The 2023 GigCX Report features the results of Limitless’ annual GigCX survey, with headline data taken from over 400 CX leaders from the U.S. and U.K., and over 600 GigCX Experts across 34 countries in six continents, including the U.S., U.K., Canada, Brazil, Australia, Indonesia, India, South Africa, France and Germany.
In our report research, we engaged with 17 CX leaders from various industries to gain insights into the state of the CX market and the impact of GigCX. The leaders represented several industries, including Tech, Retail, E-commerce, Food, Sports, Consumer Goods, Healthcare, and Marketplaces.
Here, we share a few of the top findings from the report surrounding GigCX and customer experience.
Providing High Quality Digital Customer Support is the Top Challenge
Headline data from the survey revealed that CX leaders feel digital customer support is the top challenge in 2023 to provide high-quality digital customer experiences and support. However, the survey also found that 83% of customer service managers have already added – or plan to add – GigCX talent to CX operations within the next two years. This is a significant increase from 2022, where the figure stood at 72%. GigCX can play a key role in helping to streamline and improve digital customer support.
Shortage of Talent in the Workforce is the Greatest Cause of Concern
According to the research, the greatest difficulties included hiring for physical contact centres and a shortage of talent in the workforce marketplace. Beyond shortage of talent, one third of respondents rated their top concern as the demand for flexibility in the workforce. To adapt, four out of five CX leaders are exploring alternate working models, including hybrid options, but nearly 40% indicated that they still grapple with developing new management skills for remote or hybrid workforces.
In terms of budget, the research found that 79% of contact centres have needed to increase their budgets for direct hiring or outsourcing to meet staffing minimums, with the majority having to increase their budget by more than 10%.
The good news is that GigCX is evolving to handle more advanced support queries, even those requiring secure access to customer data. CX leaders are increasingly recognising the potential for GigCX Experts to handle complex technical support, moving beyond basic customer inquiries.
Generative AI in CX
The research found CX leaders expressing enthusiasm and some reservations about Generative AI technology, such as ChatGPT and Bard. While 32% believe Generative AI represents a significant advancement in AI, they are uncertain about its specific impact on CX. However, once deemed suitable for CX applications, 24% of CX leaders are ready to deploy Generative AI to help accelerate, streamline and improve customer service operations.
While solutions like GigCX use AI for its ability to suggest answers, GigCX will always rely on humans and their unique knowledge of products and solutions.
82% of Contact Centres Recognise the Need to Allow Employees to Work From Home
Most contact centres are seeing the need to offer hybrid working models, where employees can work from home and from a physical location, with only 18% reverting to traditional brick-and-mortar models.
These numbers are reflective of the fact that the pre-pandemic working models that many companies relied on are no longer effective in a world where change is the only constant. By embracing a GigCX model, brands can unlock new levels of agility, while also creating a more resilient workforce that can adapt to any challenge. Because GigCX leverages existing customers and advocates with existing knowledge and works on a gig model, it bypasses many of the problems facing contact centres, including hiring, training, shift scheduling, quality, and other issues related to a WFH model.
Interestingly, when asked about challenges adapting to a hybrid working model, survey respondents said that developing new skills within management to adapt to a remote and hybrid workforce was the hardest part, with 39% percent of respondents seeing this as their biggest struggle, even in 2023. Nurturing younger generations of workers came in second and implementing technology to support hybrid remote models were also noted as challenges.
Human Connection and Empathy Remain Crucial in the Customer Experience
While automation, including chatbots, can enhance CX, consumers still prefer human interaction. For instance, 76% of consumers prioritise talking to a human when their relationship with a company is at risk. First-hand advice from GigCX Experts also significantly influences consumer decisions when considering new products or services. In our 2023 GigCX report research, more than three quarters of consumer respondents said they’d be more likely to buy a product if they had talked to a GigCX expert before purchasing.
It’s clear that as the customer service landscape continues to evolve, businesses will need to meet its increasing complexities with innovative, efficient solutions that redefine talent sourcing and customer support. We are seeing companies demanding GigCX to do more across their entire CX estate, as they already know that the model can provide better service and reduce costs. Over the next year, we expect to see businesses take advantage of new features that enable GigCX Experts to securely access customer data and enterprise systems so they can handle everything traditional agents can.
