Experience is everything:

Here’s how to get it right

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 Overview
Give customers a great experience and they’ll buy more, be more loyal
and share their experience with friends. Great. That’s what every company
strives for. So why are so many consumers disappointed? Call it an
experience disconnect: companies tout the latest technology or snappy
design, but they haven’t focused on—or invested in—the aspects of
customer experience that are the most meaningful.

What truly makes for a good experience? Speed. Convenience.

Consistency. Friendliness. And one big connector: human touch—that
is, creating real connections by making technology feel more human and
giving employees what they need to create better customer experiences.
People are increasingly loyal to the retailers, products, brands and devices
that consistently provide exceptional value with minimum friction or stress.

The challenge: use new technology with purpose to make the experience
feel more human—without creating frustrations for customers and while
empowering employees.

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 6 takeaways to guide you
1 The price premium is real—and it’s big.
The payoffs for valued, great experiences are tangible: up to a 16% price
premium on products and services, plus increased loyalty. In return, among
U.S. consumers, there’s a sharp increase in willingness to give up personal
data: 63% say they’d share more information with a company that offers a
great experience.

2 Bad experience is driving customers away—fast.

You won’t have many chances to get it right. One in three consumers (32%)
say they will walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience.
This figure is even higher in Latin America, at 49%.

3 Companies need to get the must-do’s right.

Speed, convenience, helpful employees and friendly service matter most,
each hitting over 70% in importance to consumers. Those who get it right
prioritize technologies that foster or provide these benefits over adopting
technology for the sake of being cutting edge.

4 The employee experience is the cornerstone.

Human interaction matters now—and 82% of U.S. and 74% of non-U.S.
consumers want more of it in the future. Regardless, the technology supporting
human interaction must be seamless and unobtrusive across platforms.

5 Give up generational fixation.

What matters most to all generations surveyed holds true for Gen Z, too. But
what passes for speed and knowledge to Gen Z might be different. Instant is
expected. Convenience—seamless transition from tablet to smartphone to
desktop to human—is a baseline expectation.

6 Experience is the strategy.

54% of U.S. consumers say customer experience at most companies needs
improvement. That’s quite an experience gap.

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 The implications are significant
There is a formula for getting it right. The right culture, new ways of
working and empowered talent are key to unlocking revenue opportunities
through better experience. But technology alone won’t cure what ails
customer experience.

Done right, technology can help companies create phenomenal customer

experiences and reap the resulting benefits: 82% of the top-performing
companies report paying close attention to the human experience around
digital and tech.

• Your customers have demands. They aren’t what you think.

Technologies and improvements that increase speed, convenience,
friendliness and knowledge—core demands of consumers—are
openings for companies to improve how people interact with,
embrace and spend with their brand.

• Customers generate revenue. Employees drive the experience.

Reduce friction for consumers and empower employees to bring
higher customer satisfaction, resulting in more forgiveness if things
go wrong. This may require new ways of working, more focus on the
employee experience and a sophisticated view of the human-and-
machine relationship in customer experiences.

• Technology isn’t the final solution, it’s an enabler. Companies

won’t be able to solve their customer experience problems with
technology alone—it’s just the enabler. Focus on experience to
realign priorities. Great employee experience brings stronger, smarter,
more innovative ideas, which will drive future business and superb
customer experience.

Methodology
PwC surveyed a representative sample of 15,000 people from 12
countries, via an online survey and in-field interviews; 4,000 respondents
were from the U.S., the remaining 11,000 were from a sampling of
countries1 around the globe.

1 Countries surveyed: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Singapore,
and the U.K.

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 Inside the customer
experience disconnect
Good customer experience leaves consumers feeling heard, seen and
appreciated. It has a tangible impact that can be measured in dollars
and cents.

• 73% of all people point to customer experience as an important

factor in their purchasing decisions. Yet only 49% of U.S.
consumers say companies provide a good customer
experience today.

• 43% of all consumers would pay more for greater convenience;

42% would pay more for a friendly, welcoming experience. And,
among U.S. customers, 65% find a positive experience with a
brand to be more influential than great advertising.

Figure 1: Customer experience helps people decide between buying options

72%
Canada
65%
63%
75%
UK
Germany 31%
Japan
88%
USA 87%
China
Mexico 84%
Colombia 76%
Singapore

89%
Brazil
74%
77% Australia
Argentina

Q: When it comes to making purchase decisions, how important is customer experience in choosing between options?
Source: PwC Future of Customer Experience Survey 2017/18

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 What really matters to consumers
Nearly 80% of American consumers point to speed, convenience,
knowledgeable help and friendly service as the most important elements
of a positive customer experience.

Consumers outside the U.S. value speed even more than Americans do. Speed
can mean something as simple as instant service or as complex as instant delivery.
In some cases, people will pay for it: more than 40% of respondents in PwC’s
Global Consumer Insights Survey say they would pay extra for same-day delivery.

Customers expect technology to always work (and are unlikely to take note of new
technology unless it malfunctions or interrupts the seamless, friendly experience).
They want the design of websites and mobile apps to be elegant and user-friendly;
they want automation to ease experience. But these advances are not meaningful
if speed, convenience and the right information at the right time are lacking.

Figure 2: What people value most in their customer experience

60%

Efficiency
50%

Convenience
Friendly service
Knowledgeable service
40%
Worth paying more for

Easy payment
Up-to-date technology

30% Loyalty program

Human interaction
Unique experience
Personalization
Social responsibility
20% Design
Easy mobile experience
Fun Brand image
Charitability Automation
10% Atmosphere
Global presence

0%
30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Level of importance for customer experience

Q: When it comes to great overall customer experience, how important do you think each of the following will be in the future?
Which of the following things are worth paying more for?
Source: PwC Future of Customer Experience Survey 2017/18

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 The experience gap leaves an
opportunity sweet spot
Price and quality remain top of mind for customers as they make
purchasing choices. But when customers think about their interactions,
positive experiences influences purchasing decisions in almost every
industry, but are particularly influential in healthcare (78%), banking (75%),
restaurants (74%) and hotels (74%).

Defining Successful Experiences

Across all the industries surveyed, an average of 48% of U.S. consumers
point to friendly, welcoming service as uniquely defining success in an
industry; fewer (32%) pointed to having the most up-to-date technology.
Most people only make the connection between technology and customer
experience when tech fails, is slow or disrupts the process. Yet the number
of companies that say creating better customer experiences is a digital
priority have dropped to just 10% in 2017, down from 25% in 2016,
according to PwC’s Digital IQ survey.

The gap is clear when you look at what customers expect versus the
satisfaction they’re actually getting. It’s not a pretty picture (see Fig.
3). But closing that gap by finding the sweet spot—where technology
complements the human element of customer experience without creating
new frustrations—is the opportunity right in front of you. Along with that
technology comes upskilling your workforce to teach them how to adapt
and adjust to evolving customer needs and ways to connect.

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 Figure 3: The experience and expectation gap

Airlines 33%

Healthcare 25%

Pharma 22%

Retail 21%

Banking 20%

Investments 19%

Mobile/Internet 19%

Insurance 18%

Software 14%

Technology 13%

Restaurants 12%

Hotels 10%

Sports 10%

Media 8%
20% 40% 60% 80%

Level of Satisfaction Level of Importance

Q: When it comes to making purchase decisions, how important is customer experience in each of the following industries? Generally
speaking, how would you rate the customer experience in each of the following industries today?
Source: PwC Future of Customer Experience Survey 2017/18

You Don’t Have Many Chances To Get It Right

Can you imagine losing one-fifth to one-third of your customers in a single day?
Lost. For good. That’s exactly what could happen after just one bad customer
experience with your product or brand. Even if people love your company or
product, in the U.S. 59% will walk away after several bad experiences, 17% after
just one bad experience.

32% of all customers would stop doing business with a brand they loved after
one bad experience. In Latin America, 49% say they’d walk away from a brand
after one bad experience.

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 Figure 4: When do consumers stop interacting with a brand they love?

60%

40%

20%

0%
After one bad experience After several bad experiences

All Countries US LATAM

Q: At what point would you stop interacting with a company that you love shopping at o
 r using?
Source: PwC Future of Customer Experience Survey 2017/18

Get the no-brainers right—and the rest

will follow
Want to win the experience race? Change your customer experience
goals to reflect what actually matters to customers. When customers feel
appreciated, companies gain measurable business benefits—including
the chance to win more of their customers’ spending dollars. Just over
36% of consumers say they will likely spend more in 2018, but to get that
extra revenue, companies will have to work harder.

Price Premiums
While every industry saw a potential price bump for providing a positive
customer experience, luxury and indulgence purchases benefit the most
from top-flight service. Such items averaged a 13% price premium for
better experience among consumers outside the U.S., with up to 18% for
something like coffee for customers in the U.S. (see Fig. 5).

But customers aren’t willing to pay more for bells and whistles unless
core elements of customer experience are met. They’re not willing to pay
for trendy products or features. And only 15% of all customers would pay
more for engaging design and 12% for a great atmosphere.

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 Figure 5: The price premium of good customer experience

Coffee Hotel Stay Annual Physical Sports Ticket Dinner

16% 14% 14% 13% 12%

Airline Ticket Cable Subscription Cell Phone Plan Car Insurance Winter Coat

10% 9% 8% 7% 7%
Scale is out of 25%
Q: How much would you pay for the following product or service if the company provides a great customer experience?
Source: PwC Future of Customer Experience Survey 2017/18

Access to Customer Data

43% of U.S. consumers say they would not give companies permission to
collect their personal data (such as location, age, lifestyle, preferences and
purchase history) to allow for more personalized, customized experiences.
However, they felt differently in one instance. For a service they say they truly
valued, 63% said they’d be more open to sharing their data. Building trust
is also imperative. 88% of U.S. consumers say that how much they trust a
company determines how much they’re willing to share personal information.

More Loyalty
Gen Z is quickly When U.S. customers feel appreciated, they are more
forming its loyalties likely to recommend or endorse a brand on social
to brands. 40% of media, subscribe to a brand’s newsletter or sign up for
Gen Zers (vs. 24% for promotions and make repeat purchases.
everyone surveyed) feel
What’s more, customers say they are more likely to
more loyal to brands
try additional services or products from brands that
now than last year. provide superior customer experience.

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 Consider American Express*, which transformed its approach from treating
customer service as a cost center into an opportunity to build customer
relationships—and as a result they began to truly understand customer needs.
At the same time, Amex made a tremendous effort to enhance processes, shift
technologies, alter policy and modify products to drive that experiential shift.

These efforts quickly led to a 400% increase in customer retention. These

changes put customer relationships at the core of the strategy, further enabling
Amex to position itself as more than a credit card company, winning more
elements of a customer’s life, from travel to concert tickets.
* Financial Times: Road To Excellence: How American Express leads the way for customer experience transformation

How to win the experience wars

Be—or Feel—More Human
Even as technology improves and automation becomes more prevalent, most
American consumers still prefer human interaction. People engage with apps,
self-service checkouts, websites and the like. But the second something goes
wrong, they want to talk to a person, stat. Only 3% of U.S. consumers, for
instance, want their experiences to be as automated as possible.

Figure 6: Once technology becomes advanced we won't need people for great
customer experiences

60%
55%

43%
40%

29%
23%
20%

0%
Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree

All Countries US
Q: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Once technology becomes advanced we won’t need people
for great customer experiences.
Source: PwC Future of Customer Experience Survey 2017/18

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 New technology tools are tantalizing and sometimes necessary, but
the human touch remains enormously important. Today, 64% of U.S.
consumers and 59% of all consumers feel companies have lost touch
with the human element of customer experience. 71% of Americans
would rather interact with a human than a chatbot or some other
automated process.

Human and Machine, Not Human or Machine

Take advantage of automation, but make sure customers can reach a human
when one is needed. In turn, automated solutions should “learn” from human
interactions so those experiences also improve. This shift allows your employees
to be more engaged when they’re needed, provide better service and get
necessary support from technology—as part of the seamless experience.
This will require a change in how companies measure customer service
performance. For instance, instead of measuring call volume, companies
may look to the number of successful solutions they provided for a customer.

Keep in mind, the habit of shopping in stores isn’t going away—in fact, it’s
increasing. In a recent survey, 44% of consumers said they shop in stores
daily or weekly (for items other than groceries), up from 36% in 2014. And
most consumers say they’ll want more human interaction in the future.
Japan stands as an outlier; the desire to interact with a human is lowest,
at 53%.

Figure 7: Human vs. Automated Interaction

Germany USA Australia Argentina Canada UK

84% 82% 81% 80% 80% 78%

All Countries

75%
76% 74% 74% 68% 66% 53%

Singapore Colombia Mexico Brazil China Japan

Percent who indicate: 
“I’ll want to interact with a real person more as technology improves”

Source: PwC Future of Customer Experience Survey 2017/18

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 Understand What Drives People to Take Their Money Elsewhere
Price and product quality are a given—79% of U.S. consumers say they
might switch from one brand they like to another for a better price, 52% for
product quality. Such drivers often dictate initial choices too—and in many
instances, switching brands can be hard (consider what it takes to switch
banks). For many it’s not worth the hassle for small improvements.

Figure 8: What drives people away

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Doesn't use celebrities

Not global

Not automated

Doesn't know me

Slow to introduce technology

Technology doesn't help guide purchases

Inconsistent store experiences

Product not always available

Inefficiency

Unknowledgeable employees

Untrusted company

Unfriendly service

Bad employee attitudes

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

All Countries US

Q: Which of the following would stop you from doing business with a company?
Source: PwC Future of Customer Experience Survey 2017/18

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 Empower Employees (Right Now)
There’s a reason every employee at Ritz-Carlton Hotels* has the freedom to
use up to $2,000 to rescue a bad guest experience. The risk of not getting
the human element right is significant. 60% of all consumers said they’d stop
doing business with a brand if the service they received was not friendly.

Of course, not every company serves well-heeled clientele or can afford this level
of spending on a customer. But any company can follow the ideal: empower all
employees to make things right, from the cashier who can price-adjust instantly
without a manager’s approval to company-wide adoption of an “I’ll go get that for
you, no problem” mentality or no-questions-asked policy on returns, à la Trader
Joe’s**. Policies that reduce friction for consumers and empower employees bring
higher customer satisfaction—and more forgiveness.

Close the Expectation Gap

Right now, there’s a mismatch between customer expectations and how
employees deliver.

• 46% of all consumers will abandon a brand if the employees are

not knowledgeable.

• Only 38% of U.S. consumers say the employees they interact with understand
their needs; 46% of consumers outside the U.S. say the same.

Figure 9: Employees have a significant impact on experience

71%
80% Significant Impact

60%

40%

7%
20% Little Impact

0%
Q: How big of an impact do a company’s employees have on your overall customer experience?
Source: PwC Future of Customer Experience Survey 2017/18

* IBS Hyderabad: Employee Training & Development at Ritz-Carlton

** The Daily Meal: You can return almost anything to Trader Joe’s

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 A focus on using technology and innovation to equip employees with
the information they need to best serve consumers could help close this
gap—and so could incentivizing employees to provide a good experience,
boosting relevant training for employees and creating an overall corporate
culture of empowerment.

Shape perception of the digital future

Get to Know Gen Z
Gen Z isn’t all that different from the millenial generation and Gen X when
it comes to what they want from customer experience. But there are some
nuances worth understanding if you’re trying to appeal to the preteens, teens
and young adults of the generation that was born in the mid to late 1990s.

Figure 10: Get to know what matters to Gen Z

63% 60% 59%

54% 52% 50%
47%
32%

Mobile Experience Fun Design Company Loyalty

(5 years Ago)

Percentage of
consumers who would
40% 39% pay more for elements
32%
28% of customer experience
24% 19%
Gen Z
Company Loyalty Trust Brand Personality General Population
(1 years Ago)
Scale is out of 70%
Source: PwC Future of Customer Experience Survey 2017/18

People instinctively understand that technology will change how they buy
things, but they don’t always clearly see how innovation and technology
already impact their interactions. For instance, only 38% of U.S. consumers
think cloud technology has an impact on their customer experience. Yet
people interact with cloud technology hundreds of times every day. Unless
there’s a failure, they’re unlikely to notice or believe the cloud has an impact
on their experience as a customer.

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 Take Oscar Healthcare, for example*, a search engine and health insurance
company, was designed to simplify research, selection and purchasing of non-employer
healthcare plans. The company’s digital experience simulates conversations a customer
would have with a representative on the phone and is seen as simple to use.

* InVision: What the Oscar team learned designing apps for healthcare
* Medium: How we designed Oscar 2.0

Similarly, the most tangible role of artificial Figure 11: Experiences customers wish
were more digitized
intelligence (AI) in consumers’ shopping activity
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
is already seen via the devices they use, such as
Japan
smartphones, and in ads and sponsored content
Buying
that links to prior behavior. But most consumers a car
simply aren’t aware that these are AI in action. Brazil
Japan
Know What Customers Don’t (Now) Refilling a
prescription
Only 47% of executives say they understand
Canada
clearly how robotics and AI will improve Australia
customer experience. That has to change— Restaurant
immediately. Smooth, consistent transitions ordering
from machine to human is crucial. Consumers US
China

increasingly show loyalty to the retailers, Solving

mobile
brands and devices that consistently provide problems
exceptional value and variety with minimum US
Colombia

friction or stress. Checking

luggage
Using these tools wisely to provide seamless
Colombia
payments and consistent experiences across US
platforms and in-person transactions is crucial Booking a
hotel
to customer satisfaction.
Colombia
US
Recognize Areas for Improvement
Voting
Non-U.S. consumers have more of an
Australia
appetite for their customer experience to be
US
digitized for tasks such as scheduling doctor’s Scheduling
appointments, making hotel reservations and a doctor’s
appointment
getting tech support. Americans are much Colombia
more interested in digital experiences for All Countries Least Desired Most Desired
refilling prescriptions and buying cars.
Q: Which of the following interactions do you wish were more
digital than they are today?
Source: PwC Future of Customer Experience Survey 2017/18

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 Tech and people together, improving
customer experience

There are areas customers identify for improvement, creating

clear opportunities for advancements by using new technologies
and digitizing more of your business and processes. Advances
in technology will have an impact on customer experience, and
the majority of consumers are aware of that. But that impact
could be positive, frustrating or a little bit of both.

Good customer experience minimizes friction, maximizes

speed and efficiency and maintains a human element,
embedded within the automation, AI or other technologies.
It leaves consumers feeling heard, seen and appreciated. It has
a tangible impact that can be measured in dollars and cents.

The price premiums consumers are willing to pay adds up for

companies who heed the call for a customer experience that
goes beyond the usual and brings together the best elements
of people, technology and service.

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 pwc.com/future-of-cx

Are you ready to transform your

customer experience and make
what’s next for your organization?

LET’S MEET

Authors

David Clarke Ron Kinghorn

Global Chief Experience Officer US Consumer Markets Advisory Leader
[email protected] [email protected]

Contributors

Anil Swami Rik Reppe

Service Experience Transformation Leader Partner, Customer Experience
[email protected] [email protected]

David Yoffie Steve Barr

Service Practice Leader Consumer Markets Leader
[email protected] [email protected]

John Swadener Thomas Puthiyamadam

Partner, Experience Center Global Digital Services Leader
[email protected] [email protected]

Matt Lieberman
US Advisory Marketing Leader
[email protected]

Editor Marketer

Jennifer Merritt Sarah Weiss

Editor-in-Chief, Digital Tech and Emerging Tech Marketing
[email protected] [email protected]

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