InMoment released findings from its 2019 CX Trends Report, uncovering a significant disconnect in the way brands and customers perceive CX.

The most startling finding from the report was that 11 per cent of Aussie brands said their customers were completely responsible for helping to create better experiences.

Customers, on the other hand, see experience as a shared responsibility. This difference in perception was a trend that continued throughout the report, with 36 per cent of brands believing their CX is "definitely” improving, however only 13 per cent of customers agreed. Similarly, three times as many customers than brands said experiences are “definitely not getting better.”

InMoment APAC VP Claire Fastier says, “It's evident that there's a significant divide in Australia between how brands and customers rate the experience they are delivering and receiving, respectfully. This gulf in perception should be ringing alarm bells for brands who need to better understand customer expectation and deliver stronger CX.

The solution proposed by customers participating in the report is simple. According to the survey's findings,  the most effective thing that brands can do to capture customer sentiment and experience is to 'ask them directly'. Nearly 78 per cent of customers selected this option, with only 43 per cent of brands reporting the same.

The importance of effectively engaging with customers in-person is also of paramount importance. The top customer response (50 per cent) for improving a brand's CX was ‘Better Service from Staff'. This continues the trend from InMoment's 2018 trend report, where 68 per cent of consumers said that staff remain the most significant contributor to a positive brand experience.

According to Fastier, today's technologies enable brands to engage their customers at scale, and in a very personalised way. “Brands have to harness technology to capture and understand the authentic voice of their customers. By doing so, staff can adapt the way they interact with customers based on their wants and needs  and deliver a much stronger customer experience as a result.

Positive interaction with staff is more essential to Australians than anyone else, with the report finding that Aussies place the most importance on staff service (50 per cent of respondents) - valuing human interactions even higher than US (42 per cent) and UK (30 per cent) customers.