A 2025 survey of CX Leaders, Trends & Insights: Corporate Edition, highlights the benefits of investing in focused customer experience efforts. It shows off the current state of CX and the road ahead based on CX leaders’ efforts and ambitions. The report suggests that even with much of the focus on technology, all companies must remain customer-centric to succeed.
The report’s headline results show that 68% of CX leaders reported KPI improvements over the past 12 months, the highest percentage recorded since 2021.
Technology highlights include the move to AI, with 90% of brands having deployed it or planning to do so soon, a significant jump from 61% from the 2022 survey. That’s expected due to the boom in AI services, but it is an impressive result, suggesting a strong commitment to AI.
Among the remaining issues identified by the survey include feedback from 54% of CX leaders reporting that around 60% of customer interactions remain too complex for self-service or AI-powered solutions.
The implication is that legacy systems and processes need replacing fast for these firms to stay competitive or risk losing customers. Related to those problems, 42% of CX leaders cite legacy systems as their biggest operational hurdle, slowing down digital transformation.
Survey highlights AI is the CX future
“The leveraging of AI technology continued in earnest in 2024, but the importance of live assistance remains immutable,” said Susan McDaniel, co-founder and COO of Execs In The Know. “As brands push for digital transformation, AI and automation will best serve to enhance — not replace — the personal connections that define exceptional customer experiences. We are excited about what this research reveals on this and other critical topics.”
The report suggests that by integrating innovation with a customer and cultural foundation, CX leaders can bridge the gap between the rise of automation and meaningful engagement with prospects and customers. But this process remains a years-long journey with AI not the quick win that some think it is.