Trend: A Combination of Hyper Communications and Hyper Automation

This means 2022 will mark the year when customer experience and customer service get real-time response and engagement.

“This is the expectation and it’s where competitive advantage comes from,” Middleton said.

Hyper communication supports instant response through a digital channel, not phone calls. Done right, a user only waits a few seconds before human help arrives on the web chat, for example. Hyper automation fueled by artificial intelligence will enable that capability by tracking customers’ engagement with the service in question, and knowing the customer’s stage in the process at all times.

“It sounds futuristic but it is actually here,” Middleton said. “All of us are starting to encounter these moments and they are impressive…and they bind customers to companies.”

But companies need partners’ help to deploy and manage these state-of-the-art functions, Middle said.

“It’s hard for organizations to keep up,” he said.