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22 Nov, 2019

British Consumers Not Ready for AI and Want Higher Levels of Personalisation, New Study Reveals

READING, United Kingdom, 19 November 2019, BUSINESS WIRE – UK consumers are not prepared for the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and want brands to focus on delivering a seamless, personal digital experience instead, according to the results of a global survey commissioned by Acquia, the open digital experience company.

Only two in five (44%) British consumers are looking forward to brands interacting with them via AI, such as chatbots and voice assistance technology, with four in five (81%) stating automated experiences with brands are too impersonal, in Acquia’s annual ‘Deliver the CX They Expect: Customer Experience Trends’ report.

Critical CX stats for 2020. (Graphic: Business Wire)

However, there is a distinct disconnect with the thoughts of consumers and marketers when it comes to AI, as more than seven in ten (72%) of UK marketers say that they are looking forward to the introduction of AI, while two-thirds (65%) say their customers want higher levels of personalisation than they currently offer.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, Steve Williamson general manager and senior vice president of EMEA at Acquia, said: “It’s clear that consumers want a simple, seamless, personal experience via their digital channels, when interacting with their favourite brands. While the marketing industry appears to have a burning desire to introduce AI in customer experience, they actually need to work on getting the basics right, and that starts with personalisation. To build long-lasting loyalty, brands need open, adaptable marketing and CX technology, to put personalisation at the heart of their customer experience strategy.”

Other key findings from the report include:

  • Over two-thirds (68%) often abandon a brand for another when the online experience is poor
  • Three in five (61%) say when they think of their total experience with a brand, the marketing is mostly ineffective
  • More than nine in ten (93%) said when they engage with a brand online, they expect a convenient experience

Acquia’s ‘Deliver the CX They Expect: Customer Experience Trends’ report surveyed 1,001 UK consumers and 100 marketers at director level and above. On a global scale, the report found that 90% of customers believe most brands fail to meet their expectations in delivering a good CX. In addition, 80% of customers said they would be more loyal to a brand that showed they really understood them and what they were looking for, further highlighting the need for personalisation globally. To download an infographic of the key findings of the global report, click here.