Chennai: A new research has revealed the extent to which the pandemic has changed customers’ expectations of brands, and the increasingly important role of a streamlined digital experience post-Covid.
The new data – from a survey of 6,000 Indian respondents by OpenText – reveals that 77 per cent of Indian consumers are more likely to buy again from brands which treat them like an individual, rather than the same as any other customer.
This demand for brands to engage with customers as an individual is mirrored across the broader Asia-Pacific region (69%), in Europe (62%) and in North America (69%).
More than three quarters (77%) of Indian consumers only buy from brands that make them feel they understand their individual preferences, such as communicating with them through their favourite channels or providing tailored deals.
68% of Indian consumers would be put off buying again from a brand due to a bad experience. In fact, the same number (68%) do not believe there is such thing as a ‘customer for life’ anymore in 2021, suggesting that brands cannot rely on customer loyalty stretching far enough to recover from bad experiences.
Creating a frictionless experience for customers is key to providing a good experience. When buying products or services online, nearly eight out of ten (80%) Indian consumers say that an easy search is very important to them. Furthermore, more than seven out of ten (72%) prefer to shop with brands that auto-fill and remember their details for next time. There is, however, pressure on brands to store that data correctly: almost 77% would even be willing to pay more to do business with a brand that is committed to protecting their personal data.