveyed, including France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, Germany, India, Mexico, and the United States, China stood out on the basis of personal experiences. 

 

The previous X Index barometer identified key factors to reverse the degrowth in India, since it was the only country with a lower score than the previous period. 

 

According to the study, Indian brands were not as agile in keeping up with the rising customer expectations. However, it also highlights that there has been an increase in the average scoring for the market, with brands addressing key expectations from customers. 

 

It also identified the top 10 brands in India that offer the best customer experience. These are Airbnb, followed by Nexa, Hyundai, UTI Mutual Fund, DBS Bank, Digit, Tata Cliq, Citroen, AJIO.com and Nike.

 

The report lists down three defining elements of customer experience that drive satisfaction in India. 

 

Differentiated experiences: The single most impactful element of CX across players in India were those who provide unique, novel or innovative experiences for their customers. 

 

Build communities and treat their employees right: This is a pattern not seen in the other markets. Indians prioritise being included as a part of a larger community and that the brand shows that they care for and treat their employees well.

 

Learning through brand experience and content: Across the 10 markets, India is the only one, apart from China that expects brands to help us learn new things through their experience and content.

 

Tarun Jha, CEO, Havas Creative India, said, “In these times when sophisticated algorithms fuel customer experience, brands that want to create top of mind recall and earn their consumers' loyalty must go far beyond impeccable service and instead create hyper-experiences that offer both efficiency as well as emotional connect. Today, consumers are spoilt for choice, hence only brands that can successfully create meaningful interactions will win. Data has to be optimised and used smartly, and the name of the game is no longer just about connecting with consumers but also creating communities that give them a sense of belonging. Our proprietary tool, X Index serves as a global barometer to measure and maximise customer experience hence proving to be indispensable for brands that want their customers to have the best-in-class experience."

 

Prashant Tekwani, managing partner, Havas CX India, said, "In India, CX continues to be emotional and building meaningful relationships is paramount. The era of hyper-experience demands a perfect blend of efficiency, pleasure, hyper-personalization, and community-driven experiences. Havas CX's X Index report, now in its 5th year, has been crucial in helping our clients stay ahead of the curve and navigate the ever-evolving landscape of customer expectations. This year, we are pleased to see that brands have clawed back CX satisfaction scores, as they work towards keeping up with the evolving customer expectations.".