In today’s interconnected world, the search for happiness continues to be a timeless pursuit for both individuals and societies alike. From personal relationships to professional endeavours, we all strive to find joy and fulfilment in our lives.
When it comes to business, customer service is one of the key factors that can make or break a customer’s happiness. In an effort to uncover what truly makes people happy, NICE, the leading global AI customer service technology provider, has released its first-ever International Happiness Index, highlighting the role of emerging technology in the relationship between businesses and consumers – specifically, how AI can make for more positive customer experiences, impact overall consumer happiness and drive a business’s long-term success.
According to the Index, based on a survey of over 4,000 consumers in the UK and US, a staggering 97% of Brits reported that they experience happiness when they receive good service, but only 36% feel happy with the current state of customer service. However, perhaps surprisingly, a good experience doesn’t necessarily come at a cost to businesses, with 66% of UK customers stating that they are just as happy receiving friendly interactions as they are discounts or freebies, and nearly half feeling very happy due to simply receiving an authentic ‘thank you’.
AI has a big part to play in increasing customer satisfaction: 76% of Brits believe using digitisation and AI in customer service can make them happier, particularly in terms of resolving issues faster (selected by 41%), followed by not having to repeat themselves (36%). The use of AI in this space is also good for UK business, as Brits are willing to pay on average 43% more for good service (and would stay loyal to brands that provide it), with Gen Z being the age group willing to pay the most at 56%. But companies need to be careful: a poor experience can lead to consumers avoiding a brand for up to 10 years.
The Index also ranked consumer happiness and a willingness to pay more for good service by city, with Birmingham ranking highest in the UK, well above Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Belfast and London, showing that the West Midlands are on the whole more content than their neighbours to the North and South.
Omer Minkara, Vice President, Principal Analyst at Aberdeen, said, “You might expect people to be happy if they receive a discount, because value and price are very important, especially in today’s economy. So, it’s interesting to see consumers essentially saying, ‘I want to be wowed.’ Brands must adapt to distinguish themselves by delivering delightful experiences.”
Barry Cooper, President, CX Division, NICE, said, “The impacts of exceptional customer service extend far beyond the interaction, ultimately driving overall consumer happiness. We commissioned the inaugural International Happiness Index to demonstrate the influence that businesses have on consumer happiness and how the latest cutting-edge technology can enable businesses to connect with their consumers on a new level. This confirms the power of Enlighten’s purpose-built AI for CX in driving businesses to not only deliver great customer experiences but gain and retain loyal consumers.”
NICE’s industry leading Enlighten AI platform orchestrates exceptional experiences for employees, consumers, and businesses with purpose-built AI for CX. Built from the industry’s largest labelled dataset of CX interactions alongside industry-specific knowledge bases, NICE’s Enlighten AI is the industry’s most mature, proven and trusted CX AI. Enlighten’s suite of CX AI solutions uses automated and augmented intelligence to drive intelligent self-service, empower employees and increase CX leaders’ decision velocity to transform CX operations.
A complimentary copy of the report is available here.
About NICE
With NICE (Nasdaq: NICE), it’s never been easier for organizations of all sizes around the globe to create extraordinary customer experiences while meeting key business metrics. Featuring the world’s #1 cloud native customer experience platform, CXone, NICE is a worldwide leader in AI-powered self-service and agent-assisted CX software for the contact centre – and beyond. Over 25,000 organizations in more than 150 countries, including over 85 of the Fortune 100 companies, partner with NICE to transform – and elevate – every customer interaction.
Visit www.nice.com