New findings reveal the disconnect between business perception and customer reality.

How satisfied do you think your customers are with your digital support options?

In the 2022 Digital-First Customer Experience Report, NICE asked consumers and senior decision makers across the U.S. and U.K. what they believe is working in a digital-first customer journey, and whether businesses are living up to their customers’ expectations.

In fact, the report reveals that there are major gaps between what customers think about their support journeys and how seriously business leaders are taking their expectations. And the findings show that these disconnects have a major impact on brand loyalty—57% of customers will abandon a brand after only one or two negative interactions.

Some of the largest discrepancies include:

• Self-service: 53% of businesses believe their customers are very satisfied with their self-service offerings, but only 15% of consumers agree
• Options: 81% of consumers expect more self-service options, but 40% of businesses think they have enough
• Search: 15% of businesses say Google is their consumers’ first stop, but in actuality 46% start their journeys with search
• Smarter offerings: 36% of consumers want smarter self-service, but only 11% of businesses are prioritizing it
• Chat: 52% of consumers say chat is their preferred digital offering, but only 31% of businesses currently offer it