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January 2025 | VOL. 30

"Artificial intelligence and generative AI may be the most important technology of any lifetime."

-Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce

Happy New Year and welcome to the January Verde Edition newsletter. It's a new year with new goals and new initiatives. And at The Verde Group, this applies to us as well. This year, we continue our pursuit of improving the outcomes of customer experience investments for our clients, increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of our products via AI solutions, and providing the essential support required to maximize CX ROI via change management efforts.


We start this year by focusing on the impact of AI on the customer experience industry. What lies ahead in 2025? Who will be the AI-CX winners? What persistent CX challenges exist that could be resolved by AI? And what risks are associated with AI efforts and how can organizations overcome these challenges?


We thank you for your continued support of The Verde Group and as always, welcome your input on new CX topics, challenges and opportunities worth discussing in The Verde Edition.


Cheers!

The Verde Group

AI's Impact on Customer Experience:

Insights from Industry Experts 

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a tool for automation—it’s evolving into a strategic partner, reshaping how businesses deliver value to customers.

In our latest blog post, experts from The Verde Group and Nikolaus Hruska of Problem Solutions explore how AI is driving innovation, tackling persistent CX challenges, and redefining what it means to create exceptional customer experiences. Discover key insights, common pitfalls, and strategies to balance AI efficiency with the human touch. Read the full article to see how your business can stay ahead in 2025 and beyond.

READ THE BLOG

January 2025 Poll

How would you rate your company's level of investment in AI to improve the customer experience?

How would you rate your company's level of investment in AI to improve the customer experience?
We're Making Significant Investments
We're Making Some Investments
We're Just Getting Started
We're Not Investing in AI

January 2025 FAST FIVE

January’s Fast Five: The AI Edition

This month, we’re diving into the fast-evolving world of artificial intelligence and its game-changing impact on customer experience and beyond. From staggering market growth projections to the delicate balance between AI and the human touch, our January Fast Five highlights key trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping AI adoption in 2025.


Ready to explore how AI is transforming industries? Let’s break it down, fast.

1. 2025 is a big year for AI and AI adoption across all industries: How? 


By 2025, the global AI market is projected to reach $305.9 billion, with the U.S. market alone estimated at $106.5 billion. This growth reflects AI's expanding role across various sectors, enhancing efficiency and decision-making processes.  


2. Not uncommon hurdles – how hard can it be for organizations to adopt change when it comes to AI? 


Implementing AI presents challenges, including cultural resistance, organizational silos, and data accessibility issues. Only 1/3 of major change initiatives fully meet the goals set by the organization. (CEB Corporate Leadership Council


3. Expected benefit of AI to overcome CX barriers. 


AI drives hyper-personalization and predictive decision-making to enhance customer experience. However, CX Network’s research reveals that only 29% of CX professionals measure its ROI, reflecting challenges in quantifying AI's impact, such as indirect benefits and unclear metrics. In the 2024 Global State of CX report, 39% of generative AI users reported positive profit impacts, and 28% saw improvements in customer loyalty.


4. Value of balance between AI and human touch? 


According to Forbes, even with wider acceptance and adoption of AI, most people believe that AI should not work alone and that the human touch still matters. For instance, 79% of people surveyed believe that humans will always have a role in customer service. This includes 70% of Gen Z respondents, a tech-native generation.  


5. Potential AI risks for organizations? 


AI introduces risks such as data poisoning, model corruption, and ethical concerns. Organizations must implement robust risk management strategies to mitigate these threats and ensure responsible AI deployment.  

Ask Us Anything

January 2025's Question:


Question: Dear Verde Group, I recently read your piece on the persistent challenges associated with improving the customer experience. Of note, we continue to struggle with the speed and efficacy of service recovery. What data or information do you have to support my internal conversations?


Answer: Thank you for your question! A core part of Verde's methodology is understanding the absence or presence of CX friction. We know that when a customer experiences a problem in the experience, they are predictably more likely to decrease or stop their buying behavior. Correlated to this point, only 10% to 40% of your customers will tell you if they indeed encountered a problem if they had one.


The impact of organizations not knowing when friction occurs can be devastating to business performance. The good news is that organizations that make it easy for customer to let them know when problems occur can completely rebuild lost loyalty. We see this time and time again. The chart below highlights this point. Open up the lines of communication, invest in listening posts and empower front-line staff to make things right. The positive impact will significantly outweigh the investments.


THE BENEFIT OF EFFECTIVE SERVICE RECOVERY - VERDE GROUP CLIENT EXAMPLE

Send us your questions and stay tuned for the February 2025 newsletter to see your questions answered by one of our CX specialists.


QUESTIONS?

READY TO TALK? Book an intro session with Dennis Armbruster, Verde Group Executive VP, to discover how you can enhance the impact of your CX program. We want to help you find methods to anchor your customer insights firmly within your business framework, driving stronger ROI and increasing executive buy-in. We want to learn more about your current challenges.

CX INSIGHTS CHAT - SCHEDULE NOW

The Great CX Challenge - A Verde Group White Paper

In conversations with leading CX practitioners, we hear over and over again that they’re frustrated despite mountains of data being generated. They’re searching for ways to increase the meaning and importance of their work, and to make a difference in the outcomes of their business enterprise.


We have a solution. Explore the data that suggests we need to be paying more attention to CX friction over satisfaction in our new white paper: The Great CX Challenge: Financially Linking the Impact of Customer Experience Insights

DOWNLOAD WHITE PAPER

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