A customer-centric approach, firmly embedded in corporate strategy, has been proven to drive higher revenue, increased profitability, and greater customer loyalty. This applies to B2B just as much as to B2C or D2C (Direct-to-Consumer). A robust data and AI strategy is a key pillar of a future-focused approach to customer centricity. It enables a 360-degree view of custom-ers, allowing businesses to better understand them, anticipate their needs, and deliver per-sonalised experiences.
Discrepancy between perception and realisation
So what is the status quo in German companies? How advanced is their strategic customer-centric approach and what benefits can be realised in the short, medium, and long term? adesso investigated these questions in its survey and interviewed 250 managers in German companies. The survey participants work in the areas of marketing, sales, customer and ser-vice management, IT and in the management and development of companies. The industries represented include services, finance, trade, manufacturing, and public administration.
The survey shows that expectations and reality diverge. Over half of the companies surveyed (53%) do not have a customer-centric strategy or only have one partially in place. The reason for this is probably that the majority (77%) are convinced that they are already well or even ex-cellently positioned when it comes to a focus on customers. Many companies therefore appar-ently no longer see any need for action.
Lack of technological basis
On closer examination, many organisations have not yet implemented the technological foun-dations for a customer-centric approach. Only just under a third (32%) state that they have a genuine 360-degree view of their customer data. Only 52% of respondents have fully estab-lished a customer relationship management (CRM) solution in their company, and only 47% have a customer data platform (CDP). This is astonishing, as an overwhelming majority see a comprehensive customer data strategy (92%) as well as CRM and CDP systems (77%) as decisive success factors for a good customer-centric strategy.
Given the lack of fundamentals, it is no surprise that there is often a lack of customised cus-tomer journeys. Only just under a third (30%) of the companies surveyed offer their customers personalised information across all channels. Once again, significantly fewer (18%) believe they have truly excellent omnichannel integration. But the companies actually know better here too. For instance, 80% of businesses consider a personalised customer approach highly relevant, while 86% believe their customers expect a seamless customer experience.
Unrealised potential: Artificial intelligence
The potential of data-driven customer experiences continues to be utilised in the area of artifi-cial intelligence. Only 36% of the companies surveyed have so far used AI to improve the cus-tomer experience. At 60%, a surprisingly low proportion of the companies surveyed also be-lieve that artificial intelligence plays an important role in a customer centricity. However, the respondents do recognise that the use of AI in customer services has great potential: They expect significantly faster response times (86%), a high level of relief for staff (73%), and a significant reduction in costs (69%).
