Forrester's US 2020 Customer Experience Index Reveals CX Quality Improved Dramatically Over The Past Year

Rhea-AI Summary

Forrester's US 2020 Customer Experience Index (CX Index) reveals a significant improvement in customer experience quality, with 27% of brands increasing their scores compared to previous years. Nine industries saw score average improvements, with the percentage of brands achieving good scores rising to 20%, the highest in five years. Brands like Lexus and Navy Federal Credit Union excelled by consistently meeting customer needs. The findings emphasize the importance of emotional engagement and customer loyalty in driving revenue growth post-COVID-19.

Positive

• 27% of brands improved their CX Index scores in 2020.
• 20% of brands achieved good scores, the largest gain in five years.
• Key leaders included Lexus and Navy Federal Credit Union, enhancing customer loyalty.

Negative

• None.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Forrester's US 2020 Customer Experience Index (CX Index™) rankings, 27% of brands improved their CX Index scores over the past year, a significant jump compared to previous years marked by minimal gains. Factors contributing to the increase in scores this year include CX professionals prioritizing high-impact projects, securing executive buy-in, evangelizing CX projects across the organization, and designing experiences that emotionally resonate with customers.

Additionally, nine industries improved their score averages, and the number of brands with good scores jumped 3 percentage points to 20%, the largest gain in five years. The top 5% of brands that scored the highest across industries in their regions — the CX elite — include Lexus, Lincoln, Navy Federal Credit Union, USAA, and Zappos.com. CX Index industry leaders include Edward Jones, Florida Blue, Hampton by Hilton, and Subaru. Key findings from Forrester's US 2020 CX Index will be unveiled at Forrester's CX North America 2020 event, which is being held as a virtual experience from June 16 to 18, 2020.

As brands adapt to changing consumer behaviors due to COVID-19, building experiences that help them empathetically engage with their customers will bolster customer loyalty. While many brands just recently improved the experiences they deliver, a few brands, including Lexus and Navy Federal Credit Union, have distinguished themselves by meeting their customers' needs consistently. These consistently high-performing brands have built a reservoir of goodwill — or CX equity — with their clients, which gives them the freedom to experiment and fumble with little ramifications. This will be particularly important as companies try to innovate to meet the needs of the customer in a post-pandemic world.  

"To emerge successfully from this global crisis, brands must build experiences that help them engage with their customers at an emotional level," said Sharyn Leaver, SVP of Research at Forrester. "Brands can build a well of CX equity if they embrace a disciplined approach to envisioning, designing, and delivering a consistently high-quality experience. When consumer spending resumes, brands with experiences that engender customer loyalty will benefit the most."

Conducted for the sixth year in a row, Forrester's CX Index results are benchmarked on a survey of more than 97,000 US customers across 250 brands and 14 industries. Forrester's CX Index methodology helps CX leaders grow revenue faster, drive higher brand preference, and charge more for their products. Forrester's CX Index helps brands identify the key drivers of a positive CX for their customers to prioritize efforts. Even a minor improvement to a brand's customer experience quality can add tens of millions of dollars of revenue by reducing customer churn and increasing share of wallet. Additionally, superior CX leads to reduced service costs and lowers the cost of customer acquisition through word of mouth.

Resources:

• Discover how the CX Index enables firms to maximize the efficacy of CX investments.
• Find out the full brand rankings in Forrester's US 2020 CX Index.
• Follow @Forrester and #ForrCX for updates.

About Forrester's CX Index
Forrester's CX Index is the most complete and powerful CX tool in the market today. The CX Index connects quality and loyalty measures to specific revenue drivers, giving leaders the unprecedented ability to guide CX investments that produce revenue return.

About Forrester
Forrester (NASDAQ: FORR) is one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. We work with business and technology leaders to drive customer-obsessed vision, strategy, and execution that accelerate growth. Forrester's unique insights are grounded in annual surveys of more than 690,000 consumers and business leaders worldwide, rigorous and objective methodologies, and the shared wisdom of our most innovative clients. Through proprietary research, data and analytics, custom consulting, exclusive peer groups, certifications, and events, we are revolutionizing how businesses grow in the age of the customer; learn more at forrester.com.

Contact:
Shweta Agarwal
(617) 613-6805
sagarwal@forrester.com

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SOURCE Forrester

FAQ

What were the key findings of Forrester's US 2020 Customer Experience Index?

The CX Index showed that 27% of brands improved their scores, with a 3% increase in brands achieving good scores.

Which industries improved their customer experience scores in 2020?

Nine industries reported improvements in their CX Index scores in 2020.

What factors contributed to the increase in customer experience scores?

Factors included prioritizing impactful projects, securing executive buy-in, and designing emotionally resonant experiences.

How does customer experience impact revenue according to Forrester?

Improving customer experience can significantly reduce churn and increase revenue, with even minor improvements potentially adding millions.

What is the significance of CX equity for brands?

CX equity helps brands engage customers emotionally, creating loyalty and allowing them the freedom to innovate.